Ask Mike: Spit on the scuba mask
Hey Guys,
With warmer weather comes more days at the beach and more opportunities to brave the ocean. I’ve never been scuba diving, but I have been around long enough to see divers spit on their masks before going under. The theory is that spit helps the mask from fogging up. Does it really work?
Depends on who you ask, but most sites I visited seemed to side with the spitters. The good folks at ScubeGuide.com wrote, “Saliva works very well as a mask defogger for reasons that have never been adequately explained.”
A blog from AquaViews.net goes into some pretty deep detail on why spit works so well. Masks fog up when the temperature of the inside lens falls “below the dew point of the air inside the mask.” The drop in temperature leads to condensation and then fog. Spit comes in handy because it lowers the “surface tension of a liquid,” in this case the water. The spit “prevents water droplet formation.”
AquaViews.net puts it this way: “The water from the condensation does not mound up as beads or droplets but, instead breaks to form bigger droplets that just roll away into the mask. So the water condensation on the insides of the mask don’t adhere to the glass but instead break up and roll down into the mask itself, giving the scuba diver clear vision.”
You could something else like baby shampoo and it would be just as effective. But why bother when saliva is always at the ready?
Thanks for reading,
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Yes, as I’ve tried it when going snorkeling. Although it’s much better to use toothpaste and rub it on dry then use your hands to wash it out. Toothpaste works the best, saliva second. Seems a bit weird at first but you’ll understand why people do it. =]
There is absolutely no doubt about spit effectiveness. I have thousands of scuba dives in a variety of conditions. Occasionally, I forget or am distracted and suffer from a foggy dive, especially in warm (tropical) water. Mask fogging is not as bad in cooler water, but still something easily avoided.
The proteins in saliva are a very effective barrier to condensation. Many divers don’t know or comprehend the proper technique.
1) Start with the inside of the mask clean and *dry*. Do not rinse first. Otherwise the saliva will slide off more easily.
2) Spit into interior of mask and spread around evenly. It does not need to be visible to work. The thinnest layer of protein is sufficient.
3) If necessary, rinse very lightly to remove excess saliva. This is best done by gently dipping the mask into the water to get a few ounces of water into it, swirling once or twice slowly, and then dumping the water. Rinsing too vigorously defeats the whole purpose of spitting.
4) Do not dry mask as that would remove the saliva.
5) If the saliva wears off mid-dive resulting in some fogging, let a little (one tablespoon is plenty) water leak in, face downward and swish the water around. 90% of the time, there is enough saliva still present to be redistributed. Tip head back and clear mask normally.
Yes! I’ve been scuba diving 2 times and it does actually work. Also make sure to clean the scuba goggles with soapy water.
Hope this answered your question!
BPASK.
Yes it does. I have skin and SCUBA dived for over 13 years. Yes it does work. You have to do it very often. The baby shampoo would be an inconvenience.
It works
For the same reason that a dentist or hygenist rubs a dental mirror on the inside of your cheek before using it to examine your teeth. Keeps the mirror from fogging up!
it works better than spitting on someone else’s mask
I would rather suggest that you use toothpaste on your mask one week and one day before your dive.
Wash your mask clean, then smear the lenses with toothpaste and rinse it off. Then before your dive you can just put it on, but try not to breathe in it. Also it is good to put the mask on just before you jump in, as the hot sun will make you sweat and it might for your mask. If your mask is foggy you can rinse it off and put it on on the surface just before the descent.
one you are underwater, the effects of the sun will not bother and if you made your first descent with an unfoggy mask, it is unlikely for it to gather fog.
Toothpaste is what this divemaster recommends. Spittle is not bad, but I do not think you should need it if you treated your mask with toothpaste.
You can also rinse your mask underwater. Just make sure not to drown.
it is best done from neutral buoyancy, so that you will be not ascending or descending.
Be well.
Yes, spittle on the inside of the mask act as a wetting agent preventing fogging. A cut potato will do the same thing or a little washing up liquid.
Yes, spitting does indeed help prevent fogging in masks. I prefer this method over toothpaste; because you always have spit available.
yeah it does work but the best thing is a special spray that u can buy it works great!
