Dive Training Blogs
Everything you need to know about your Scuba Mask, Part 5: Caring for Your Dive Mask
Caring for Your Scuba Mask
To a large degree, you care for your mask the same as you would any other piece of dive equipment. The basic steps include:
- Rinse thoroughly with fresh water and allow to dry.
- Transport in a protective case.
- Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
Let’s take a look at how each of these steps apply specifically to dive masks.
Rinse thoroughly with fresh water and allow to dry
If your mask has been exposed to salt, sand, mud, chlorine or any other potentially harmful substance, you need to rinse it thoroughly in fresh water following use. When doing so, pay particular attention to the buckle area or any other place where salt or sediment can build up.
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If you dive in clean, fresh water, you can most likely skip the rinsing step; however, you will still need to allow your mask to dry thoroughly before storing it. Sealing up wet dive gear inside equipment bags or cases (or any other enclosed space) invites the growth of mold, mildew and other unpleasant things that can harm your equipment.
After a week of diving in a saltwater environment, it’s a good idea to soak all of your equipment overnight in a tub of warm, fresh water. Let’s face it: That communal rinse tank on the boat or at the resort may start out as fresh water; however, once everyone else has dunked their salty equipment in it, it won’t be that fresh. Assume that you will be coming home with gear that is in dire need of a thorough overnight soak and rinse prior to drying and storage.
Transport and store in a protective case
Unlike some of your other equipment, your dive mask has a lens that can break and a silicone skirt that can be torn or damaged. To prevent the need for a costly replacement, always transport and store your mask in a protective case. The thin, plastic case your mask came in is better than nothing. A sturdier, hard-shelled case will afford even greater protection and is a good investment.
Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight
Sunlight is one of your dive gear’s greatest enemies. Fading and UV damage can drastically shorten the life of almost any equipment item — including masks. Ideally, you will store all of your equipment in a place that is dry, well-ventilated, out of direct sunlight and away from extremes of heat or cold.
Follow all of these steps and you will help ensure that your dive equipment provides years of service.
To find out more about International Training, visit www.tdisdi.com.
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) has recently launched their new Professional Development Excellence Award in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), celebrating PADI Five Star Instructor Development Centers (IDC) that are championing creating more PADI Professionals, at all levels, during the previous calendar year.
“While becoming a PADI Five Star IDC Center is a prized accreditation amongst members, this exclusive rating comes with the responsibility of training the next generation of divers to become PADI Instructors,” explains Dave Murray, Managing Director for PADI EMEA.
“PADI’s commitment to a continuing education philosophy encourages divers to realise their dreams of a career as a PADI Pro, teaching others to do what they love – to scuba dive. This new recognition award distinguishes productive PADI Five Star IDC stores for the time and effort they dedicate to marketing and conducting the professional training needed to grow the scuba diving industry.”
PADI’s EMEA Professional Development Excellence Award recognises members for reaching specific milestones based on the number of PADI Pro certifications they issue annually. It also provides an extra layer of credentials in their “Pro Development Status” to potential Divemaster and IDC candidates, along with any other prospective Pro-level customers and prospective employees.
The first awards were distributed earlier this year, with 12 PADI Five Star IDC Centers receiving the Platinum Award. This means that they have issued a minimum of 100 PADI Professional certifications from Divemaster to IDC Staff Instructor, which include 30 Core Professional certifications and 70 Continuing Education Instructor level certifications.
The 2025 PADI EMEA Professional Development Excellence Award is already underway and renewed PADI EMEA Five Star IDC Dive Centers and Resorts are automatically eligible. Stores that reach the recognition levels during 2024 will receive their award in the first quarter of 2025.
For more information about the award and to see the full list of award recipients visit here.
About PADI
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the largest purpose-driven diving organization with a global network of 6,600 dive centers and resorts, 128,000 professional members, and more than 30 million certified divers to date. Committed to our blue planet, PADI makes the wonder of the underwater world accessible to all, empowering people around the world to experience, explore and take meaningful action, as Ocean TorchbearersTM, to protect the world beneath the surface. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive®, setting the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives while evolving the sport of diving into a passionate lifestyle. For divers by divers, PADI is obsessed with transforming lives and, with its global foundation, PADI AWARETM, creating positive ocean change. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.SM www.padi.com
RAID’s Performance Diver program is part of the training agency’s unique ‘tune-up’ options for divers at all levels, from basic to technical. Its appeal to newer divers who did not get all they wanted from their open water course (perhaps with a non-RAID dive centre) has always been strong. But it’s a winning option for someone who has been inactive for a while as well.
The skills taught in this course have been designed by some of the most respected dive professionals in the industry. They have condensed years of in-water experience into a great program that’s fuelled by great ideas and solid knowledge. Something useful in all sorts of conditions and all sorts of gear configurations. In short, a range of skills you will use on every dive: buoyancy, trim, situational awareness, gear selection and management, contingency planning… having fun and staying safe.
You can find out more about RAID’s Performance Diver program here.
And with the agency’s renewed focus in 2024 on breath-hold programs, July is a good time to read about the benefits of RAID’s range of Freediving courses.
Freediving is such an exhilarating and beautiful sport that allows you to connect with the underwater world in a unique way.
The thrill of diving deep down, holding your breath, and exploring the depths with just a single breath is truly an unforgettable experience.
It requires focus, control, and a deep respect for the ocean. The sense of freedom and tranquility you can find while freediving is unlike any other.
Have you ever tried freediving or are you interested in learning more about it? You do not have to be a scuba diver to start… not at all!
And if you are already a diver, RAID can help you discover a whole new way to look at a familiar world.
You can find out more about RAID’s Freediving courses here.
To find out more about RAID and the agency’s diver training programs, visit diveraid.com.
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