Mask Clearing - Suggestions

[iflexsol]

I feel awful. I was so excited about getting certified but coudln't get it. I'm comfortable with rest of the skills except my mask clearing. My instructors are awsome but I'm getting little excited when I hit the 50 degree temps. I'm not used to and never will do that. I can stand at one place and clear my mask. But if I'm moving around , it is not coming naturally to blow air hard thru my nose. Firstthing I can think of is can I go up. Part of the reason is the visibility in CSSP wasn't good( no Sun yesterday) and cold. My instructor also feels the same about me. He said I'm performing my other skills right but not my mask clearing skills. Any suggestion that my help me overcome would be really appreciated. :-(

 

[MikeFerrara]

It's hard to be specific without seeing the problem but just practice in a pool where the cold isn't a distraction. Also learn to do it neutral, horizontal and off the bottom before going to OW where you have to deal with things like cold.

In a ddition, you don't need to blow hard to clear the mask or look up at the sky when you do it. It's also not important that you do it all in one breath. Concentrate on maintaining a constant breathing pattern. Raise your head slightly, hold the top of your mask to your head and exhale through your nose one or more times to clear the mask while breathing normally otherwise. Take your time.

It helps some people to practice without a mask breathing through a reg or snorkel and face in the water.

 

[diverrick]

If you can get to a pool, that's what you need to do. You should not have to blow "hard" at all into your mask to clear it, all you'll need is a bit of pressure to displace the water.

When I first started AW classes I had some trouble with mask clearing. I was fine when all I had to do was stand and put my head under water while holding my breath, and clear the mask, but for some reason, when breathing off the reg was added to the issue, I had trouble doing both at the same time, and had an almost overwhelming urge to bolt up to the surface for air. This is how I fixed the problem. It may not work for you, but here it is for the info.
I would go to the shallow end of the pool, and first put the reg in my mouth with out a mask on, and practiced breathing off the reg under water. Then I put on the mask without surfacing, with water in it, and breathed again for a while, with out clearing. That was a bit harder for me for some silly reason. I guess it's like rubbing your belly, and patting your head kinda thing.
After I got comfortable with breathing and having the mask full of water, I tried to blow a bit out through my nose, and clear my mask, while still takng breaths. I did that over and over again, until I felt comfortable doing it, then I moved into deeper water and did it all over again.
That was in 1976, and to this day I still feel a bit funny, breathing while my eyes are under water, but I can clear my mask any time now without problems, almost without thinking. Now clearing is easy, it just takes time and practice, without someone pushing, or watching you, so you can go at your own pace. Good luck

 

[FIXXERVI6]

in cold water I crack the seal at the top and let a good amount of water get in, not flooding my mask, then i look down and swish the water around my mask to get it clear then blow the water out, dont' have to blow hard, works great in 50 degree water without the cold water shock.

To take it off or full flood just do the same thing and let if fill up, its cold but it doesn't shock your face with a rush of cold water.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

See if your lds will let you repeat the pool sessions with another class. That will allow you more pool time and you can practice more with someone observing you. diverrick and MikeFerrara are 100 per cent correct on their advise. Practice Practice Practice. You'll get it don't worry. We probably all had some little something that was hard to get. Mine was hyperventilating in cold water.

 

[Foo]

Here is a great thread on this subject: http://www.scubaboard.com/t44592.html
There is lots of great advice there for even the most ardent non-mask-clearer! You will figure it out, trust me... just don't give up, because it will finally come to you and it will be worth all the effort!
Foo

 

[Cudabait]

I feel awful. I was so excited about getting certified but coudln't get it. I'm comfortable with rest of the skills except my mask clearing. My instructors are awsome but I'm getting little excited when I hit the 50 degree temps. I'm not used to and never will do that. I can stand at one place and clear my mask. But if I'm moving around , it is not coming naturally to blow air hard thru my nose. Firstthing I can think of is can I go up. Part of the reason is the visibility in CSSP wasn't good( no Sun yesterday) and cold. My instructor also feels the same about me. He said I'm performing my other skills right but not my mask clearing skills. Any suggestion that my help me overcome would be really appreciated. :-(

All good advise above. This is not unusual. An easier alternative to having to put on all your gear may just be to put on a mask and snorkle. Practice flooding and clearing it without the reg and tank. Improve your breath control with the mask and snorkle. Try to reach a point that you can clear the mask multiple times on the same breath. Initially in water you can stand up in, then try it while swimming and underwater. Keep up the good work. The tank and reg will fall in to place.

Regards,

 

[RDuke]

Mask clearing was weird for me, too. I could take my mask off and put it back on and clear it no problem. But pulling the top of the mask out to let water run into it freaked me out the first time. The sensation of water covering up my nose gradually was too much.

What got me comfortable, if comfort is the right word, was just to concentrate on the regulator, and realize that as long as there's air, everything else is secondary. Mask, no mask, fins, no fins, as long as there's air to breathe, you can take your time to fix other problems. In this case, clearing the mask.

 

[blue angel]

I am not sure about cold water, but in Florida I had the same problem.
I had to buy a mask with a purge valve, now I can clear great !!

 

[iflexsol]

Thanks a million for all your replies. You guys are of great help to me and many others like me. Can't tell you how much effect your words will have on a new diver and how encouraging they are to fight against one's weakness.
THANKS AGAIN YOU ALL.

I can't express in words how bad I felt the day I wasn't certified because I couldn't clear my mask. I"M NOT GIVING UP AND I"LL FIGHT TILL I GET IT RIGHT.