Anti-Fogging Treatments for New Masks. (a comparison of techniques)

[tridacna]

Don't really know. My mask must be 20 yrs old with prescription lenses. We used to just use toothpaste to prep a mask. No special procedures. Sometimes the old ways just work and are definitely less expensive. You really would soak a mask in ammonia for a week? Sounds a little bezarre when 5 mins with the paste works just fine. Perhaps pressure should be put on the manufacturers to produce masks which don't need such procedures.

Prescription masks are cleaned by the company that installs the lenses. Your mask was thus cleaned already. Your comments are completely irrelevant in this context.

 

[scubadada]

I have 12 or 15. I am not afraid to out myself for stupidity and/or ignorance. So, I'll share.

I have been diving for a bit over 5 years, total. 350 dives.Through all that, I have never found a mask that doesn't leak on me. The Mako Minimus mask has been the best of the ones I have tried. But, over the last 2 or 3 years, I have been buying a mask here or there trying new stuff, to see if I could find something more reliable. I had stuck with buying inexpensive masks, like ones from Dive Gear Express. This last year, I was lucky enough to make a connection that allowed me to buy Atomic and Hollis masks at very good prices, so I kind of went hog wild buying a number of high end masks to try. I currently have masks from Seavision, Atomic, Hollis, Dive Rite, Mako Spearguns, Dive Gear Express, and Deep6 Gear. Multiple models from most of those.

I figured I could sell twice-used masks that didn't work for me and not lose too much money. To my disappointment, still nothing was truly leak-free for me.

Now comes the part where I out myself for stupidity or ignorance.

I grew up in north Florida, living on a river that flowed out in the Gulf. I have been snorkeling all my life. I have ALWAYS put on my mask by, well, putting it on, and then pressing on it a bit to "burp" it. This makes a little bit of a vacuum behind it, making it feel like it is really sealed well against my face. When I cleared my mask of water, while in the water, I would hold the top, exhale, and then, as the final step, burp the mask against my face again. This way of doing things continued right through into my scuba diving.

This past February, I went to dive off Utila for a week. Mask leaks continued throughout... until, one day, for some reason, I thought to myself that I should try clearing my mask the way we teach it in open water class. I.e. just hold the top of the mask and exhale. No push at the end to burp the mask. Lo, and behold! My mask leaking immediately dropped to almost zero! After one day of that, I was verbally kicking myself out loud for taking this long to figure that out. I mean... what an idiot! In hindsight, it seems so obvious. If you burp the mask to create a little bit of vacuum behind it, of course it's going to be trying to suck water in. Duh.

So, now I am going through the long process of re-trying all these masks I have, to figure out which 2 or 3 I like the best. Once I make some decisions there, I can let the rest of this inventory go to new, loving homes. Should I charge extra for masks that come pre-hydroxylated for your fog-free viewing pleasure? LOL

You could start the MM (mask museum), you're off to a good start

 

[tridacna]

The hard work put in on this is like much of the work of science and the study of methodology. In the end a simple answer presents itself or reasserts itself. It doesn't mean the work was in vain but it does mean we can perhaps move on in the knowledge of what is good and what is not necessary.

What I have learned is that my method that works great and without fail can't be improved on by any method that we have experimented with here. Since any method requires a predive treatment with a surfactant, then my methods will remain in place for my diving.

I use a flame to remove the silicone film. It is fast, effective and I have done it for others on the boat on the way to the dive site. I then use sea drops gold. I avoid the gel and use the regular cleaner/antifog. I put as tiny an amount as possible on the mask lenses when I put the mask away. When I am a few minutes from diving(gearing up), I put a smile amount of water in the mask and let it sit next to me on the bench. I never touch or rub the mask. After a few minutes, the excess has dissolved into the water. I dump it out and go diving. This product works better than baby shampoo. It will last for multiple dives but I redo it in between dives for safety and because it is easy. On the occasions that we have forgotten to redo it on the surface interval we fear not and just dive it. We haven't had any issues with fogging since using sea drops gold. If you use the smallest drop possible, a bottle will last a long time and ours gets used for most of the masks on boats we are on. We don't pass the bottle around because people waste it and it is counterproductive to use more than a very thin film because it means more to rinse off. I put a big drop on my finger and touch it to each mask and then let them smear it around. It also kills the coronavirus as it is a fat dissolving soap so no fear of spreading a virus.

Hey let's go diving.

Ray - Communicated with GearAid. Seagold contains no soap. No anti-viral properties. Not to be used for SARS-COV-2.

 

[RayfromTX]

Ray - Communicated with GearAid. Seagold contains no soap. No anti-viral properties. Not to be used for SARS-COV-2.

They are ignorant about their own product. It cuts grease and blows soap bubbles. I have no idea what you are trying to accomplish but it is tiresome. Go study up on surfactants. Try the product. This thread isn’t about Coronavirus. Coronavirus has a lipid shell. Anything that cuts lipids will neutralize the virus. Seadrops is a lens cleaner and antifog. Lens cleaners cut lipids or they wouldn’t work. Here, have a soap bubble. This is seadrops mixed with water.

 

[tridacna]

They are ignorant about their own product. It cuts grease and blows soap bubbles. I have no idea what you are trying to accomplish but it is tiresome. Go study up on surfactants. Try the product. This thread isn’t about Coronavirus. Coronavirus has a lipid shell. Anything that cuts lipids will neutralize the virus. Seadrops is a lens cleaner and antifog. Lens cleaners cut lipids or they wouldn’t work. Here, have a soap bubble. This is seadrops mixed with water.View attachment 580604

You introduced Coronavirus. Something about sharing on the boat...IIRC

 

[Umuntu]

Now that I've done the dishwasher and ammonia soak on it, it seems to be pretty much fogproof. But, I've only done a single 1 hour dive with it, so the jury is still out. Just the dishwasher made it a LOT better. Easily good enough that I didn't feel a need to do anything more. But, I wanted to see if the ammonia did make it better in a noticeable way, so I did the soak anyway.

And yes, I put 5 of my masks in ammonia to soak last night. They will stay in there until next Sunday. I already have 2 masks that are all done with their soaks, so I can dive them next weekend if needed.

@stuartv , What is the strength of the ammonia solution that you are using ?

I.e. If you are diluting household ammonia, what is the initial ammonia percentage content and the parts water to ammonia ratio you are using for the soaking solution ?

Thanks !

 

[tridacna]

I soak in household ammonia. It’s 5-10% in the bottle depending on brand.

 

[Umuntu]

I soak in household ammonia. It’s 5-10% in the bottle depending on brand.

No dilution ... ?

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv , What is the strength of the ammonia solution that you are using ?

I.e. If you are diluting household ammonia, what is the initial ammonia percentage content and the parts water to ammonia ratio you are using for the soaking solution ?

Thanks !

Undiluted household ammonia. I looked on the bottle and even searched the Internet for the specific bottle I am using and I cannot find anywhere what the actual concentration is.

 

[tridacna]

Mine was labeled 4% Ammonia - 96% water.

Ammonium Hydroxide (As Ammonia).