Mask clearing skill upsidedown

[Siltout-queen]

Once you get used to diving in a head down without the mask, clearing it is easy. Practice in a pool or confined water. 10 feet will do you.

Lol I thought of so many things to try to make it work/ to get used to water in my nose, but I didn't think of that! Sometimes the solution is just that simple. Thanks

 

[BlueTrin]

It is not unusual for me to be in a head-down position. It is a useful skill to be able to clear the mask in any position and it adds to your self confidence. My instructor had us start clearing in the head-up position and we slowly progressed to side clearing and finally to head-down clearing.

Take time to think about where gravity is taking the water in your mask, where it will exit, and how to trap air at the high side. It will become instinctive, which is at least half the point of acquiring the skill. For Southern California divers at least, the other half of the reason is lobster hunting. It is also a useful skill for macro photographers.

As for water getting in your nose, try staying ahead of it (clearing more frequently). Can you manage being head down in a pool without a mask now?

Another thought is maybe your mask doesn't fit as well as it could?

Is it as easy as lifting the opposite side?

 

[Akimbo]

The skill consists out of taking my mask off and putting it back on + clearing it, so I can't really stay ahead of it

That is the ultimate goal, but start by partially flooding it (like a few mm of water) and work up from there. Think baby steps. I have no doubt you will master it and wonder what the problem was a year from now.

 

[boulderjohn]

Think about what you do when you clear a mask normally, and thing why you do what you do. Once you understand that, you should be able to reverse the process.

When you were in OW class, you were taught to tip your head back when clearing the mask, but you were probably never told why. It was a long time before I understood the reason, because the way most people are taught, there is actually no reason to tip the head back. The reason you tip your head back only makes sense if you are in a normal, horizontal diving position, not kneeling as you are in most classes. You need to get your face positioned so that the bottom skirt of the mask is the lowest point so that the water will run out the bottom. If you are kneeling, that is already happening, so there is no purpose to it.

Once you understand that, you understand what Akimbo meant by the gravity of the situation. You need to make sure the lowest point of the mask is where you loosen it for water removal, and you need to seal the highest point of the mask so your air does not go out there and instead forces the water out the bottom. Apply that understanding to any position you may find yourself.

A problem you will face if upside down is that the air trapped inside your nose will rise out, allowing water to get in.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

Same principle as normal mask clear except you apply pressure to the bottom of the mask frame instead of the top. Not much fun in a pool, unless you enjoy the occasional chlorine sinus flush.