Mask clearing technique

[alphonsis]

Now, when I was taught in my ow class to clear my mask, it was basically to look up, put pressure on the top of your mask and blow out your nose to displace the water. Works fine, been doing it for years.

However, after diving with an instructor, I find myself instead holding my mask by the side so that I can rotate it upward to break the lower seal, then blow out my nose. I find that I have to use much less pressure since I'm not fighting the tension of the mask and it's alot faster.

Is there a reason this method is considered unsafe, or not taught in classes? Well, I did get certified in the late 90's so maybe they do teach it in classes now?

Thanks

 

[Nick_W]

You shouldn't have to pull on it to break the seal. And really, you shouldn't have to put pressure on the top in order for the seal to break at the bottom. But that is the way it is taught. If your mask is so tight that you have to actually pull it away from your face to break the seal then it is too tight.

 

[plumbcrazy]

I have been clearing by grabing the side for years. What I was told when demonstrating skills for the dm exam was this, "If we teach the skill like that we will have the students filling their mask rather then clearing it" When I asked more about it. I found the theory behind it is, if you have someone that has never done this before the tendency to open the mask too far is too great. Therefore just holding the top is better for the students to learn. The only problem is the easy ways in my opinion should be taught in advanced classes.
Just my 2 psi.

 

[RJP]

"...and blow out your nose to displace the water."

This will sound like semantics, but I have found that is by far the WORST way to characterize how to clear a mask.

Why?

Because 90%+ of people assume that it means "forcefully blow the water out of the mask" and that ain't right! So when they try it and it doesn't work, they assume they didn't BLOW hard enough, so they blow HARDER, which doesn't work. Etc, etc...

I tell students "gently exhale through your nose in order to fill the mask with air."

I have not been doing this all that long, but I can tell you that 100% of people to whom I've explained it that way have...

1.) Been immediately successful in clearing their mask on the very next attempt
2.) Then immediately asked why that's not what they were told in the first place

I know that "blow out your nose to displace the water" means the same thing to US, but when dealing with a student who has no frame of reference it has a completely counterintuitive meaning.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I do pretty much the same thing - tilting the mask slightly from the edge.

I also agree that breaking the seal is probably overkill - just apply enough pressure to allow the water to flow out where you want while ensuring the upper edge stays sealed while you exhale just enough to smoothly lower the water level to the bottom of the mask.

 

[clem]

or....try the clem special for a fully flooded mask. Place octo under bottom of mask, pull bottom out a smidge, purge octo into mask. Woo Hoo! water is mostly if not all gone then snort the rest out.

 

[battles2a5]

... I think I need to see some video footage of that one clem

 

[Bratface]

When I was in DM class, we used a piece of aquarium tubing to put under the edge of the mask then blow to clear a buddy's mask. Same principle as the octo. I have never used it, but it was a neat trick.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

or....try the clem special for a fully flooded mask. Place octo under bottom of mask, pull bottom out a smidge, purge octo into mask. Woo Hoo! water is mostly if not all gone then snort the rest out.

This is also taught to handicapped scuba "buddies" when assisting a diver who cannot clear for themselves.

 

[alphonsis]

so, in short, this is kosher?