Hello

[Donnalee]

Hello everyone, I have taken many tips over the last few month's as a guest, so thank you for that, I am still training to become a open water scuba diver, been training one evening a week and tbh I'm about to give up I love the diving and got 100% on my exam ( very chuffed ) but I just cant get this mask clearing down, I can only breath through 1 nostril which doesn't help, I was a nose breather so kept snorting water and have trained myself out of that, I can clear the mask when I get in the water but as the hour goes on I get worse and worse and unfortunately my instructor wont let me go any further till I'm confident at mask clearing, I have tried all ways of breaking the bottom seal and pressing the top and pulling the bottom seems to work best but I just don't seem to have the nose strength to clear it, I cant tell you how frustrated I am, so I've decided to give t one more week before I quit, Just wanted to say Thanks to every ones tips on this subject it has all helped in many ways.

 

[TMHeimer]

I don't know what to advise about only having use of one nostril. But I do know that according to my experiences, it doesn't matter how many blows it takes as long as you clear it. I have seen many students keeping at it 4-5 blows to succeed. If you can clear it when first in the water I can't figure why it would later become more difficult. Maybe others have some tips. Later on a full face mask may be easier for you, but that won't solve your problem in the course (you still have to clear a conventional mask). Good luck.

 

[drrich2]

Any chance you're trying to clear it real fast, instead of in a relaxed way?

Whether you exhale through one nostril or two, the amount of air you generate should be sufficient to clear a mask. Just a speculation here; I suspect when you're sufficiently comfortable to remain calm & composed while you clear your mask, even if you need to take a second breath, and so it in an uncrushed way, that you'll find this less threatening and much more doable.

Richard.

 

[Donnalee]

That's more than possible, as the time goes on I'm doing it too quick, I'll try again next week and see how it goes, the most annoying thing is I don't have a problem having my mask off it's just clearing it I'm having the problem, I normally do it in 2 breath's but my instructor says would be better in one!