Nice one dear, Thanks for sharing
As usual, but never the less disappointingly, Yahoo has it wrong. Spit is almost all water, the “active” ingredients are glycoproteins. While the chemically illiterate might think that a glycoprotein is a protein, it is not. It is true that glycoproteins are surface active. Most of the rest of what is claimed here is garbage. The glycoproteins lower the surface tension of the GLASS. The lower s.t. allows condensation to “sheet” and NOT to “bead”. The formation of larger beads is diagnostic for HIGHER surface tension, not lower. There are products (RainX) that function as and “anti-fog” that way, too. Here’s an experiment anyone can do. Take a piece of glass, preferably flat, and wash it well. Take a pan or bowl of clean water and dip the glass into it and remove it. Observe how the water leaves the glass. If it flows as a sheet, getting thinner and thinner and then pretty much all disappears along a front (boarder) then the glass is very clean, if the water beads up and the beads dribble down, then the glass isn’t all that clean. Try wiping with IPA and then rinsing with distilled water. Dishwashers push their ability to get glass cleaner than regular sink washing – the detergents are stonger and more effective at higher temperatures. Also they sell products that are more effective than spit or toothpaste, but usually for rip-off prices. I suspect (but haven’t tried – I use spit) that the bubble blowing stuff for kids would work great.
So, spit prevents the formation of beads, the microbeads act as little lenses scattering light while a sheet of water is quite clear (as experiment will show).
RainX makes the little drops into big drops which are much easier to blow away (or drop off) a moving car windshield. At least the old formula did.
The other thing is that anybody using a mask should be comfortable with taking it off underwater. It is a very bad idea not to have practiced coping without it. Comfortable is probably the wrong word…
Actually, I guess it depends on who you are. I’ve never had any luck preventing fogging in scuba masks or scuba goggles with anything I’ve tried. Even spitting. Same thing happens to me when I wear safety glasses or safety face shields. The only thing that doesn’t fog up for me is the face shield on my motorcycle helmet.
I am a scuba diver and spitting in a mask does work very well although at first i was a little mift by it myself.
You can use other products but then you are carrying items that are not necessary as you have more than enough to carry with full gear without extras to leave by the side which can easily be lost.
Im a PADI Instructor (OWSI) It works! Also, if its a new mask try using toothpaste ans this removes the protective layer on purchase
Spit is disgusting. Don’t use it to keep your scuba masks clear. Use shampoo or something else.
I wonder how RainX would work. It certainly works on auto windows. Perhaps it would work inside a mask too and if it does work it would most likely last much longer too.
There are rub-on conpounds sold for eyeglasses to prevent fogging. One of these should work on dive masks and likewise last longer.
I have tried it and I think it works.
Right as Rain this will even work with eye glasses as I wear them for life. If they get wet or fogged up and so on you can wipe spittle on them for a temporary clarity then they fog up again and so on but excellent on dive mask or swim goggles!
It works, but not as well as toothpaste, or surprisingly, grass. Plucking a handful of grass from the shoreline and rubbing it on the inner surface of the mask works remarkably well. Of course, you want to remove the grass blades, so you don’t look like Underwater Vegetable Man. You can also now buy commercial defogging solutions that are probably overpriced in light of these other methods, but they also work very well.
Yes it works and it also works on goggles in the swimming pool.
but toothpate is not trsnsparent. how do you see through the toothpaste
Yes it works, i have been scuba diving since i was 9 and that is i have used.
Spit definitely works, but the warmer the water, the better. For cold water dives, I prefer a store-bought mask defogger, such as 500 PSI as it seems to last longer. I’ve also heard of people using old school toothpaste (not that new gel crap), but I haven’t tried it personally.
Correction, warmer water=foggier. I haven’t been in the water in a while, sorry.
Yeh BUDDY!!!!!!!!! Sure as heck does!!!
I use Turtle wax on the out and & ” Rain X Anti-Fog” inside.
Crystal clear
I am a competitive swimmer, and the goggles I have are supposedly anti-fog. However, it wears off within a good 2 weeks. What swimmers do is lick the visors. So yes, I guess saliva does work as anti-fog.
Best thing to stop glass steaming up is shaving foam.
