Full Face Mask

[tatanka]

Hi All,
Is there anyone using full face mask while diving? I have done zen meditation for about 15 years (nose breathing) and am having a small problem getting used to not breathing through my nose under water. I was wondering what your opinion is about full face masks. Appreciate your advice.

 

[sharkattack]

I would not use one. More problems than it's worth.

 

[james croft]

First become skilled with your regulator. A FFM is not the soltion for your problem. You will get the hang of it with practice.

 

[Ron Brandt]

I enjoy using the low tech Scuba Pro style in cold water(really cold). I don't get much of a chance to use it as I'm usually doing cert dives.

Ron

 

[beezwax]

Underwater you want to be comfortable breathing from your regulator upside down and backwards, so I'd recommend sticking with it until you are. Having said that, I think full face masks are the best thing since the development of dive tables. I almost always dive an aga ffm, especially nice since I almost always dive waters in the 30s and 40s F. Don't think of ffms as a way to avoid standard second stages-- you'd still need to be ready to doff your ffm in the event of a failure and breathe off a normal reg and you wouldn't want the extra anxiety under those circumstances of not being comfortable breathing through your mouth. Not all ffms are the same, nor do they fit all face shapes, so do some research before you buy-- just make the switch at the right time and for the right reasons.

 

[Sideband]

Don't look for a hardware fix for a skill problem. I occasionally dive an AGA full face mask and enjoy it but it has it's own set of skills to be learned. Also think about what you are going to do if you have to remove the mask and breath from a buddies reg. You will then be totally maskless as well as excited from the existing problem that caused you to doff the mask.
What you need to do IMO is work on segregated breathing. Grab your snorkle only and stick your face in the water. Practice switching back and forth between exhaling through your mouth and nose. In through the mouth, out through the mouth, in through the mouth, out through the nose. Repeat. When you get really comfortable doing that, switch to a reg and just sit on the bottom and breath for a while with no mask. This is one of those skills that you have to master but the good news is, the more you do it the easier it gets.

Joe