spit vs defog

[sjmueller61990]

ok so i went on my discover scuba day and used my cressi big eyes evolution goggles, i put anti fog on them and let them sit for about 20 mins while i was waiting for the group before us to get done (yes i did put toothpaste on them when i got them to remove the chemical film on them) but after i washed them off the right side of the mask fogged a little bit, i spit in them when we went to the deeper part but from then i couldnt tell because i let a little bit of water in pinching my nose so for the rest of my dive thing i would just look down and swish my head around do they never got that far, so basically what i want to ask if what works better for you, if you spit on your goggles before the dive or if you would rather put defog on your mask?? or heck maybe you do both??

 

[formula1mb@aol.com]

For me the best thing I've found is spit in the mask BEFORE gearing up----letting it 'soak' on there for a little while seems to make it work much better and almost no problems with fogging. If you only do it right before the dive, doesn't work as well.

Haven't tried any anti-fog sprays, why pay for it if you can do it for free? I've heard mixed reviews on them anyways.

 

[Walter]

Start with a dry mask. Rub baby shampoo (full strength) on the (inside) lenses. Let the shampoo dry on the mask. Rinse it off in the water in which you'll be diving just before (or as) you descend.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Spit works. Commercially available defog also works. Depending on what you buy, it might last slightly longer than spit.

If your mask lenses are fogging up on a dive despite your use of spit/defog...and your mask is new...it just means that you haven't removed the film from the mold-release agents. If you're using toothpaste, make sure that the brand has some grit to it, since the grit is what helps remove the film. In my personal experience, gel toothpaste doesn't work well at all.

Be persistent. Depending on how hard you scrub and what you use to scrub, you may have to repeat the process several times.

If toothpaste doesn't work, try Soft Scrub. Some divers have also used a lighter trick to remove the film.

If you enjoyed the Discover Scuba experience enough, you may want to consider taking a basic Open Water certification course. Your instructor should be able to answer your mask question and many others.

Have fun!

 

[Dyno Bill]

I vote for spit, it always works and you always have some on hand

 

[DBailey]

When diving from a boat, I typically use spit. Put the mask on and do my deep water entry. When I come back to the surface to wait for the rest of the group (per boat rules), I will take that time to spit in my mask, smear it around, and dunk it once.

If I have a water source available (other than the rinse tank or camera tank), I will use defog. I smear a small amount on the mask and dunk it a couple of times.

Using either method, I have never had an issue with my mask fogging up. When my students "claim" they used toothpaste on their masks, but it still fogs, I ask them if they put some toothpaste on the mask and smeared it around, or did they really use some elbow grease and seriously clean the mask. The trick is cleaning it forcefully. Even a student that reasserts his/her claim to have used elbow grease, I will clean the mask. Funny how it never fogs up after I clean it.

I recommend giving it another toothpaste cleaning.

 

[Airhogg]

Spit, has worked for me always. I have tried defog and it does work but the tried and true method of spitting and rubbing it around, let it sit a few then rinse seems to work well for me.

 

[RhinoGuy]

My wife and I use either defog or baby shampoo. Wal-Mart has the travel size baby shampoos for around a dollar. We just leave the bottle in the box with our mask.

 

[Onewolf]

My tried and true method is to use a spray bottle with a water/baby shampoo mix. About 10-15 minutes before the dive, spray the mask, do a very very quick rinse, and then let the mask dry. I've never had a fog problem with that process (other than with my new Atomic mask, but that's a story for a different message thread).

 

[Tresguey]

I have had the same issue with my mask. And I have cleaned then with toothpaste over and over again. I believe it is my over rinsing after I use spit or defog being the number one culprit. I like the sound of the baby shampoo and water in a spray bottle. What is the ratio of water to shampoo when using this method?