Leaking mask - my personal experience

[Daebado]

After many years of diving I find that my face must change on every other dive. My general go to mask, a Cressi will be perfect one day and leak like a sieve the next...

Same problem here, only add fogging to that! Some dives, no leaks and no fog. The very next dive, I may have leaks, fogging or both. It drives me crazy!
Many times, the fogging goes with the leaking because the more you breath into your mask to clear it, the more chance you have of fogging it up. But it's not always the case.

 

[divinh]

Same problem here, only add fogging to that! Some dives, no leaks and no fog. The very next dive, I may have leaks, fogging or both. It drives me crazy!
Many times, the fogging goes with the leaking because the more you breath into your mask to clear it, the more chance you have of fogging it up. But it's not always the case.

Leaking can help with unfogging. A little bit of water in the mask can be used as "windshield wipers". If the mask fogs, tilt your head down so that the little bit of water wipes away the fog.

 

[Daebado]

Leaking can help with unfogging. A little bit of water in the mask can be used as "windshield wipers". If the mask fogs, tilt your head down so that the little bit of water wipes away the fog.

Right, but then you want to get rid of that water (or at least I do) so once you have taken care of the fog, you clear your mask by breathing air through your nose. This can then cause fogging of your mask again. It's a vicious cycle!

For my single-lens mask, I actually bought this contraption that has a magnet on each side of the glass. The magnets have some kind of felt or something on them and as you move the one on the outside of the mask, it moves the one on the inside and you can actually wipe away the fog.

I was dubious when I saw it advertised but it was cheap so I thought, "what the heck" and bought one. It actually works fairly well and despite my suspicions that it would be obvious and distracting, you don't notice it at all during your dive. I just put it right in the middle and it pretty much disappears.
Not sure if it is this exact model but very similar at least to this:
https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Wiper-Scuba-Snorkel-Mask/dp/B0002E86WS

Haven't tried it yet on my dual lens mask as you would need two of them and I'm not so sure you could hide them from view so easily. Normally, I would probably try to put them at the bottom of the lenses but I have readers installed so that won't work.

 

[Mike1967]

Doing your mask up tighter to stop the leaking can make it leak more, when you're new you tend to have it too tight.

 

[formernuke]

I went through a lot of masks. Number 17 was the charm. I have chubby cheeks with deep smile lines. A lot of masks have very short skirts under the nose. I needed something longer to cover the smile lines.

I only went through about 6 before I found one that fit right.

 

[Marie13]

I only went through about 6 before I found one that fit right.

Lucky you!

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I have yet to find that elusive holy grail of masks. I've basically just started traveling with the Hollis M1 since it seems to leak the least and 4 other "testers". Buy 'em cheapish on e-bay and if they leak more than the Hollis, I use them as gifts for the DM's.

I've been through about 8 so far. leaking masks are the worst.

 

[Marie13]

I have yet to find that elusive holy grail of masks. I've basically just started traveling with the Hollis M1 since it seems to leak the least and 4 other "testers". Buy 'em cheapish on e-bay and if they leak more than the Hollis, I use them as gifts for the DM's.

I've been through about 8 so far. leaking masks are the worst.

I have four of my mask. Primary and backup always with me when diving. At home I’ve got another black skirt as well as a clear skirt. Not happy with clear skirted masks, but it’s OK as a spare.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

has anyone noticed that as their faces get more "weathered" certain masks leak when they didn't used to?

 

[formernuke]

has anyone noticed that as their faces get more "weathered" certain masks leak when they didn't used to?

I maintain denial about my age to prevent noticing such things. Just like all my old sports injuries