pepperbelly
Contributor
It's an old pet peeve of mine, but I can never help thinking that those with airway/mask off problems simply hadn't spent any significant time in water (swimming/snorkeling/surfing, etc.) prior to jumping into an OW scuba course. Could be wrong.
I have known several people who simply can't make themselves open their eyes underwater without a mask or goggles.
I grew up swimming and always opened my eyes to see even if things looked blurry. I started snorkeling and freediving when I was young before I started scuba diving and was always very comfortable in and under the water. This was late '60s-early '70s. All of our masks required a few breaths to clear.
Bubbles can make mask removal difficult for some people. I used to practice by snorkeling without a mask. That help train my nose to stay shut.