Why is spit such a good defogger?

[SeaYoda]

The question about windshield defoggers gave me a new idea :lightbulb: Apple works as a defogger for the windshields. I haven't tried it on a mask yet. But it's natural and you can eat the rest of the apple after using a small slice

Potatoes work on windshields too. "Do you want fries with that?"


I use full strength baby shampoo and allow it to dry. A quick rinse before the dive and it seems to last about 2 dives. It's a little hazy for the first few minutes of the first dive until the layer of shampoo evens out. My mask has a constant leak so I always have a pool of defog in the bottom of the mask - I just tilt my head down to re-apply. My spit works when I forget my shampoo - I almost always have the spit with me.

 

[discrepancy]

I sometimes use hair shampoo. The little bottles from hotels are neat. But, I learned early in the piece not to use too much. Once I slopped way too much in and spent the rest of that dive peering at the underwater world through large peach-flavoured bubbles inside my mask.

 

[flyguy]

spit has never worked for me, especially in warm waters. My mask will fog up 10 mins into the dive.

Just a couple drops of defog before the first dive and I'm set for the day.

 

[minnediver]

8 page discussions on spit v. defogger!?!?!?!?

Is this a complete waste of time or what? If you don't want to use spit or it doesn't work for you then buy some defogger - END OF STORY.

 

[jonnythan]

Someone asked WHY It was a good defogger..

Besides...

It's only 4 pages on my computer

 

[djanni]

The WHY can be attributed to 3 major enzymes - alpa-amylase, lysozome and phenylketonuria (my spelling might be off on that one). These enzymes are, in fact, sticky and attach themselves directly to the surface, or in this case the glass.
They prevent fogging by chemically preventing the moisture form becoming dense enough to be called "fog."

Why is spit such a good defogger? You spit in your mask, give it a quick rinse and you are ready to go. You would think that little of the spit defog would even remain after rinsing it

Dan

 

[aranea]

alpha amylase is an emzime in spit thet is true (it's function is to start carbohydrate digestion). On the other hand, lysozome is an organelle in the cell not an enzyme. Phenolketonuria is a disease due to lack of an enzyme in the production an amino acid -phenylalanine.

 

[keyeakman]

I can't explain it...but I used to get a headache during and after a dive...I recently ran out of sea gold and went back good old fashioned spit...and guess what. No more headaches.

 

[SeaYoda]

8 page discussions on spit v. defogger!?!?!?!?

Is this a complete waste of time or what? If you don't want to use spit or it doesn't work for you then buy some defogger - END OF STORY.

And you wasted your time reading all 8 - doesn't that just make you want to spit?

 

[pelan-pelan]

Anyone noticed that small bottles of mosquito repellent (Cutter) are roughly the same size as Sea Pearls (or whatever it's called)?

Just for this thread I can say that mosquito repellent does not work as a de-fogger, it doesn't rinse off easily and it stings like hell. But you won't get pestered by mosies at 20 metres.