Tips and tricks of buoyancy control with blackout/absent mask.

[syntaxerrorsix]

When you loose your mask, you are lost. Because there is no method how to check your gauges, timer, and other important things properly. The best way how to prevent it is to have a backup mask in your pocket. Then learn how to quickly switch your masks and this will save you. The second way is your buddy must help you and guide you quickly to the surface. But in this case, it is still fine to have 2 masks along.

You aren't lost, trap an air bubble with your hand at your forehead and read your gauge.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

It's actually not a question opening your eyes or not. If you have a visual reference recognizable enough with your yes open even w/o a mask that's easy and the answer is clear - you just maintain it as usual, I'm mostly talking about the cases when you do not have a reference or you cannot recognize it even with your eyes open. Say mid waters, murky water, no bottom, no top, no clues of the depth changes other that your gauge and suspended particles in the water. But you will not be able to see them w/o the mask. One more thing I yet to train is trapping the bubble of air to get your vision back but this is yet to learn.

Looks like you beat me to it.

An audible aid can also be used if using a computer with an ascent rate alarm or you could just stay even with the smallest bubbles you exhale.

 

[dannobee]

You aren't lost, trap an air bubble with your hand at your forehead and read your gauge.

That's it. When I took my tech classes we were taught to use our buddy to get us to the surface. Since then I've learned the air bubble trick and it WORKS! Cup your hand to your eyebrows, much like you were using it as a sun visor. The exhaust air bubbles from your reg will accumulate and allow you to see.

For those who say "just open your eyes and look," it just doesn't work very well. Big shapes, yes, but nowhere near clear enough for even reading a needle on a gauge much less digital numbers on a computer or bottom timer.

 

[Scared Silly]

One thing that I do while at my safety stop is maintain my buoyancy with my eyes closed. I use my ears and also body to the "feel" the pressure of the water. I can pretty much tell when I have gone more than +/-2 feet. Of course near the surface the pressure differential is greater than at deeper depths.

Most folks just hang at their safety stop - use it as a chance to practice different things.

 

[Tomikp]

You aren't lost, trap an air bubble with your hand at your forehead and read your gauge.

Have you ever tried to do it? How do you want to trap the bubbble and at the same time check your gauges, direction (because you also may need to navigate), operate your gear? And imaginate the water is 4, 5 ... centigrades cold and dark with no bottom visible. Once you loose your mask you can expect really big kick to your face caused by the cold water. Then you are unable to make anything. In this situation you can simply get into panic if this situation is new for you. And check bubbles, reference points, operate your "eye bubble and so on... haha let me laugh a bit. Therefore I still say, take your spare mask and train to switch it as quickly as possible. This solves your problem quickly and reliably. Do not rely on bubbles, which may work in training. Real situation is different.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

Have you ever tried to do it? How do you want to trap the bubbble and at the same time check your gauges, direction (because you also may need to navigate), operate your gear? And imaginate the water is 4, 5 ... centigrades cold and dark with no bottom visible. Once you loose your mask you can expect really big kick to your face caused by the cold water. Then you are unable to make anything. In this situation you can simply get into panic if this situation is new for you. And check bubbles, reference points, operate your "eye bubble and so on... haha let me laugh a bit. Therefore I still say, take your spare mask and train to switch it as quickly as possible. This solves your problem quickly and reliably. Do not rely on bubbles, which may work in training. Real situation is different.

Not only have I tried it, I was trained and tested doing it.

It's like any other skill it requires practice.

I'm glad you find your lack of skill amusing but I don't require a mask to complete a dive, nor do I panic without one.

 

[elan]

Have you ever tried to do it? How do you want to trap the bubbble and at the same time check your gauges, direction (because you also may need to navigate), operate your gear? And imaginate the water is 4, 5 ... centigrades cold and dark with no bottom visible. Once you loose your mask you can expect really big kick to your face caused by the cold water. Then you are unable to make anything. In this situation you can simply get into panic if this situation is new for you. And check bubbles, reference points, operate your "eye bubble and so on... haha let me laugh a bit. Therefore I still say, take your spare mask and train to switch it as quickly as possible. This solves your problem quickly and reliably. Do not rely on bubbles, which may work in training. Real situation is different.

I think those two tools (having a spare mask and ability to read gauges w/o one are not mutually exclusive) It's good to have both in the toolbox.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

I think those two tools (having a spare mask and ability to read gauges w/o one are not mutually exclusive) It's good to have both in the toolbox.

If I'm carrying any redundancy it's going to be gas.

To each their own.

 

[Tomikp]

I do not consider the eye-bubble to be a reliable skill unless divers use it in seas with very good visibility and "friendly" environment. I know very well what cold and dark water is able to do with diver's body and psychic in case of a mask loose. If this happens, first of all it is needed to solve the situation, quickly and reliably to prevent further mistakes and problems to be accumulated. Therefore many divers have a spare mask for this purpose, me too. In the event of a crisis, there is no time to create and catch bubbles and use them for looking and also operate your gear at the same time. But this is only a half of the problem and many divers do not do that - submerge a face for couple of seconds before each dive. This causes your face will inure to the cold water and then the face kick is much smaller.

I do not want to persuade anyone. It is up to each diver.

And as for redundancy, it depends on each dive. But what use everytime as a basice equipment are 2 knives, 2 masks, 2 tanks (incl. regs) and 2 buyoyancy sources. And I do not think it is paranoya .

 

[fnfalman]

Open your eyes and look for the bubbles. You may not see clearly but you can still see the bubbles. Follow it up. How fast is the ascend rate? Not faster than your bubbles.

Doing safety stop? Unless I'm doing deco diving and have to do a deco stop (if I'm diving deco and lost my buddy, lost my mask without a spare, then I'm really screwed), there's no reason to perform a safety stop when you can't see the gauges/timing devices, etc.