Does the mask stop water going up your nose

[D Powell]

In the swimming pool I find this to be very uncomfortable and even sometimes painfull.

Thanks for your help

 

[Rick Murchison]

In the swimming pool I find this to be very uncomfortable and even sometimes painfull.

Thanks for your help

Does the mask stop water from going up your nose?
No.
You have to stop it yourself, through a combination of attention to head position and breathing pattern.
(1) head position - the optimum position to keep water out of your nose is to keep the nostrils the low point of your nose. That way air trapped in the nostrils will keep the water out.
(2) breathing pattern - you need to keep air in your nose. That means you have to either keep your head in the position described above, or, any time your head is out of this position very much, and especially if your head is tilted back or upside down, you need to be actively exhaling through your nose to keep the water out.
--
Get in the pool with a tank & reg but without a mask and just play around with head position and breath control. It won't take you long to figure out what works for you, and what doesn't.
Rick

 

[ClevelandDiver]

A dive mask covers your nose which keeps water out and allows you to equalize the air space between the mask and your eyes.

It is also designed to allow you to squeeze your nose so that you can equalize the pressure in your ears by blowing out against the pinched off nose. If you have ever been on the bottom of a 12 pool and felt pain your ears, you propably wondered how divers can stand to be 100 feet underwater, equalizing the pressure is the answer.

 

[ClevelandDiver]

To Rick's point, you should be able to keep the water out yourself and you will be tested on skills requiring underwater removal of the mask in your open water class.

 

[BabyDuck]

combine the above answers - the mask has a barrier to help keep water away from your nose, but any water that gets in the mask will sit at your nose since that's the lowest point. that isn't any big deal, since you aren't using your nose to breathe. you can just not suck the water in, or clear it by clearing your mask. the problem most folks get into, i think, is worrying that their nose is wet. if you remember you aren't using it right now, that might help you be less anxious.

 

[gail jaye]

In the swimming pool I find this to be very uncomfortable and even sometimes painfull.

Thanks for your help

No, the mask doesn't stop water from going up your nose. -breathing only through
your mouth stops water from going up your nose.

I had this problem the first time I took an introductory class. After I cleared the mask, I was inhaling through my nose rather than my mouth.

Also, if the mask is uncomfortable, you may have it too tight. Ask your instructor how to adjust the fit for you.
Welcome to the world of scuba!

 

[rdharbis1]

It takes practice to NOT breathe through your nose. You can get water up the nose even with the amsk on. I did this during my OW cert when getting tested for clearing a flooded mask. In clearing I got confused about my breathing and sucked a nose full 0f water from my mask! It was a tough for the few seconds while I was coughing and trying not to panic at 20 feet. I eventually got over being strangled and got the mask cleared!

Yes, you can get water up the nose with the mask on! Believe it or not, Breathing takes practice!

 

[DandyDon]

It takes practice to NOT breathe through your nose. You can get water up the nose even with the amsk on. I did this during my OW cert when getting tested for clearing a flooded mask. In clearing I got confused about my breathing and sucked a nose full 0f water from my mask! It was a tough for the few seconds while I was coughing and trying not to panic at 20 feet. I eventually got over being strangled and got the mask cleared!

Yes, you can get water up the nose with the mask on! Believe it or not, Breathing takes practice!

Swimming with mask and snorkel is great practice for a scbua student. If you have a problem with the mask, learn before you strap on a tank.

It gets better with practice. When my Defog fails, I try to keep some water in the mask to move around, but I am in such a habit of constantly clearing the mask that I can't keep any.

 

[Halthron]

Wander around enough underwater so that you get a bit of water at the bottom of your mask then do a backflip*. Using your nose for breathing or not, the water goes up it! It didn't take me long to learn to clear my mask before flipping.

*If I'm careful, I can do a front flip without snorting water.

 

[KMD]

In the swimming pool I find this to be very uncomfortable and even sometimes painfull.

For me anyways, I found pool (clorinated) water was much more painfull and iritating then then salt water. After my OW pool sessions my sinuses were definately telling the rest of my body that it did not appreciate the treatment it was receiving. Once I jumped into the sea the irritation went away.

Chemicals are dumped into a pool to kill lifeforms. I dont think these poisons are nice to our body's more sensitive bits .