If you put shaving foam on your mirror in the bathroom then when you have a bath or shower the mirror will not steam up. This stays in affect for a couple of weeks so its not like you have to keep putting on shaving foam then wiping it off everytime you need a bath. It leaves a layer on the mirror that prevents condensation and mould.
Yea it works. But i prefer to use defogger and dawn soap.
(been diving since i was 14)
Yes, it works well, I used to dive often, it was a great find when I learned to dive.
Yes it does! dont know why or how, but we use it all the time in the military when the sun goes down in the desert and it freezes up, a little spit (drink water first to get dust out of your mouth) and soft rub prevents fogging on sun glasses, safety glasses, paintball masks, and milspec goggles. My dad taught me that trick when I was little… Skiing up in the mountains, if the seal on your goggles wasnt right it would cause your warm breath to fog your ice cold goggles. It sounded nasty at first, but it works better than any anti-fog stuff I have ever used.
Saliva is so traditional I don’t see why anyone would use anything else. It flatly works and you don’t have to carry around a bottle of anything with you.
I’ve been diving for 15 years, and I can tell you that yes, spit does the best job! I was a bit apprehensive at first, being a well-brought up girl I’d never spit before in my life, but once I’d got over that, it worked fine. Just spit on each lens, gently rub round with your fingers, then rinse with a little water immediately before you put it on. I find that if I tip the water into my hand and use that to wet my face before I put my mask on, I get a better seal and no leaks.
The toothpaste tip isn’t for each dive Chase- you use it on a new mask to remove any greasy film on the glass form the manufacturing process. You have to use white toothpaste, not the gel type, as it’s the tiny chalk particles that act as a mild abrasive that do the trick. You gently rub it over the inside of the lenses but you don’t leave it on, you wash it off, but then you still have to use something before each dive to stop fogging – that’s where the spit comes in.
I’ve used all sorts of defoggers but some make my eyes sting, and nothing works as well, besides it’s free and you always have it with you. If you’ve ever been on a UK dive boat, or on a surf launch in South Africa or Mozambique, then you’ll know that there’s nowhere to keep shampoo, defogger, etc.without it being a hazard to yourself & everyone else.
Turtle wax?? What are you talking about lilome? This is a dive mask we’re talking about, not your car! And grass??? Are you kidding?
I’ve been diving and snorkeling since the early ’70s. Yes, I’ve tried commercial anti-fogging agents and they work O.K., but why bother carrying around a bottle of spray when you have a ready supply of spit on hand at all times? I don’t know how or why it works, but it does wotk and that’s good enough for me to stick with it.
I wouldn’t use toothpaste or baby champoo, because they are just two more things that can irritate your eyes.
Besides, when you are out in the water and come up for a brief rest before swimming back to the boat or shore, I wouldn’t want to have to search for a bottle of snti-fog when all I have to do is spit.
I’ve tried the “spitting on goggles to stop them fogging up” but it never works for me. Possibly the seals on my goggles aren’t good quality, but???
I’m a licensed scuba diver. Spit not only keeps the mask from fogging up, but it also doesn’t hurt your EYES – THAT’S the important part.
It’s also a neat trick to keep other divers from using your mask.
Not “licensed” It is called certified. But yes it does work, I am 54 and have been P.A.D.I. certified for 20 years. A license is something that can be taken away.
it really works i was on swim team and i spit on it i did not fog u the hole time i was there
it really works so cool !!!!!!
Yeah spit works. Other things work too, but whereas inside a motorcycle visor you can use washing up liquid or spray chemicals, you would not want to use these inside a mask where water will likely wash it directly into your eyes! Haven’t scuba-dived for years, but still motorcycling!
use toothpaste it works better than shampoo or saliva. it kinda makes your eyes feel minty in a nonpainful way if ya know what i mean lol
In Hawaii there is a plant known as the Naupaka plant. Some call it the Hawaiian Half-Flower or Sea Lettuce plant. It’s usually found near the beaches surrounding the islands. If you pick a leaf and break it, then rub the leaf all over the inside of your scuba mask, it will not fog up when you are diving. There is something in the sap that causes this effect and Hawaiians have been using this method for years. When I go night diving, I usually find a Naupaka plant before I go into the water and take a few leaves with me. It’s great!
