Mask Clearing - AGAIN

[budgy]

Hi Billy,
Good luck with mask clearing, it all comes right with perserverance and practice. Learn to relax and take the time to enjoy the learning experience.
Regards,
Budgy

 

[Vinga]

Good idea to try another instructor if the one you have now is in too much of a hurry with you, or intolerant of your difficulty, or just makes you uncomfortable.
Being underwater is a challenge to our basic air breathing and dry land living instincts. Perhaps you can go early or stay late in class to just sit in the corner, watch everyone else, and get used to it. All those noisy bubbles! Some folks get it instantly, some take more time.
Spend some time just chilling, and your "Bio Computer" (brain)will be able to reprogram for higher comfort levels.
And, Do Not watch "Jaws" or any other scary underwater films!
Cheers,
Melissa

 

[wvrotorhead]

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that your advice paid off. Thursday, my OW class had it's second confined water session, and I successfully removed, replaced AND cleared my mask twice! Yay me! LOL Once at shallow depth, like 3 feet and once sitting on the bottom of the deep end.

The techniques and encouragement, you offered, combined with practice and a new Ocean Master purge mask made all the difference in the world.

I still don't feel completely comfortable breathing on SCUBA sans mask at depth, but I have gained a lot of confidence in just a couple of weeks and think that it will only get better from here on out.

SO, Thanks guys (and gals).

Billy

 

[O-ring]

I still don't feel completely comfortable breathing on SCUBA sans mask at depth

Don't worry about it! I bet many (myself definitely included) do not feel comfortable breathing on scuba without a mask...the point is that you CAN do it if you have to should you lose your mask or have another mask flooding problem while on a dive.

Congratulations on mask clearing success!!

 

[wvrotorhead]

Thanks O-ring, yeah I think comfort is fairly relative when it comes to breathing on scuba without a mask. I hope my comfort level gets a little higher on the ol' scale than it is now though. It takes a lot of concious effort to keep from snortin' water up my nose right now, but I'll get 'er down!

Billy

 

[Vinga]

Hope this is not a repeat, but anytime, anywhere, practice the "n" in the word "sing" Leave your mouth open. That'll have you with a simulated snorkel/regulator in your mouth, but holding the muscles you need to breathe through your nose, with your mouth open
Cheers, and fun,
Melissa

 

[wvrotorhead]

Thanks Melissa, that's great advice. I'll let you know how it goes next class!

Billy

 

[stingray3]

Half your battle will be won if your instructor is any good. He or she is the one that should give you the knowledge and confidence to be able to take your mask off. My advice after reading some of the former comments is to, first take it slow. Before you take your mask off make sure you have it clear in your head what your going to do. Next pull the strap over the top of your head first while leaving the mask still in place. Now hold one hand on the front of the mask and one on the strap and slowly pull the mask forward keeping both hands where they were. Once the mask is off, put it straight back on and clear before you try and replace the strap. Now pull the strap over with you other had and make sure the mask is secure and in the right place. The key is to do it slowly and think about it don't just rush.

 

[C-horse]

I haven't started my formal training yet, but I'm working on my mask clearing. I have found that if I keep my chin tucked close to my chest until I'm ready to blow through my nose in order to clear my mask, that water will not run down my throat, unlike if I tilt my chin back and then start blowing. When I tilt my chin first, I have water running down my throat.

Also, when equalizing the pressure in my ears do I hold my nose and blow out or try to suck air through my pinched shut nostrils ?

 

[wvrotorhead]

Hey C-horse,

With a non-purge mask, it seems to work better if you do look down slightly, begin to exhale nasaly and then look up, all the while holding your mask to your forehead so that the water has to leave via the lower edges of the skirt.
With a purge mask, the purge valve needs to be at the lowest point of the mask. With my Ocean Master mask, this really only requires looking straight ahead and exhaling. It's not a bad idea with a purge mask to hold it tightly to your face so the air fills the mask and forces the water out as you exhale rather than escape around the skirt. Also, it seems to work better for me if I exhale easily rather than in a big burst. When I do the slow exhale, the water just drains right out, with no real effort at all.
When equalizing while descending, the object is to add air to the spaces that are being squeezed. Pressure is greater (and building while descending) outside your air spaces, so blowing slightly, generally while pinching the nostrils shut will add air to these spaces. Sucking would do just the opposite. In the case of mask squeeze, exhaling slightly into the mask will equalize it so that it doesn't feel like your face is being smashed.
After only the first couple of confined water dives, you will probably get this down to the point where you kinda snarl your nose, blow and VOILA, no more squeeze. Equalization needs to be done early and often while descending. I.e. don't wait until you feel the squeeze, stay ahead of it.
It's a good idea to start thinking about equalizing before you get in the water and practice doing it slow and easy. Don't blow hard, or (as I hear) this could lead to ear infections by blowing mucus up into the middle ear via the eustachian tubes. I'm no expert, but it seems to make sense.
On the way up, these air spaces generally equalize without you doing anything special to make it happen. Perhaps some of the members with a heckuva lot more experience than I, could give some pointers on reverse squeezes.

Good luck and have fun,

Billy