Damaged dive mask

[Carib_Diver]

Yes, I think that's what's happened. I kept it in the dive bag but it was not in it's case or in my fin. The dive master on the trip later told me he keeps his mask in his fin.

To Peter's point - I have realized that you are on your own for the most part. It is however important for newbies who are getting comfortable in the water to have good dive buddies. I've had terrible ones that take off on their own thinking nothing can go wrong with either of us without ever looking back. I've also had excellent ones that kept track of where I am at all times.

Question: You lose your mask or your reg at depth and you are not at the ocean floor i.e. you will keep sinking unless you do something. What do you do? Do you try to control buoyancy while trying to fix the situation? What if you can't find your mask and can't see anything? What is the best thing to do? Slowly resurface?

 

[iamrushman]

lessons are expensive...glad your OK to dive another day.

 

[Peter69_56]

Yes, I think that's what's happened. I kept it in the dive bag but it was not in it's case or in my fin. The dive master on the trip later told me he keeps his mask in his fin.

To Peter's point - I have realized that you are on your own for the most part. It is however important for newbies who are getting comfortable in the water to have good dive buddies. I've had terrible ones that take off on their own thinking nothing can go wrong with either of us without ever looking back. I've also had excellent ones that kept track of where I am at all times.

Question: You lose your mask or your reg at depth and you are not at the ocean floor i.e. you will keep sinking unless you do something. What do you do? Do you try to control buoyancy while trying to fix the situation? What if you can't find your mask and can't see anything? What is the best thing to do? Slowly resurface?

Thats why tech divers have more than one mask. Again, we cannot afford to shoot to the surface when something goes wrong. As a recreational diver, as long as you continue to breath, the risks are somewhat less if you ascend during an issue, and even if you dont do your safety stop, the risks are a lot lower. Carrying a spare mask resolves this issue.

If your buoyancy is good you should remain relatively stable in the water column until you refit your mask. Now if the mask is gone totally, and your buddy is not near you to help (I would wait a little while in the hope they see you and come over) I would ascend and breath all the time on the way up.Trying to come up at a stable rate if possible. If you have broken the strap, all is not lost, you can put the mask to your face and clear it, using a finger to keep it on your face. Once cleared, water pressure will hold it there (and some assistance with a finger prevents blowing it off your face if you exhale through your nose accidentally) and you have vision to abort the dive.

Part of the tech training is to have your mask removed and ascend with help from your buddy. In the main I think the exercise is to teach "don't panic" and you can get out of any situation, in particular with buddy help. That your mask is missing is simply an inconvenience, not a death sentence.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Do you know that without a mask, you can cup your fingers/hands around your eyes, blow a slow bubble and trap it for a moment to see clearly down? Try it sometime in a pool.

This, masks breaking, didn't used to be a problem, as the masks were more robust. An old-style, oval mask with a metal ring could stand a lot of abuse, including parachute jumps, without the potential of breaking. The below photo shows me using one of my vintage dive masks (and a DX Overpressure Breathing regulator), a Dacor three-window mask made of neoprene rubber and metal.

Today's plastic/silicone masks are not so robust, and must be protected. There are several ideas above for doing so in transit.

SeaRat

 

[beanojones]

Do you know that without a mask, you can cup your fingers/hands around your eyes, blow a slow bubble and trap it for a moment to see clearly down? Try it sometime in a pool.

I keep telling people that, and no one tries it!

OP, remember a nose pinch is always legal! Unfortunately no mask swimming/breathing is just one of those things people don't really practice much, even in the Open Water course. And in my experience, it is the number one reason for panicking/bolting for divers.