SCUBA Mask Fogging Tips

Fogging is the bane of every diver. Since the scuba mask is your porthole into the underwater world, fogging ruins the trip by reducing or blocking your view. A wise diver will take the necessary steps to prevent fogging from occurring in the first place; but, should it occur during a dive, there is only one action that will remedy the problem.

  1. Clean Any New Mask

    • Brand new diving masks are usually covered with a film of oil, which is meant to preserve the plastic or rubber parts while the mask sits on a store or warehouse shelf. This oil will fog the mask heavily unless it is removed, but harsh detergents must not be used to clean the mask, since these will probably scratch the scuba mask's lens(es). Soft scrub soap and toothpaste are often used to remove this oil, but the mask's manufacturer may also have suggestions.

    Spit in the Mask

    • Common spittle is a defogging agent used by divers around the world. Spit inside the mask, rub the saliva or saliva plus mucous around the lens and nose piece, and then rinse the mask out with sea water. This simple, free method works for ordinary fogging problems.

    Avoid Sunscreen

    • Sunscreen is an oily substance, and its presence on the nose and around the eyes will cause a scuba mask to fog. A diver should rinse off any sunscreen applied to her face before putting the mask on, and better still rely on a sunhat instead of sunscreen to protect her face from sunburn, to avoid this problem.

    Use a Defogging Agent

    • Some dive conditions produce serious fogging problems, such as sharp changes in water temperature. Also, some divers simply insist on working on their tan on the dive boat and wear sunscreen, even though sunscreen causes fog. To counter these problems, apply a scuba mask defogging agent to the mask interior, but do not rinse it afterward. Bottles of this cleaning solution are available in any dive shop or online. Some divers recommend using car windshield cleaning agent as a cheaper substitute, although this may be harsher than scuba mask defogging agent. Others endorse bringing along a potato and rubbing the starchy liquid from a slice of potato inside the mask and then rinsing it. (Strange as it may sound, I know from experience the latter methodology works quite well.)

    Flood the Mask

    • A diver who is already on a dive and has a problem with fogging has only one remedy, namely to flood his mask. A diver should open a crack at the top of the mask by pulling that part slightly away from the face, and allow the mask to fill with seawater. Then the diver purges the mask as taught in basic dive certification, by tilting the bottom of the mask upwards and exhaling through the nose. The air forces the water out of the mask, and the water rinses away the fog.