Inhaling water when clearing mask

[SEMO Scuba]

I would talk with your shop that you took class with. I'm sure that if you explained your problem, and that the class moved too quickly for you, that they will get you more pool time before getting in open water. Be up front and honest with them. I'm sure they will help.

 

[Hoomi]

I would talk with your shop that you took class with. I'm sure that if you explained your problem, and that the class moved too quickly for you, that they will get you more pool time before getting in open water. Be up front and honest with them. I'm sure they will help.

Just a wild newbie guess, but if you're planning a certification dive with this same instructor/shop, and explain your problem, I would imagine they would accomodate more pool time because they would rather you have the problems in a controlled pool rather than an ocean certification dive.

It's to their definite advantage as well for you to be ready before you jump off a dive boat.

 

[ClayJar]

The three main "water up the nose" problems I've seen have been, in order of prevalence:

1. Tilting your head back before you're exhaling. (This lets any water in your nose pour in.)
2. Tilting your head back too much. (Your nose should not be the lowest point in the mask or the water will drain through it. )
3. Trying to go too fast. (I had one diver who looked like he was trying to sneeze through his nose to get the water out. All his exhaled air went right past the skirt, leaving the water in place. Another diver couldn't just gently tip her head slightly back. Instead, she'd fling her head back as if she was trying to reverse head-butt an assassin sneaking up behind her. That had the effect of flinging water up her nose, which didn't really help things much. )

I'm not sure how much applies to you, but number one is always most likely, and number two could apply as well. Only you'd know about the third, as we can't see you demonstrate.

 

[RJP]

inhaling thru your nose brings things in(your head)----a big no no as far as survival is concerned...repeat do not inhale @ any time thru your nose, that's the mouths job...

Of course that's not just 100% INCORRECT, it's actually the exact OPPOSITE of correct.

You are in fact SUPPOSED to breathe through your nose and NOT your mouth. That's how mammals (such as humans) are designed "as far as survival is concerned."

- sense of smell is a key survival sense; to smell food, detect noxious substances/gasses in the environment, pheromone attraction of opposite sex, detect predators and other dangers, etc

- nasal passage provides critical physical "filtration" of inhaled air via shape/length of the nasal passage as well as the hair and mucous that line the passage

- air drawn in through the nasal passage is more effectively warmed and humidified than air drawn in through your mouth

Chronic mouth breathing is linked with medical conditions such as higher rates of respiratory tract infections, greater incidence of allergy/asthma problems, dental problems, and other maladies.

In fact, since mouth breathers appear to have a somewhat "slack jawed" look, and mouth breathing can cause or exacerbate bad breath the term "mouth breather" is commonly used in a pejorative fashion for someone lacking in hygiene or intelligence.

PS - if you carefully note the location of your mouth relative to the rest of your body you will see breathing through your mouth "brings things into your head" too

 

[lahalbo]

But my big issue starts when I try to clear my mask. I can completely remove it and put it back on my face full of water, no problem. But when I attempt to do the tilt head up, press mask to face and blow out my nose maneuver, half the time I somehow end up choking on water.

Maybe I didn't understand what you wrote and you are doing it the way they instruct, but you don't press the whole mask to your face and blow out, you do pull the bottom of the mask slightly away from your face when exhaling through your nose, right?

I go for my OWC next weekend and our LDS lets us have free time in the pool to practice, get comfortable, whatever..and this is something I practice so that when I go on my cert dive I do the skill correctly.

I'm one of those that will take a deep breath and exhale through my nose for all I'm worth just so I can not have water near my nose. haha Not too fast but pretty forcefully. I do have a lower profile mask too. Do you have a high profile mask perhaps? My husband does and it takes him a little bit longer to clear his mask.

I really do like to breath through my nose, it's something I've done for years. :blinking:

Maybe you can ask for some extra time in the pool with an instructor just to work on this skill. I think my purpose while taking lessons was to teach the instructors patience, because they sure had to have it with me. But, I've completed all my pool lessons, passed the written test and am ready for the next step.

Good luck and let us know how you are progressing!

 

[ClayJar]

Maybe I didn't understand what you wrote and you are doing it the way they instruct, but you don't press the whole mask to your face and blow out, you do pull the bottom of the mask slightly away from your face when exhaling through your nose, right?

There are two primary methods of clearing the water from a flooded mask. One is to press on the brow of the mask just above the nose while exhaling. (Let's call it the "push" method.) The additional force at the top of the mask holds the seal there so the water (and any extra air) naturally exits at the bottom of the mask. The other primary method is to pull on the bottom of the mask (often, the skirt) to "crack the seal" so that the contents of the mask will exit there. (We'll call that the "pull" method.)

The advantage of the "pull" method is that it works even if you've got the mask strap cranked *far* tighter than what an experienced diver would consider "normal". (You rarely hear a student diver say that their mask strap came off but they didn't notice it until the mask fell off a few minutes later, but I've heard more than one experienced diver relate that as their funny personal anecdote.) Anyway, the "pull" method will work even with a face-squishingly tight mask strap. The "push" method, on the other hand, can be considerably more difficult with a tight strap.

The disadvantage is that it's much easier to "over-pull". When you're pulling on the mask to crack the seal, it's quite possible to pull the skirt away from your face enough to "spill the air". (After all, clearing a mask underwater isn't really so much blowing all the water out as it is filling the mask with air.) The "push" method, on the other hand, never requires you to unseal the mask. The added pressure at the top of the mask means that the seal will preferentially "leak" at the bottom, allowing the pressure from your exhalation to force the water out.

(Of course, with a bushy mustache, you don't have to push or pull. You just exhale and the water leaves through your 'stache. You *may* have to clear the mask more often, however. )

 

[Hoomi]

(Of course, with a bushy mustache, you don't have to push or pull. You just exhale and the water leaves through your 'stache. You *may* have to clear the mask more often, however. )

I KNEW there was a good reason for having a furry face!

 

[ruready7]

Seems like you got alot of good advice here. I will just say dont tilt head back as far. Get most of water out and then tilt to get remaining water out. Good luck. You will get it in time.

 

[Web Monkey]

But my big issue starts when I try to clear my mask. I can completely remove it and put it back on my face full of water, no problem. But when I attempt to do the tilt head up, press mask to face and blow out my nose maneuver, half the time I somehow end up choking on water.

As was mentioned, blowing out through your nose will prevent this. Also, if your instructor just said "tilt your head back", he missed an important point. There's no magic to tilting your head and the purpose isn't to test your neck flexibility. If you have a non-purge mask, you only need to position your face, so the water is at the bottom of the mask, near the seal, so when you press on the top and blow, the water is forced out the bottom.

If you have a mask with a purge valve, you'll need to look at the mask, figure out where the valve is and make that the lowest part before you blow. Either way, there isn't any reason to tilt your head back any farther than necessary.

Terry

 

[SkipperJohn]

I did a 1 day cert thing once while on vacation and had the same problem. The reason for tilting your head back is to get the venting part of the mask at the lowest point so the heavier water vents. I decided I didn't need to tilt my head back if I made sure the lowest part f the mask woudld vent the water. I simply used a free hand to hold the top of my mask firm to my forehead. This caused venting to occur on the bottom. To help this along I slightly contorted my lip to help break the seal at this point (instead of the temples) and allow the water to vent. My instructor commented this was unconventional but it worked and she was ok with it (although I always had a little water left, but then again so did the others)