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No matter how exotic a place is, or how expensive or state of the art your diving equipment is, no dive will be a pleasurable experience if your mask keeps fogging. By definition, SCUBA diving is a visual experience. Proper cleaning procedures and application of fog retardant can assist you in having a clear mask dive experience.

While it is true that you can clear your mask by flooding with cold water, it is annoying, and causes unnecessary stress and distraction when you should be enjoying your dive. In addition, if you’re a person who dives with contact lenses, flooding is a good way to lose your contacts. The art of flooding and clearing your mask is an excellent technique to know and practice, and can be useful in many situations, which are beyond the scope of this page to discuss.

Your mask

Most new masks on the market today have chemical residue left over from the manufacturing process. This residue, or particulate, on the surface of the mask glass should be removed because it encourages water vapor to adhere to it and fog up your mask*. Any toothpaste gel (which is silica based) or paste (use calcium carbonate) as a mild abrasive can be used to remove and polish the surface of the glass. Scrub firmly the inside glass surface with your fingers by using a cloth that is dipped with toothpaste. After completion, rinse the mask thoroughly with water. Apply a mild dish detergent, wash the glass and skirt and rinse thoroughly again.

DiveClear application

1) Apply a few drops of DiveClear to the inside lens of your mask,using your finger to spread it over the entire surface.

2) Rub DiveClear onto the inside lens surface firmly in a curricular motion.

3) Rinse sparingly, enough to remove excess, just before diving.

Good habits to have:

1) Thoroughly cleanse your mask as stated above for each dive trip.
2) For every dive day, clean your mask glass surface and skirt with mild detergent to remove salt, sunscreen, facial oil, etc.
3) If possible, keep your mask out of the sun during surface intervals.
4) For optimal results, clean, rinse and apply DiveClear to your mask just before each dive.
5) Avoid the habit of exhaling through your nose while diving, as this will fog up your mask. Use your regulator to exhale.

*Do not use an abrasive if the mask is a no-fog model. With any new mask follow the manufacturers recommendation for cleaning mask.