A foggy mask is not fun! In fact, it can ruin your underwater trip. Imagine that you are snorkeling, and all of a sudden, you hardly see anything. Bit scary! Unfortunately, this happens often to snorkelers, including me. Of course, this is something we can avoid if we do the right things. Contrary to what many people may believe, it is quite easy to get rid of the fog. In this article, you will find some easy steps on how to prevent snorkel mask fogging!
Why Do Snorkel Masks Fog Up?
I don’t know about you, but by nature, I am quite curious…And I always like to go to the heart of the matter!
I am not going to give you a chemistry course, but I will surely provide you with a summary of why a mask fogs.
First, there are several reasons why masks are fogging! Let’s see below what are the real causes and the solutions!
1. # Brand-New Mask!
What happens with new masks is that manufacturers put silicone film on the glass during the fabrication process so that they can remove the mask from the skirt without damaging the plastic. Therefore, it is crucial to take off the film if you want to prevent your mask from fogging. There are a few techniques that you can apply, like in the following.
What Is the Solution?
1. Toothpaste
Toothpaste that doesn’t contain a whitening agent is one of the best techniques to pre-treat the mask. Just know that you can use toothpaste only on glass lenses and not on plastic lenses. The safer way to pre-treat plastic lenses is to use a soft wet rag that you would rub lightly on the lenses; this way, you will minimize the risk of scratching them.
As for the glass lenses, put a bit of toothpaste on both sides when the mask is completely dry and rub with the help of your finger. (Make sure to clean your hands first). Then rinse extremely well with clear water without touching it and wipe the lenses with a dry rag. Make sure there isn’t any trace of toothpaste left on the glasses, as it could spin your eyes. The silicone film is quite resistant, so you will need to repeat these steps several times
2. Baby shampoo
The second option is to use Baby Shampoo, a solution that is quite popular and frequently used by many divers. It is inexpensive, biodegradable, and works great! The steps are similar to the ones stated above.
Simply rub the baby shampoo on both sides of the glasses with your finger. (Always make sure to wash your hands before) Rinse with clear or salt water without touching it with your fingers. And dry!
3. Spit
Finally, the best and cheaper option is spitting on the glasses. It works fantastically, and one thing is for sure that you will never get stuck:) This method is as effective as many other defog products but needs to be repeated more often. So if the idea of spitting in the mask doesn’t disgust you, feel free to apply this method frequently:) Oh, almost forgot…Spit on dry lenses, rub with your clean finger, and rinse with clear or salt water! Important Note: Don’t touch the glasses during and after rinsing the mask!
2. # Condensation
If you breathe in through your nose while snorkeling, you will get either some water into your mask or, in some cases, nothing! Now oppositely, if you breathe out, warm air will get out of your nose. Right? This will add moisture to the air, which then will hit the inside of the cool lenses and will make your mask foggy.
This is one of the reasons many snorkelers have given up on their traditional mask to use a full face mask. Why is that? Because full face mask possesses a separate chamber with an airflow system inside that removes the moist air, thus preventing the mask from fogging. But not everyone has the same opinion about them. However, let’s get back to the traditional mask.
What Is the Solution?
1 . Breathe…Breathe…And Breathe!
You just need to breathe in and out through your mouth! Of course, you will need to clear the mask by breathing through your nose sometimes, but for the most part, you will have to inhale and exhale through your mouth.
2. Get Your Face Wet!
One of the main reasons a mask fog is because of the difference in temperature. The mask is usually colder than your face when you put it on. So what happens is when you get into cold water, the warmth inside the mask reacts with the cold water, which causes the mask to fog. To prevent this, you have to make your face wet by putting the water you want to get in on your face.
3. # Wrong Fit
Many people buy a mask that doesn’t fit them properly. What happens then when they go snorkeling, the mask leak and creates fog. After that, they try to tighten the straps, which is even worthwhile and only adds leakage problems. Anyway, you get the picture:)
What Is the Solution?
