How to Prep your Dive Mask for Diving

It’s always very exciting when you get a new piece of diving equipment. As diving is a very visual experience, investing in a new scuba mask that will enable you to have a free and clear vision of the underwater world you’re exploring, is very important.

In fact, when you start scuba diving, a dive mask is usually the first piece of dive gear you invest in. Whether you have a new snorkel mask or are looking for a replacement, the excitement that comes from using new equipment doesn’t diminish whether it’s your 2^nd, 3^rd, or even 4^th diving mask.

Once you’ve found the perfect one, a mask that fits you properly, you’ll need to know how to pre-treat it before you head for the water. We’ve put together this guide on how to prep your dive mask to get you scuba ready.

How to Pre-Treat your Dive Mask

You’ve found your new mask. It’s in your favorite color, it looks great and you can’t wait to jump in the tub and try it out! But wait, have you checked that it’s been treated? Pre-treating scuba masks is so important. 

A high-quality expertly made diving mask, is an important piece of equipment. It’s true that most modern are made to a high standard and will help you get even more out of your dives than rubbish hire models or those souvenir shop ones we’ve all worn in the past.

That is, however, only if you follow the correct procedures for prepping it properly. Failure to do so could mean that you have a very frustrating and annoying foggy dive. Every dive, all the time.

Here’s what you need to do to pre-treat your new scuba mask.

Why Do You Need to Pre-Treat?

There may be some aesthetic and tech differences between high-quality designs from one manufacturer to another. However, there’s one thing that remains constant. That is, they are all constructed using a silicone skirt. Silicone is used to make them leak-free, pliable, and comfortable to wear. All good stuff.

However, it also leaves a buildup of film over the lens when it is being manufactured. How to clean dive mask silicone. As the manufacturers do not clean the film that’s not clearly visible, before selling their products, therefore you need to do it before you use it.

If you don’t, you will have a problem with fogging every single time, no matter how good the defogger is that you use.

Step One – Prep your New Diving Mask and Scuba Goggles

How to clean snorkel mask. There are two main methods in order to get rid of the buildup of residue left from the manufacturing process.  You might have heard people use the words Toothpaste Scuba Mask in the same sentence, and you were not imagining it as there’s the popular method of using toothpaste to pre-treat them, and there is also the method of using a flame to burn away the invisible residue.

This detailed video will explain exactly how to pre-treat masks using just a flame.

Using a flame is the most effective, quickest and easiest way to remove the transparent chemical residue on it.

However, in order to use this method, it needs to have a tempered glass lens. You’ll be able to tell if it has a tempered lens by looking closely to see if it states so on it.

Step Two – Apply a Scrubber and Scrub at the Lenses

If it doesn’t have a tempered glass lens, or you’ve already burnt off most of the residue, you’ll want to treat your new dive mask by using either some Softscrub or put those three words of ”toothpaste dive mask” together (as long as it’s not of a gel variety), then follow the next steps.

Simply apply a small drop the size of a bead onto interior lenses. If using toothpaste, it’s recommended to use a white paste that doesn’t have any whitening ingredients or harsh chemicals, a child’s toothpaste is usually a good choice.

Then using your finger, or a soft toothbrush, start scrubbing the solution all over the lenses as vigorously as you can, be sure to focus on the middle of the lenses.

However, it’s important that you scrub every little bit of them. We advise using a finger, because if you use steel wool or a textured sponge, you’ll scratch the surface of the lenses, ruining them.

Step Two – Rinse the Lenses

You next have to be cleaning scuba mask, to rinse the lenses as thoroughly as possible using fresh and clean water. Don’t try to cut corners and give it a quick blast of water.

Really work the water over the lenses until you’re sure you’ve removed all the film and the cleaner you used.

Step Three – Dry and Store

Next, you may have guessed, you must let it dry completely. As you’ll want to avoid damaging the material it’s best just to leave it drying somewhere warm, but out of direct sources of heat and sunlight.

Once you’re sure it’s completely dry you can then put it into the original box it came in for storage or if you don’t have one, find a suitable one for on Amazon.

If you have scrubbed and rinsed it properly, removing the residue is only something you’ll have to do once.

However, you will and should still use a defogger during every single dive you go on.

Step Four – Using a Defogger

Defogger should be used on your new dive mask or scuba goggles every single time you go out for a dive. Always apply a small drop onto each lens, both on the exterior and interior and then rub the solution around across the glass.

Now rinse it thoroughly before putting it on and heading into the water.

Psssttt… These accessories work great for pre-treating, prepping and cleaning scuba masks;

None of that sounds particularly hard now, does it, folks? Necessary, but not difficult. By always following the steps above, , you can make sure that every dive you have is a fog-free, happy, and exciting adventure and not one where you’re unable to see a thing.

Having the right fit is also extremely important, you’ll want to make sure that it is comfortable so that there are no leaks or even worse mask squeezes while you are on your dive. Always check your manufacturers’ manual before attempting to pre-treat your new mask. Happy Diving!