The great Mask Defog Thread

[Jarhead]

And mask has been scrubbed inside and out with colgate paste and a toothbrush. Twice. But 500psi work good.

kd4rfa

 

[Diversauras]

A potato works too. Slice off an end and rub it in the mask, whatever potato juice is made of it works. Put it in a plastic bag and it will keep for a long time. Spit also works well in my opinion and is more convienient.

 

[Louie]

Shaving foam

 

[otter-cat]

I just posed the question of whether spitting in your mask can cause eye infections or is sterile to one's own body in the Diving Medicine forum. Hopefully one of the good doctors on the board can "clear up" this issue for us!

I would have included the link to that thread, but I couldn't figure out how. Help, anyone?

otter-cat

 

[achen]

Your spit is filled with nasty bacteria and you absolutely aren't immune to them (your immune system can respond, and you usually don't get sick, but you definitely could get sick). You don't get sick all of the time because you swallow the bacteria and they end up in your stomach and get passed out of your intestines. Your digestive system is equivalent to the outside of your body. Your intestines actually have a very strong immune response. Your eyes have very little immune system protection, just antibodies and lots of tears to wash bacteria out.

Regardless of this, your body is pretty good at protecting itself, unsterilized water (which is filled with critters) is constantly getting in your eyes. While I am sure you could get an infection from your own spit (kids rub their eyes all the time and get eye infections) it just doesn't seem to happen very often to be a serious concern.

I use SeaVision Defog that came with my goggles. It comes in a spray bottle and works really well.

 

[achen]

And with regards to getting sick from your own spit, your spit is sterile until it gets into your mouth. Then it gets contaminated and is equivalent to being outside. You have all sorts of nasties that can make you sick if they get into your bloodstream.

 

[kelpmermaid]

Well, I've tried commercial blends (Sea Drops are irritating to this contact wearer - 500 psi needs to be rinsed well) but I think that spit works the best. Is contamination a problem? Probably, but you know what fish do in sea water - was it a WC Fields quote? Nasty!

 

[wch]

I always spit in my wetsuit and pee in my mask.
The only problem is after diving people are always saying I look like I have jaundice.

Bill

You Know someone was going to say it!
500psi

 

[jimini]

I saw a television show over the weekend called something like "Hanley's Hints". This man (Hanley, I presume) took a daub of shaving cream from a can and applied it with paper towelling to half a bathroom mirror - enough to make the mirror look like it was lightly coated. He then wiped the shaving cream off with more paper towelling. He then took a clothes steamer and ran it over the entire mirror. The half that had the shaving cream on it did not steam up and the other half steamed up. He said the anti-fogging would last for 4 weeks. Has anyone tried this with a dive mask? Does anyone think this will work in the ocean? If this works, it sure would save on spending $ on Sea Drops or trying to come up with spit all the time.

Jo

 

[bwerb]

you can get tubes for around $.99 CDN. Works great!

I like the gels best!

Brian