Diving tips: How to keep your scuba mask fog-free

Remus Mark preparing to snorkel in the Maldives

Planning to go scuba diving? Read on as I’d like to share a valuable tip I learned from our friends at Prodivers PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center – Kuredu Island, Maldives.

One of the most common problems encountered by newbie divers & amateur snorkelers is the fogging of the scuba mask. This causes great discomfort, not to mention ruins the whole scuba experience. A scuba mask fogs up when the inside of the lens is at a temperature below the dew point of the air inside the mask. The drop in temperature causes water to condense on the inside of the lens forming tiny droplets, causing the fogging.

There are many defogging solutions you can buy on the market but you’d be surprised because there’s one you can get for free. I’m talking about saliva. Your saliva. When I took up snorkeling lessons in the Maldives in 2007, the first lesson I received from the instructor was to spit, on the mask that is. Saliva prevents water droplet formation on the mask and causes the water to trickle down, giving the scuba diver clear vision.

Aside from saliva one can also use regular toothpaste or baby shampoo as a defogging solution. With saliva however, being a natural body fluid, you can be sure your eyes won’t get irritated. So before you put on that scuba mask and immerse yourself in water make sure to spit! A little saliva on the scuba mask keeps your vision fog-free.

- Kwento ni Remus Mark