By spitting on the lenses of your goggles before a swim, and rubbing that delicious mix of mouth bubbles around the rim, you're actually creating what science calls a " surfactant ". In simple terms, what the spit does is stop moisture particles from connecting with each other on the lens of your goggles, which slows down the ability of fog to form.
Even with the spit method, most people wash their goggles out post-spit and pre-swim, because the idea of a green golly touching your eyeball can be a little distracting. Yes, no article on goggle-fogging would be complete without noting that there are commercial de-foggers on the market that work perfectly fine without the hassle of emitting bodily fluids into your sportsgear or being a creep around the baby aisle in the supermarket.
The naked flame trick essentially involves holding something like a BBQ or cigarette lighter about 5 centimetres away from the lens, and then moving it around in a clockwise motion until the lens burns "clear". There's a ton of videos on YouTube of people doing it, and only relatively few failures. The thought process behind this is that many scuba and freediving masks actually have a type of film on them that comes as part of the manufacturing process.
This film is particularly susceptible to fogging, so by lightly burning it off you're allowing the glass lens to function properly. Another hot tip from the scuba community — which may scratch your recreational swimming goggles to bits — is to rub a dab of toothpaste vigorously inside and outside the lens. This trick works on the same principle as the flame trick: to remove the fine film created by manufacturing processes. Goggles allow you to see underwater while you practice and race.
You can see where you are going, stay in your lane and focus on your technique. Fog defeats the purpose of goggles. You can't reach up and wipe the fog from your goggles, either, because it forms inside the lenses.
At best, you feel distracted. At worst, you start to swim off-course. You may even need to stop mid-stroke to take off your goggles and clear them — but why does fog happen in the first place? Condensation is the culprit behind foggy goggles.
Your goggles cool off in the water, but the area around your eyes heats up due to your body temperature. The combination of hot and cold causes water droplets to form on the inside of your goggles — which creates fog. The harder you swim, the warmer your body gets, which can mean more fog. Naturally, you are going to swim your hardest during race time, which is the last place you want to experience foggy goggles.
Many swimming goggles are equipped with a thin layer of anti-fog protection. It is made up of components that help absorb water and spread it across the surface of the lens, or it may even repel water entirely. When it's working properly, this thin layer will prevent condensation from forming into water droplets large enough to see.
While most modern swimming goggles are manufactured with this feature, some are not. If you swim with a pair of goggles without anti-fog protection, you will likely notice fog nearly every time you get into the water. Even goggles with built-in anti-fog protection can still experience the consequences of condensation. The thin layer of protection on your goggle lens is not permanent. Over time, it will degrade, and you will likely notice your previously fog-free goggles start to get a little misty during your laps.
Wear and tear happen to your goggles because they are an essential piece of equipment for every swim. You wear them during every practice session and every race, and every time you leave the pool, they likely get tossed into your bag. The protective layer on the goggles can be worn down by contact with towels and other gear. When wearing them, you might also casually wipe off the inside of the lenses with your fingers, which can scratch them.
It is easy to forget about your goggles until there's an issue, but this routine wear and tear will hasten the degradation of the anti-fog layer.
That's why it's important to know other ways to keep your goggles fog-free. Your goggles are crucial to your ability to see well while you swim, whether your face is in or out of the water. Here are some ways to keep your swim goggles from fogging up:. While DIY methods can do the trick, some swimmers prefer to go with an option specifically designed for swim goggles. Anti-fog spray comes in a small bottle you can keep inside your swim bag. Some bottles have a carrying case that can be attached to the strap of your bag as well for easy access.
The spray works by decreasing surface tension, which means it is more difficult for water droplets to gather and condense on your goggles. The hands-off application of anti-fog spray is one of its key benefits — since it's easy to scratch your lenses if you touch them with your fingers or a cloth that's too rough. Application of anti-fog spray is quick and simple. First, make sure each lens is clean. You do not want to mix the spray with any dirt or debris, such as sand.
Next, use the spray bottle to apply a thin, even coat of the product to the inside of each lens. After spraying the goggles, give them a quick rinse. You can do this in the sink, shower or even the pool. Now your goggles should be clear for your workout or your race. You also have the option of leaving anti-fog spray on your goggles overnight.
Apply the spray, rinse the goggles and then let them air dry while you sleep. Another reason that a mask might fog is that of leftover particles from the manufacturing process. Before you use a mask for the first time, it is always advised that you treat the inside of the mask to prevent this from happening. While some divers use heat to do this, the easiest method is probably to use non-gel toothpaste. By simply rubbing toothpaste on the inside of the mask, rinsing it off, and repeating a few times, you can ensure that no particles are left.
The best way to get rid of or prevent fog is to decrease the surface tension of the water droplets that would otherwise become a foggy field. Rather than be able to stick to every little micro-indentation, the condensed water will instead form into larger droplets. These droplets can simply roll off of your mask. Solutions that can break up and lower the surface tension like this are called surfactant.
Saliva can act as a surfactant, and that is why divers spit into their masks. While there are many other options that you could use instead which we will talk about below , most divers would say that nothing is as readily available or as free as spit for this purpose! This is because you would want to prevent fog from occurring before you get into the water. In this way, you do not have to fight the fog every now and then throughout your entire dive.
Here are some of the most common methods of preventing fog, including the ever-popular spit technique! Spit into your mask, and then rub it around. After doing this, dip your mask in water before putting it on. This method is only effective if the mask is still wet when you start the dive, so be sure to do this just before you enter the water.
There are a number of commercially available products that fight fog in scuba masks. They are used in a very similar way to spit.
0コメント