Frustrating!!

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I put my mask on under my hood and it has less tendency to move. Trimming the face hole of the hood a little larger is also a solution. As to clear water freaking you out, usually the opposite is true- people are uncomfortable in limited visibility, so I have no answer for that. Pinching the nose area of your mask should not cause leaking, so if it does, you either have a mask fit problem or a clearing technique problem. Discuss alternate means of equalizing with a local instructor. Finally, let me say that most of us have an off day now and then. Do some more diving, review and correct equipment and skills issues, and then, when the time is right, I am sure you will succeed in a planned deep dive.
DivemasterDennis
 
Feeling horrible and frustrated, and freaking out are reasons to terminate a dive and limit future diving to avoid emotions going that far. While something needs to be done about your mask situation, a leaking or flooded mask should be nothing more than an inconvenience; not be a major problem. Sounds like you need to focus on gaining more experience with the training you have rather than seeking more challenging training,
 
Did you have the mask adjusted for that hood in the past? If not, the strap may have been too tight, which can deform the mask and destroy the seal.

I have done dives in water nearly that cold with a leaking mask. Even if you are comfortable with mask clearing, having to do it constantly in ice water is a stressor. When you add other stresses to that one, including being a novice diver and nervous about depth, you have a recipe for a bad outcome, and I think it's a good thing that you didn't continue to push and try to get the deep dive done.

As far as vertigo goes, I empathize! I had horrible problems with vertigo for the first several years that I dove, whenever I was in midwater without a visual reference. It took a long time to learn the orientation cues that allow me to function in that setting, and I still don't like it very much. If looking down into the blue abyss bothers you, then stick to dives where you can maintain some kind of reference, whether that's an anchor line or a reef or a sloping shoreline. When you are much more comfortable in the water, you can challenge yourself with some forays into blue water, and see how it goes.
 
I used to dive at Catalina Island a lot in the winter time and my normal well behaving mask would always slip around with a hood and leak. I have med long hair and I think the hood moves around a bit when you get in the water. So I solved my problem (like Divemaster Dennis) and wore my mask under my hood and had no further problems.

From my own experiences and listening to others, I think that when you have a constantly flooding mask, it just sets up the experience to be irritating and stressful and anything happening after that is just magnified when you are learning.
 
I was the queen of mask issues when I first started diving, and maybe some of my fixes will work for you.

Is it the right mask for you? Have you done the sniff test with the mask on and the strap off outside of the water to see how well it seals? Does that mask leak without a hood?

You do have the hood OVER the mask right? You mentioned the hood moving under the mask, I wasn't sure if it started under the mask. Your mask should be under the hood. If you trim the hood to just above the mask, you will have less aggravation.

I was using an xs hood, but during my o/w, it was pushing my mask down from the top and breaking the seal. Once I trimmed the forehead of the hood, it was perfect. No more leaking or full floods. If it's your own hood, you can trim it.

Since I went scissor-happy with my first hood and people thought I would get icecream headaches, I bought a different xs hood which seemed fine above water with slight trimming, but was moving around on my head u/w and moving my mask with it, breaking the seal often. It was slightly big for me.

I then ordered another brand's xs which I couldn't get in Canada, and it was perfect, no trimming required. Since I knew no other hood fit me, I ordered 3 more for the future. I have to make sure my hood is pulled down very tightly or it will still lift off slightly underwater, taking my mask with it. So make sure the hood fits and is pulled down tightly.

I noticed a few times that my mask would suddenly leak when I had been wearing mascara the night before and had used eye makeup remover, which was a bit oily. My mask NEVER leaks except those times. Suddenly I was having full floods on those mornings. So I used a tissue to get any residue and made sure that my eye/cheekbone area was clean. No more leaks ever since.

Hope that helps you! :)
 
Forgot to say, I only went to do advanced because I need to be at rescue diver level by summer....but I think it's time to rethink that option. I want to be comfortable in water.

Anyways, thanks for all your advice. I think it's my hood! The mask was fine with a different hood. Going to log more dives etc, and get used to using the gear :) and work on my legs hahah, it was comical trying to get out of the water...wish someone had a video camera :D
 
I feel like suck a Cozumel wuss. :cold:
 
I think he meant "such a Cozumel wuss", meaning he can't imagine diving in water that cold . . .
 

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