- Get the Right Fit
So what you should do is go to a local store and try the mask on before you buy it. Now let’s see how you get the right fit. Just place the mask on your face, keeping the straps out of the way, and breathe in through your nose normally. If the mask stick to your face, this means it is the perfect seal. But that’s not the only thing you should check.
2. Remove Your Hair
You also have to make sure that your forehead is cleared of hair because even if one strand of your hair gets in the skirt, it will break the seal, and your mask will leak. What will happen, then? It will create fog!
3. Shave
Beard can also cause leakage problems. I don’t have a beard, but some of my friends have one. Believe me. They’ve tried many things, including silicone, and nothing has worked correctly. Shaving a small part of the beard was the only thing that helped and worked! So now you know what remains to be done:)
Tips
- Remember breath through your mouth!
- Don’t take the mask off while snorkeling so that air doesn’t come inside.
- If your mask keeps fogging. Go to a professional dive store to burn it, but don’t do it yourself! Otherwise, you may ruin your mask!
- Avoid touching the glasses while and after you rinse your mask.
In Conclusion
Well, I think I’ve covered everything on how to stop a mask from fogging. The only thing left for you to do is enjoy your underwater adventure!
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What about you? Is there a method you know that I don’t know?
Daniella has been passionate about travel, the sea, and nature for many years. As a child, she frequently traveled throughout the Mediterranean and continued with her journeys throughout her adult life.
Her experiences have created the desire within her to share her love for traveling with other passionate and adventurers who want to discover beautiful horizons and new cultures.
Awesome especially because I’m going to the Caribbean in a few months and I will definitely want to do some snorkelling! I literally had no idea that the film can be responsible for the foggy mask, but now I feel well informed and some if the solutions are fascinating – I mean toothpaste to pretrrat the mask sounds crazy but if it works I will definitely try it!
Thanks so much for sharing this with me!
Hi Marley,
Great to see you again on my website:)
Visiting the Caribbean without snorkeling would be a shame:) This is one of the most beautiful spots for snorkeling!
Trust me on this; toothpaste works wonderfully! You should try. When you come back from the Caribbean, it would be nice if you could share some of your experiences with us:) Readers and I will love it!
Thank you for the comment and wish you a fantastic trip to the Caribbean!
Hi Daniella,
I have been a diver in the past, and one of the challenges I was facing when I started was to keep the mask without fog. I remember once using baby shampoo but not rinsing it up properly, so when water got inside the mask, it was all a mess 🙂 I defaulted by using spit as the most efficient and easy to use. I did also learn by experience that facial hair can make a difference for the worst, and fully agree shaving makes a difference. Great to read this informative post and find alternative methods to keep the mask fog free. I wish I had read it many years ago 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jose,
Yes, if you’ve forgotten to rinse your mask after having rubbed the shampoo on the lenses, I can imagine the mess:) Yes, the spit is one of the most efficient ways to prevent the mask from fogging. Many divers use this technique, but some will find this disgusting. I am one of them:) I prefer to use the toothpaste:) It works fine for me!
I agree shaving is a must if you want the mask to seal correctly on your face.
I am very happy that you’ve found these tips helpful, it is always great to hear positive feedbacks:)
Thank you for the comment, and I wish you a beautiful day!
These tips are awesome thank you! I especially didn’t know about the film that are on your snorkels when you first buy them. I especially like the tip about finding the right fit because I feel like mine is always too tight or too loose. To remove hair, would you recommend wearing a swimmers cap? Or just pulling all your hair back to avoid it on the forehead? I can’t wait to try out some of these tips to avoid a foggy mask!
Hi Kelli,
I am glad you found the tips useful! Thank you!
As long as the swimming cap stick well to the head, it should be okay. Now there are swimming caps made of lycra, these fit well but gather wrinkles, which can break the seal of the mask. You are better off with silicone swimming caps. In my opinion, these are the best!
Thank you for the comment and wish you a fantastic day!