Am I Retarded?

[art.chick]

We had a student who took 6 weeks to get this skill!!!!! It was the TIME factor. She pulled the darn thing away from her face in slo-mo & let gallons of water in (as if it only counts as a "flood" if the pool depth drops) & took forever exhaling till she was all out of breath, & menwhile, more water had rushed into the huge gap between her mask & face. OY!

As said before, you just need a very small break in the seal between the mask & face, & a very QUICK flooding (the mask does not have to be 100% full either) & a very QUICK sharp breath out to clear. The more time that elapses in the process, the more likely (IMHO) the student is to feel peculiar & bolt.

 

[Scubaroo]

Hey mtdivegirl,

No-one has given you a direct answer to your first question -

No - you're not retarded



Ben

 

[mtdivegirl]

Thanks for the direct answer. All this diving stuff is just so I can dive the great barrier reef in two years! Good to know I am not a retarded girl...i hate when i cant do something right the first time. I have been thinking about this all day, and although I attempted to go practice at the lake..it was just too bloody cold! So hopefully, all my patient pondering will pay off and I will be able to execute this skill along with mask recovery and clearing tomorrow night! Lets all just pray for me..maybe all the collective good will will come through the water and make me an old salt at this bit!
Thanks again to everyone who had an opinion...

 

[Walter]

Ben,

Her question was unrelated to what she really wanted to know. She really wanted to know how to clear her mask. She can do that if she's retarded or not. We really don't have enough information to accurately answer that question anyway, although judging from grammar and spelling I'd say odds are definitely against it.

 

[Tractor Tom]

I guess I was one of the lucky ones, I didn't have a lot of trouble learning to clear my mask. I was stationed in Hawaii with the Army when I certified and was VERY bothered by allergies then. One day while diving off the leeward side of the island, I sneezed into my mask at 40+ feet and emptied my sinuses into the mask. Obviously, I felt the sneeze coming, held the mask and it filled up with bubbles of....well... snot. Most distasteful! I removed the mask at depth, cleaned it up in the water, put it back on my faced and cleared it as I was taught. First time I had put that skill to the test, and glad that I could do it. So keep practicing! It is a most important skill and can be mastered by anyone.

Keep practicing, and try to relax....

 

[NuttyGambler]

Doesn't anyone else while diving flood their own masks to clear any fog that may develop?

I seem to have to do this one to three times each dive.

 

[DuckDive]

I would if it did but it doesn't so I don't.

 

[mtdivegirl]

Dive two is tonight...i really hope i can do this..i have to admit the snot bubble blowing incident had me cracking up outloud at work. I have been asking everyone I can think of about this. And you all pretty much agree....just relax..and do what you are supposed to do..
Once i get this skill im going to be elated..so if i come back on here tonight shouting your praises enjoy it..all of you, because you deserve it..

 

[large_diver]

mtdg -- one other tip...it wasn't clear to me if you were doing mask clearing with or without a tank/reg on. If using a reg, remember that you can always stop halfway through and take another breath if all the water has not cleared.

For example -- if you are sitting on the bottom demonstrating mask clearing.....

- you start by pushing down and in on the top of your mask with the heel of your hand and slowly tilting your head up while exhaling through your nose

- before your head is fully tilted upwards (so you are looking straight up at the surface), you realize you have completely exhaled, but all the water isn't out yet

- simply pause, inhale (through your mouth/reg not your nose ;-o), and then continue as before (keep your head positioned "as is"...once you start exhaling again, continue tilting your head up)

It's all about relaxing, taking your time...and remembering if wearing a reg that you can always take another breath

Good luck tonight! Let us know how it goes.

 

[Scuba Barbie]

My problem (beside the mind numbing fear) was my inablility to breathe in the mouth and out the nose. So the DI told me to put my tongue either on the roof of my mouth or block the reg and that would force the air out of the nose.
That and a supportive buddy (husband) softened my panic.