Clear Vision, Clean Ocean: Aloe Vera for Eco-Friendly Diving

Tracy Sharlene Gunn
Nov 7
2 min read

At Pocna Dive Center, we’re always looking for small, meaningful ways to make diving more sustainable — and this one might be our favourite yet.

Inspired by a post shared within the Green Fins community by Robin Bylund, we’ve started using fresh Aloe Vera leaves as a 100% natural, ocean-friendly alternative to mask defog. And it works beautifully!

Aloe Vera beside the swimming pool at Pocna Dive Center — The Natural Way to Defog: Why Divers Are Switching to Aloe Vera

How It Works

Cleaning a Cressi dive mask with Aloe vera. — Cleaning one of our Cressi Dive masks with Aloe Vera

Before each dive, we simply:

Cut a small piece of Aloe Vera leaf.
Rub a bit of the gel onto the inside of the mask lens.
Rinse lightly with fresh or salt water.

That’s it — crystal-clear vision, no chemicals, no guilt.

Cleaning a Cressi mask with Aloe Vera — Defogging our Cressi masks before a dive is a more environmentally friendly solution.

Growing Our Own “Defog Garden

We’ve now planted our own little Aloe Vera garden at the dive center. These hardy plants thrive in tropical conditions, require very little care, and multiply quickly. A single plant can provide enough leaves for dozens of dives — and it’s completely biodegradable. Our dive shop Chihuahua can't help but be the center of attention. Even in our photos for our blogs

Why It Matters

Aloe vera. An environmental solution for defogging your mask

Every change, no matter how small, adds up to a healthier ocean. By switching to Aloe Vera, we’re reducing single-use plastic bottles, keeping harmful substances out of the water, and setting an example for sustainable dive practices.

So next time you join us for a dive, you might see our instructors reaching for a green leaf instead of a plastic bottle. It’s a small touch — but one that keeps our reefs (and masks) crystal clear.

Tracy Gunn, founder and PADI Course Director of Pocna Dive Center, standing in front of Pocna Dive Center on Isla Mujeres, Mexico, where she trains divers and leads sustainable ocean initiatives.

Tracy Gunn is the founder and owner of Pocna Dive Center on Isla Mujeres, Mexico. A former banker turned adventurer, Tracy left a decade-long corporate career to pursue her passion for diving and island life. With over 35 years of diving experience and 24 years of living on Isla Mujeres, she now serves as a PADI Course Director, training the next generation of divers at her dive school. When she’s not underwater, Tracy shares her love for the island and the ocean through engaging blogs about diving, marine life, and the culture of Isla Mujeres.

Interested in reading more from this author?

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