Purge valve = foggy mask?

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

It takes a lot of scrubbing with toothpaste to get the initial film off some masks. My first mask had no purge and fogged mercilessly until i scrubbed it about a dozen times over many weeks of use. I then got a seavision prescription mask (with purge) --- seavisions require no initial scrub, only defog...never had a problem with it.

It's not the purge, it's the factory oil film or whatever it is that has to be scrubbed...it doesn't come off as easily as they suggest.

 

[Kim]

Really....I've never seen anyone exhaling through their nose diving - maybe it's a regional thing or something and I've just never seen it.
I wouldn't use a toothbrush though - too much chance to scratch it. Toothpaste is good though. It actually works very well as a de-fogger too, although some people say that it corrodes the silicon over time. I used to use it and I never noticed any damage myself though. These days I use Sea Drops, or just spit.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I too had this problem. I switched to a non purge valve mask.

 

[TNdiver6387]

I just got a new mask (non-purge) and it fogged like no tomorrow. I cleaned it well with toothpaste, but still had a little bit of a fogging issue. One thing my instructor suggested was applying the antifog i was using (PSI 500 i think its called, about the consistency of toothpaste) when the mask was totally dry, and then more or less buffing the lens with a soft cloth till it looked clean and streakless. That worked MUCH better than wetting the mask, rubbing it in, then rinsing the mask like the directions said.

 

[Charlie99]

I had a purge valve mask for a while. Since the mask tended to leak around my moustache a bit, I was constantly exhaling through the nose to blow out the water. This tended to cause fogging.

I changed to a non-purge mask, started trimming my bushy moustache a bit, using a dab of silicone grease in a couple key spots and stopped having fogging problems. On those rare occasions when I have a leaking problem I'll just let the water get up to the eyeball level before blowing it out. Both repeated exhaling through the nose, and repeating rinsing of the mask can cause fogging.

 

[SparticleBrane]

http://www.deepsouthdivers.org/homemask.html
Enjoy!

One other thing--when spitting or putting defog solution into the mask, make sure it's dry. It doesn't work so well when wet.

 

[cowdog77]

I too had this problem. I switched to a non purge valve mask.

Me too, and the more relaxed I am the more I tend to exhale through my nose. When I concentrate and breathe through my reg the fogging clears up right away.

 

[Gombessa]

Since the OP didn't mention it, my first guess would also be inadequate toothpaste treatment of a new mask. My gf and I got the same masks, for some reason she didn't want to do the toothpaste thing, and her mask would fog like crazy every time she used it, regardless of spit or defogger. I just snuck it into the bathroom one day and gave it a good Colgate buffing, just don't tell her

Oh yeah, these are purge masks, and they can fog up a bit if you constantly clear them. But why would it be different with a non-purge mask? The issue with fogging due to constant purging seems to be more of a fit issue (makes you purge more) than whether it has a valve.

 

[GA Under Water]

My old mask had a purge valve and I always exhale through my nose. it took a few good cleanings with toothpaste at first Like someone here has said before, "Until you have no finger print" then I use a Thick defogger by Body Glove that you have to basically scrubb into the mask. Never had any problem after that, the scrubbing that is.

 

[scubafool]

I have a Poseiden mask (non-purge) that gave me fits with fogging for the longest time. I gave it the tothpaste scrub, the toothpaste scrub with a toothbrush, several underwater cursing sessions, and a session with a witch doctor. It finally decided to behave after the witch doctor thing.

Clean it really, really well with toothpaste, and prep it really good with defog when it is still dry.