Your dive mask my not be your most expensive piece of kit, but it is the one piece of equipment that if you have problems with it, it will make for a very long dive. I like to say the dive mask is one of the most personal things every diver has. Even if you are issued all of your dive gear, from head to toe, a lot of people with go and buy their own masks. Great effort is put into finding and selecting the right kind of mask. I know a lot of people that would buy three or four of the same masks if they found one, they liked in the fear that they would never find one again. Which is even more reason to learn how to take properly care for your mask so that once you find that right mask, it serves you for a long time.
When you first buy your mask, you will have to clean it very well to make sure it doesn’t fog up all the time. This helps remove the tiny layer of oil that manufacturers coat the silicone surfaces of the mask with to protect the silicone in storage and shipping. What I like to do first is take some soft scrub without bleach and a light duty scrub pad to scrub all the stuff left in the mask from when it was made. I scrub the entire inside of the mask glass and rubber. After that I like to use a little bit of toothpaste and rub the inside glass surfaces and rubber. I just use my fingers for that part. Toothpaste can also be used when you need to clean a used mask from dirt, or oils from your head, suntan lotion etc. Gently rub the paste applying minimal pressure to clear both surfaces from any dirt or oils. The micro abrasive particles in toothpaste help clear dirt and oil from the microscopic dents and scratches that are on the surface of the mask.
To ensure that your mask remains scratch free, never lay it face-down on any surface. Sea salt, sand and dirt found on boats and piers will scratch the lens of your mask and permanently damage the viewing surfaces. Always place your dive mask face upwards when you are not wearing it. If you have to put it down, try and always put it on your fins or something that way you will always know where it is. Also ensuring your mask is transported in your dive bag inside its protective box this will prevent other items of equipment scratching it and it help if someone throws your bag. In the old days a day/night flare gray box with some holes in the lid made a great and cool mask box. Well maybe not great. But cool looking.
Always rinse your mask in clean, freshwater after each dive. Salt and grime attack the soft silicone in your mask causing it to degrade over time. Dry the mask thoroughly before putting it away for storage in a hard case. This will also help protect your mask in storage, if you do not clean your mask properly the oil on it from your skin will attract bugs(rotches). They will think it is food and try to eat it. It will look like dry rot, but it is bugs looking for a meal. If you are between dives, keep your mask out of the sun and allow it to air out and dry (after you fresh water rise it).
One of the most important things to ensure your mask lasts a long time is to keep it out of contact with direct sunlight as much as possible. Sunlight and high temperatures attack the rubber and silicone of masks, turning the translucent soft silicone into a yellowing harder mass, that causes mask leaks and degradation over time. Mask bands and straps exposed to sunlight, form cracks and may break easily when stretched. SCUBAPRO has a lot of their masks adapted to use their comfort straps, it is very similar to a ski goggle strap and won’t break in the middle of a dive.
Always store your mask inside its case in a cool dark place. If you have a silica gel packet or desiccant, place this inside your mask case to keep the moisture at bay. Prolonged exposure to moisture will harm your mask and eat away at the silicone. While on a dive, ensure that when you are not using your mask, that you place it in a cool shaded area and away from the harsh sunlight.
There are more ways to clean a mask that I have not talked about, the reason is if you have never done it and you try it can ruin your mask. Like everything today, you can google how to clean dive mask and watch a video about it. I hope this will help you keep your favorite mask for a long time.