Exhaling through your nose good or bad?

[Mike Veitch]

Try a low volume mask, they are far more comfortable and take a lot less air to equalize.

 

[paulwlee]

Yes, you are definitely doing something wrong, but exhaling through your nose is not one of them. Masks usually last a LONG time.

Either you are using very poor quality masks, or you are storing them improperly. I can't imagine that having the strap too tight could cause those kinds of problems. I would think your face and head would really hurt if you tighten the strap to a degree that compromises the structure of the mask in that way. But I guess you never know..

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
Clear as well as black skirts seem to discolor over time.

Strange how reading this thread some peoples' masks don't seem to last very long. I've been using the same mask now for 5 years. My previous one lasted 27 years.

Silicone will discolour if you leave your mask in contact with your regulator hoses during storage or in your dive bag.

 

[Keysdrifter454]

Sure a balloon, liftbag, bcd , the Hindenburg what is the difference

It would take a lot of hot air to fill the Hindenburg, but I'm sure you're equal to the task.

If you can blow up a balloon, then you have voluntary muscle control to separate your nose from your mouth.

Some people can't easily do this.

With a little practice, you can learn to exhale through your mouth.

Doesn't have anything to do with your masks wearing out, tho.

I have a Walmart mask that's 5 yrs old.

Maybe if you take better care of your gear?

 

[freediver]

Exhaling through your nose should not be an issue unless, of course, youare experiencing difficulty in the dive...mask fogging, water seepage, etc.... If you want to learn to inhale/exhale through your mouth, locate a nose clip (if you could find one from a respiratory treatment center that would be ideal) and practice breathing correctly through your mouth. You will, at some point have to exhale through your nose for the sake of pressure differential in your mask.

 

[msandler]

I am really surprised at the number of responses that support exhaling through the nose. Aside from clearing the mask or equalizing squeeze, I never have, nor heard of this. Very interesting. I would suggest learning to exhale through the reg. What possibly copuld be a benefit of exhaling through the nose? Do you exhale through the nose and mouth, or solely the nose?

 

[Keysdrifter454]

What possibly copuld be a benefit of exhaling through the nose? Do you exhale through the nose and mouth, or solely the nose?

It fogs your mask really good.

Other than that, I dunno.

 

[Crowell]

What possibly copuld be a benefit of exhaling through the nose? Do you exhale through the nose and mouth, or solely the nose?

One major benefit of occasionally exhaling through you nose (especially as you get deeper), is that it keeps the blood capillaries in your eyes from bursting (or whatever the blood vessels in your eyes do -- I'm no doctor) ... which then makes your eyes fill up with blood.

It doesn't hurt anything that I'm aware of (again, I'm no doctor so don't take that as gospel), but it can cause quite a few stares on Monday morning when you walk into the office and your whole eye is red and bloody.

I don't know what the long-term disadvantages are, or if that's a long-term health concern, but it's certainly disquieting, and I try not to do that to my eyes.

 

[msandler]

And it may help keep your Latex drysuit hood fully inflated thus not ruining your hairdoo.

 

[mburden]

I am really surprised at the number of responses that support exhaling through the nose. Aside from clearing the mask or equalizing squeeze, I never have, nor heard of this. Very interesting. I would suggest learning to exhale through the reg. What possibly copuld be a benefit of exhaling through the nose? Do you exhale through the nose and mouth, or solely the nose?

Primarily the nose. I asked my wife to watch me when I sleep and she says my mouth is shut the entire time and I’m breathing thru mo nose only.