Tips for Cleaning and Maintaing a Dive Mask

A diver's mask is one of her most crucial, but at the same time most overlooked pieces of gear. As many a diver knows, a poor-fitting or damaged mask can ruin the entire underwater experience, yet masks receive very little of the attention a diver might pour into his regulator, buoyancy control device (BCD) or even tools such as dive knives and dive lights. When it comes to dive masks, it seems many divers put most of the effort into choosing one and then forget about the mask after that. This is a mistake, and once you have a comfortable, solid dive mask, you should invest some time in making sure it lasts.

During Kit Preparation
Every diver has her own ritual for putting her gear together before going on a dive trip. Include the following dive mask inspection and maintenance tasks as part of that routine:

1. Look at the mask strap for signs of wear and tear. If a fabric strap has become frayed or a plastic strap shows signs of cracking, replace it at once.
2. Examine the mask's skirt for damage. If the skirt has any tears, the mask will leak during your dive. While leaks are sometimes tolerable in the short term, a mask with a damaged skirt must be replaced.
3. Inspect the buckles for damage. Sometimes buckles can be replaced without discarding the mask, but this is not always the case.

During the Dive
Never set your mask face down during a dive. The exterior side of the lenses are the part most exposed to scratching, and setting them face-down increases that risk, while setting your mask face-up minimizes it. If you think your mask is safer lying face-down rather than face-up in a given location, that is an indication that you left your mask in the wrong place altogether.

After the Dive
After every dive, your mask needs to be rinsed off with freshwater. Usually this means dunking it into a freshwater tank with everything else, but take care as to where you leave your mask. Many dive centers label their freshwater rinse tanks to prevent someone from dropping a BCD with 16 lbs of integrated weights on top of your dive mask.

When you put your dive mask back in its hard case, make sure it rests easily in the box and is not unduly compressed. Leaving your mask in a compressed position distorts the skirt, ruining the mask's fit.

Every so often, clean the inside of the mask with toothpaste, following the same procedure frequently used to clean oil off a brand new mask. This eliminates any fog-producing films or deposits inside the mask without scratching the lenses.