How to prevent fogged goggles

[ebandive]

We just purchased our first set of snorkeling gear (off the shelf type, not fancy). I've read somewhere on here how to prevent goggles from fogging up, I thought with johnson's baby shampoo or something like that. :confused:

 

Can someone clarify for me?

 

Thanks! :D

[Stevesan]

Fogging lens:

 

Some advocate a mix of h2o and baby shampoo.

I use Sea Drops which work very well without any "mixing" necessary.:D

It's a small, 1 1/4 fl oz bottle, but only four drops (2 inside and outside each lens) are used each time.

Follow with a quick rinse.

If Sea Drops isn't available, there are other brands equally good.

 

A recommendation for a new mask:

 

The lenses have a protective coat applied at the factory. You will want to remove this coating for the defogging solution to work.

Using toothpaste (not a gel) and a soft bristle toothbrush or soft dry cloth, lightly coat the lens and gently rub away the coating.

You can also use a commercial product such as Aquaseal Brand Sea Buff, for example, in lieu of t'paste.

[AlbertaCruisers]

I just got back from 14 days on the HAL Maasdam, and I snorkeled at almost every port. The thing I hate worst about snorkeling was always fogging up. This trip I bought some commercial stuff that you treat your mask with the day before and then use. It worked for about 10 minutes and then I was fogging up again.

 

In St. Kitts, my tour operator used some stuff in a plain white bottle, and it was amazing, I didn't fog up at either stop at all. At the end I asked if I could buy some and he laughed and said it was Johnson and Johnson no more tears baby shampoo. On the ship that night I bought a tiny travel size bottle (yellow) and used that for the rest of the ports and it worked incredible.

 

All you need to do is squeeze a big into both sides of your mask, rub it around a bit and then rinse it off in the water (just swish the mask around) don't actually rub it off. Then dump out the extra water and put it on.

 

It works great and I will always be taking a bottle along with me now. I wish I hadn't waited so long to find out. There were so many suggestions I didn't know what to try so I went commercial, but I swear the no more tears shampoo is the best of anything I have ever tried.

[scubaran]

I just got back from 14 days on the HAL Maasdam, and I snorkeled at almost every port. The thing I hate worst about snorkeling was always fogging up. This trip I bought some commercial stuff that you treat your mask with the day before and then use. It worked for about 10 minutes and then I was fogging up again.

 

In St. Kitts, my tour operator used some stuff in a plain white bottle, and it was amazing, I didn't fog up at either stop at all. At the end I asked if I could buy some and he laughed and said it was Johnson and Johnson no more tears baby shampoo. On the ship that night I bought a tiny travel size bottle (yellow) and used that for the rest of the ports and it worked incredible.

 

All you need to do is squeeze a big into both sides of your mask, rub it around a bit and then rinse it off in the water (just swish the mask around) don't actually rub it off. Then dump out the extra water and put it on.

 

It works great and I will always be taking a bottle along with me now. I wish I hadn't waited so long to find out. There were so many suggestions I didn't know what to try so I went commercial, but I swear the no more tears shampoo is the best of anything I have ever tried.

 

Hi,

 

I use sea drops as well. They work in a very similar way (and as posted above, no mixing required). It's readly available on line. Also I believe that sea drops are "ocean safe". Dumping shampoo, even in small quantities can have adverse effects on a reef.

 

[web monkey]

We just purchased our first set of snorkeling gear (off the shelf type, not fancy). I've read somewhere on here how to prevent goggles from fogging up, I thought with johnson's baby shampoo or something like that. :confused:

 

Sure.

 

New masks have a coating of silicone on the glass. I'm not sure if it's from the manufacturing process or off-gassing from the silicone skirt, but it's there.

 

All new masks fog like crazy and no amount of defog will help until you remove the silicone from the inside (you can ignore the outside, it doesn't matter).

 

You can do this by cleaning your mask with toothpaste. The clear stuff works, but the white stuff works better. Just squeeze a little into your mask, rub like crazy all over the glass and rinse it all out. You'll probably have to do this a few times.

 

Once it's clean (you can tell by looking at where the water beads off or sticks when you rinse it), dry the mask off completely with a towel, then apply a single drop of defog solution (I like Sea Drops, but the other work well also) to each lens and smear all over the lens. Then give the mask a really light, quick 1/2 a rinse (slosh maybe a 1/2 cup of water into the mask and dump out).

 

You should be all set.

 

If the mask continues to fog, clean it again with toothpaste, paying special attention to the place where it fogged.

 

When you wear the mask, the strap only needs to be tight enough to keep it from falling off. Once you're in the water, the water pressure will hold it on, and in fact, if you tighten it too much, not only will you get a "raccoon face", it will actually leak more because you're distorting the skirt.

 

While snorkeling be sure to exhale though your snorkel, not your nose, since too much nose exhalation will fog your mask.

 

This is probably way too much information, but it's no fun snorkeling with a fogged mask. :)

 

Terry

[ebandive]

Thanks for all the great information! I apprecciate it!

[Stevesan]

Hi,

 

I use sea drops as well. They work in a very similar way (and as posted above, no mixing required). It's readly available on line. Also I believe that sea drops are "ocean safe". Dumping shampoo, even in small quantities can have adverse effects on a reef.

 

Excellent point.

 

The reefs are disappearing fast enough. We don't need to put more of our crap in the seas.

 

I thought it bad when our snorkel guide chummed with tortillas, but a post on CC advocating dog biscuits trumped the tortillas! Maybe she feeds her dog fish food?

[TrqoisWtrs]

I don't have any luck with the Sea Drops. I use 500 PSI. Rub the gel around and then rinse. Lasts all day.

[scubaran]

I don't have any luck with the Sea Drops. I use 500 PSI. Rub the gel around and then rinse. Lasts all day.

 

Hi,

 

I'd also heard great things about 500 PSI. I bought a bottle and have to say, in my case, the sea drops worked better. Might be a case of liking thick vs. thin solutions. Both are good. :)

 

Randall

[TrqoisWtrs]

scubaran - yes, I've also heard people say their spit works great too. Mine must be defective since that doesn't work either. :D

[Sandytoes]

Good old fashion way - SPIT!

 

First, get your goggles wet.

Then, spit into each section and rub.

That's it.

Works every time. :D

[Woodsmaster]

I don't have any luck with the Sea Drops. I use 500 PSI. Rub the gel around and then rinse. Lasts all day.

 

 

 

500 PSI is great. I agree....it works.

[Woodsmaster]

Good old fashion way - SPIT!

 

First, get your goggles wet.

Then, spit into each section and rub.

That's it.

Works every time. :D

 

 

Little hard to repeat at 100 feet when it quits working.

[Dutch Diver]

Good old fashion way - SPIT!

 

First, get your goggles wet.

Then, spit into each section and rub.

That's it.

Works every time. :D

 

As my first scuba instructor (a lovely lady from the UK) used to say: the greener, the cleaner. :p Remember to rinse the mask before putting it on!

 

It this grosses you out: 500PSI and Seadrops work fine, too.