I have been scuba diving for at least three years. I prefer to use toothpaste instead of spit because it works a little better but when we forget toothpaste we use spit and it does work
I use every time I dive or snorkel. It works every time. You can’t argue with success. I live on Oahu (Kaaawa) and when friends visit they may be squimish but it works. Those who don’t fog up and then end up spitting.
I have been scuba diving for 11 years… and I dont understand why people dont buy the defogger gel, it cheap, easy, and works great. Apply it dry and I have logged 3 to 4 dives a day without any issues. Yes saliva works, and when your down 140feet so does flooding your mask and clearing it again as you dont have a choice.
It works when I do it, but I’ve seen other people do it and it didn’t work. I guess different people have different stuff in their spit…
yes, saliva works as defog and quite well. There are certain people out there, however for whom it just doesn’t work. Assuming it works for you, in my experience you need only do it once then you’re good for a day of diving. If you’re someone for whom it doesn’t work, mix some water and baby shampoo about 50-50 (maybe a little more water) and keep that in a spray bottle in your dive bag. Give each lens a squirt, rinse quickly (a short dunk will do) and you’ll be fog free for just as long as a spitter.
Sea Drop is by far the best its what i’ve used since i began scuba and it always does the trick however spit is the second best option you can find Sea Drop at just about any dive shop and its well worth it.
To understand how this works, you have to understand what is in your spit. In the mouth, saliva is exreeted from the glands under your tongue. Your saliva now mixes with the mucus that flows down through your throat from the nostrals to the stomac. Fog can not form onto mucus. If you spit into your mask when it is dry, the mucus in your spit will stick to the mask. After having spit in the mask and rubbed it all over the lense, dunk it real quick in water. This will take away the exess spit.
Often, people think that this doesn’t work because they don’t do it properly. Your mask must be dry before you spit in it, or else the mucus won’t stick properly onto the lense. Furthermore, you must spread the spit with dry fingers.
An other factor to count in is how much mucus is in your spit. It might be mostly made from saliva. To be sure to have a lot of mucus in your spit, be sure to take the spit from the back of your throat.
Have fun diving!
Yes spitting in your mask or swimming goggles and wiping it around with your fingers works, I have used this technique for YEARS as my dad used to be a diver.
If you fine this technique disgusting you can buy a spray for your goggles/mask, but hey spit is free LOL.
I would just like to say, “Yes,” spit is very effective. Actually, I would also like to say that Dee’s (June 20th, 11:15 pm) response sounded officious AND full of BS. It lowers the surface tension of the GLASS? No, it lowers the surface tension of the water, and therefore doesn’t allow the water droplets to attract enough water molecules to form particles big enough to fog up the glass. Surface tension refers to the degree of attraction of like-molecules to one another. It does not refer to the adhesive force between water molecules and the glass. Perhaps you meant to say that the glycoproteins act as surfactants which decrease the adhesive forces between the glass and water.
Why do you need to spit or rub tooth paste on your mask. Swimming goggles are coated on the inside with a fog resistant. So to rub them or spit on their inside simply removes the coating. Surely good quality diving masks would have a similar coating.
Although spit works well, if you are out ocean diving, use a seaweed leaf to wipe the inside of your mask. It lasts longer than spit to keep the inside of your mask clear.
i have never believe on the being of humans into océans as the stories told us into religious books bible and coran…. surly we know that 20century have been the locomotive for humans to arrive more and more dawn the océans also with material to breath as we breath above the lands. i would ask something why humanity spent much years to can discover océan’s world why at prophètes éra humans couldn’t have méthods like scuba diving with matérial to breath under the sea , why humans are obliged to use matérial to be résisteral into océans ,why only in 20siècle human can be there under water for more hours.
Yes this definitely works. We use it in dentistry all the time. When we put mirrors in patient’s mouths, their hot breath on the mirror ALWAYS fogs it. However, when you rub the mirror on the cheek of the patient or on their tongue, it will keep it from fogging. Some hygienists I know spit on their goggles to keep them from fogging since our masks funnel our hot breath up into our goggles then we cannot see!.
i have been a scuba diver for 6 years and yes it does work they sell stuff to prevent fog but spit is free and affective