Mask off, do I really have to keep my Eyes open?

[Gudu]

Hi there,

I am an old Seadog but totally new to Scuba and just in the process of working myself trough the course.

Here is my question.

Why am I required to keep my Eyes open underwater when the Mask is off. Whom makes this Rules???????????????

Thanks for your response------SD

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Your instructor makes that rule.

I don't require my students to keep their eyes open ... particularly not in the pool.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[redacted]

Having limited vision has got to be better than being blind if you have the choice. It seems to me that the eyes open requirement is a good thing unless there is some medical reason precluding it. And if it is medically constrained, there may be a good reason for requiring a spare mask.

 

[boulderjohn]

Me, either. In fact, if students have contact lenses, I specifically advise them to keep them closed.

 

[Wookie]

I do (in my classes). Yes. If there is too much chlorine in the pool that it stings your eyes, there is too much chlorine in the pool. You need to be comfortable in the water with your mask off. You need to be able to find your mask when your insta-buddy kicks it off. You need to be able to be comfortable in the water with your eyes open.

 

[phork]

In fact, if students have contact lenses, I specifically advise them to keep them closed.

Good man. Contacts are my problem. My instructor said as long as I could get my mask back on and cleared, he didn't care if my eyes were open or not. I mean, that is the point is it not?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Good man. Contacts are my problem. My instructor said as long as I could get my mask back on and cleared, he didn't care if my eyes were open or not. I mean, that is the point is it not?

That's partly the point ... the other point is not losing buoyancy and floating to the surface while doing it. Sight ... even limited, blurry sight ... is one way to achieve that, but it's not the only way. You can also learn to pay attention to what your ears and sinuses are telling you ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[redacted]

Good man. Contacts are my problem. My instructor said as long as I could get my mask back on and cleared, he didn't care if my eyes were open or not. I mean, that is the point is it not?

Not completely. Part of the point may also be finding the mask. I do agree that keeping your eye closed in training so as not to waste a set of contacts is reasonable. But one issue remains - can you open your eyes if you need to?

 

[dfx]

Not completely. Part of the point may also be finding the mask. I do agree that keeping your eye closed in training so as not to waste a set of contacts is reasonable. But one issue remains - can you open your eyes if you need to?

I got a -7 prescription on both eyes. I don't wear contacts but have optical glasses in my mask. I don't already see much on land without my glasses on, but in the water I'm virtually blind without my mask. Opening my eyes would be utterly useless. If I can dive without being able to see without a mask, why can't others?

 

[AaronRiot]

Keeping your eyes open underwater can take some getting used to.

In the pool, during the exercise, it's pretty easy to keep 'em shut. In that nice controlled environment, where you know how deep you are, and where your mask is, and that there's help right next to you, etc.

On a dive, with just a buddy, say you lose your mask. What now? You close your eyes. Your buddy doesn't notice and continues away. You're 90ft down. In complete darkness. Pretty helpless.

Eyes open you can a) find and alert your buddy the dive is over (if no spare) b) perhaps catch your mask before it is gone c) possibly have a safer ascent.

If you have contacts why not buy the prescription mask??

Chlorine in the pool, salt in the ocean, silt in the lake. Kinda goes with the territory that the eyes are going to get a little irritated. May as well get used to it so it can be better dealt with at depth I'd say.


If you ask me they should take the mask and toss it ten feet away and have the trainee recover it to get used to seeing underwater without the mask. It's not hard, and I would think it to be kinda important.