Whenever I put my snorkelling mask on, it fogs up very quickly. I know this is a very common problem, but I don’t know what to do. Is there other solution than using that antifogging liquid?
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Saliva. Lots of it.
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Does it really work?
If you don’t have anything else, it’s better than nothing.
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I shall try.
I have heard that rubbing the mask with a piece of cut uncooked potato and then rinsing it will help although I have never tried it myself.
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Saliva definitely helps. Not as good as stuff you can buy, but everyone has their own essentially unlimited supply.
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Where have you heard that?
Read it in “The Australian Skindivers Handbook” Ben Cropp. 1977.
The author also suggests tobacco and seaweed but he seemed to think spittle worked just as well.
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You have to rub it in well and then rinse it off. Another thing that helps is to wash your face with cold water to cool it down before putting on the mask.
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Apparently lots of substances work well as a surfactant to reduce water surface tension and prevent condensation in a mask. Baby shampoo, toothpaste, and detergents work also. Cleaning the inside of the mask also helps. You can google the topic and do a deep dive (so to speak) into the science of de-fogging.
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I used to work as a tour guide on coaches and one of the drivers kept a store of spuds (potatoes) just in case his wind screen wipers didn’t work during a rain storm.
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I have anti-fog spray for my SCUBA mask and I find that saliva works about as well, is easier and faster to apply, and can be done on site in the water (at the surface of course), making it on the whole much better than other options.
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So, hopefully I will try saliva soon. If someone else has another idea, I will pay attention to it.
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