Can't clear my mask

[Diver0001]

ok, i go to my first class and all is going great until its time to clear my mask. I can blow out my nose just fine until i fill my mask with water....then it shuts down...i cant blow out my nose with water in it...how can i beat this? HELP:depressed:

Hold your tongue against the roof of your mouth when you exhale.

Your problem is common so don't feel bad. It's not a problem so much as a short term challenge. You'll get it, don't worry.

R..

 

[tstormdiver]

A couple of things that may also help you. you may want to practice breathing through a snorkel (or regulator) without a mask on. As other have said it can be done in the bathtub, hot tub or pool. Any place you can just place your face in the water. If you start having problems, you only have to lift your head out of the water. Get comfortabke with this. To help with the possibility of water going up your nose, tuck your chin against your chest anytime the mask has water in it. As you start exhaling, tilt the head back to make the mask the highest popint for the air to rise into. If you need another breath to finish, then re- tuck your head, inhale & try again. I once had a student who said they couldn't breathe through their nose. I asked him if he knew how to snort. He said, "of course I do". It's exactly the same muscles used to seperate the oral & nasal air ways. Good luck to you.

 

[diveprof]

People make this to complicated. Press at the top middle of your mask (think above nose pocket), look upward, exhale into the mask. (OK an easier way to think of this is the duh! moment - pressing the top middle of your mask with the palm of your hand while looking upward -remember to let go before you stop exhaling). Note: do not freak out with a little bit of water left in the nose pocket. This is normal.

 

[meierdierck]

People make this to complicated. Press at the top middle of your mask (think above nose pocket), look upward, exhale into the mask.

exactly, sounds simple, but these steps are very important and often not done 100% (ie; looking up when laying flat isn't really looking up). I also find many people want all the water gone in 1 breath, plan on 3-4 breaths (lowered expectations) and see if it doens't clear better for you.

 

[ubp_sanity]

I had a problem with this in my second class. First class was no problem, couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. I did it, and it wasn't an issue, did it a few more times that class no problem.

Second class comes, and we're doing it again. I just couldn't do it, I tried hard to do it, but just couldn't. Instructor goes to check everybody else, and he comes back to me, and it turns out my mask was just too high, the mask skirt was blocking my nostrils, so I'd be blowing against the skirt. I move the mask down a touch, and no problem.

No problem since, well, except for open water, when I let the cold water in.

Maybe this is the issue for you.

 

[AndrewST]

Practice, practice, practice. Take your time with clearing it, its not a race....unless you are trying to get away from blood thirsty crazed zombie sharks that want your brains...and the rest of you. But that isn't the case, so relax...breath, and practice. Also something I found myself doing was closing my eyes...not sure why.

 

[iztok]

For some reason I had a problem at my OW training esp. when I had to take the mask off and put it back on. I found out that I had to take a pause.

First I took the mask off. Second I kept it off for at least 3 full slow breaths so I calmed down due to mask being removed. Thirdly I could replace mask slowly and kept breathing and then cleared the mask.

I just figured that slow steps are better then trying to quickly replace the mask and panic.

 

[AndrewST]

For some reason I had a problem at my OW training esp. when I had to take the mask off and put it back on. I found out that I had to take a pause.

First I took the mask off. Second I kept it off for at least 3 full slow breaths so I calmed down due to mask being removed. Thirdly I could replace mask slowly and kept breathing and then cleared the mask.

I just figured that slow steps are better then trying to quickly replace the mask and panic.

I couldn't agree with this statement more. When people are trying something new they tend to feel like they are in a race. Doesn't matter if it is Shooting or Golfing, or anything. In Shooting they yank back as fast as they can on the trigger, or in Golfing try to Happy Gilmore the swing.

Relaxed, slow, precise movements. Only way to go...

 

[Reighvin]

I'm glad to see I am not the only person having the same problem with clearing my mask. I just want to pop to the top when trying to clear my mask. Something about it makes it hard for me to clear my mask without water going up my nose in the process. I panic most the time. My first two classes were June 13-14th, and I struggled with this skill. I was supposed to go back the following weekend, but my wife went in to labor, and lives out of state from me. I've been with her since then, but will be back in another week or so, ready to work on it. I plan on hitting a pool and practicing with my mask and snorkel just to comfortable with it. I think one of my problems is I was blowing too hard too clear the mask, and was blowing a lot of my air out of my mask instead. Hopefully, everything will go great once I get back into it again.

 

[gene02]

I had problems with clearing my mask the first time I was out of the pool and in a lake for first open water dive, something about green water in my eyes. I agree with slow down and tilt your head up I tried it felt like an hour "but only a few seconds" then I remembered I needed to tilt back a little further mask cleared and no problem since then. Good Luck and hang in there.