How to defog your snorkel mask

25 January, 2022

Snorkeling is a wonderful way to enjoy the ocean. We have some glorious snorkeling spots here in South Australia including Port Noarlunga which we like to use for snorkeling with school camps in South Australia.

To have the most enjoyable and successful experience you need to know how to defog your snorkel mask. Here are 5 different ways to clean and defog your mask. Some tips may sound familiar, and others seem weird, but they are worth a try to be able to see all the amazing ocean life below.

1) Saliva This is probably the most commonly known and used way to defog our snorkel mask. Saliva will stop moisture from gathering on the inner lens and prevent fogging. What you need to do is to spit on the lens surface, and spread it into a thin film right before you go back into diving.

2) Toothpaste Toothpaste is another commonly known and used way to defog a snorkel mask and this is our choice at Beyond the Classroom.

Check out our quick video on how to use toothpaste to clean and clear your mask here:

Take some regular white-coloured toothpaste and smudge it on your snorkel mask lens’ inner side. Rub on the surface but try to avoid the centre nose ridge area otherwise, it tends to sting your eyes when on. It is recommended to use a toothpaste with no crystals or other colours aside from white, the more simple the toothpaste the better. If you’re working on an especially dirty mask, try leaving the toothpaste overnight.

3) Baby shampoo Baby shampoo is another option. Mix the shampoo with some water, and put a few drops onto your lens before rinsing. Unlike the usual adults’ shampoo, the plus point with baby shampoo is it’s mild to the eyes and biodegradable too.

4) Potatoes As wild as it sounds, potatoes are popular for not only defogging your snorkel mask but car windows too. So slice a potato and rub the yellow part a few times on the lens. Then rinse and dive into the ocean.

5) Buy an off the shelf de-fogging formula spray If you're not keen on our home remedy ideas then we suggest you try defogging agents. These are readily available to buy online or in-store. Make sure you get one that is made from an eco-friendly chemical-free formula and read the application instructions carefully.

This ends our list of sure-fire ways as to how to defog your snorkel mask and keep it from blurring. A clear snorkel mask will help you get the most out of your snorkeling experience. Some sound easy and doable, others sound suspicious, but there are options to try depending on where you are and what you have on hand. Enjoy!