MAsk clearing

[sdexcalibur]

Mask clearing sound scarry. I never thought about that before. Now I take my class in about a month. Can someone give me a break down on how to do this. Can I practice without going diving. Also is their certain kinds of mask that make it easier. I would love to have this down before I start my course. Thanks
Steve

 

[JamesK]

It is actually really simple. Tilt your head slightly up, press gently against the top of the mask, and blow out your nose gently. A lot of people try to blow too hard, and that causes the maske to pull from the face and flood again. Then they get water up there nose, and freak out.

If you want to practice, go to a pool, or even lie on your stomach in your bath tub. Use your snorkel of course. One other thing you should do, is to breath from the snorkel underwater for a few minutes, without your mask on, just to get used to breathing underwater with no mask.

 

[O-ring]

Don't sweat it, you will do fine...

http://www.scubaboard.com/t8052/s.html

 

[ScubyDoo]

A low volume mask makes mask clearing easier. A low volume mask is simply a mask that doesnt have much internal volume. Suffice to say it also doesnt hold much water when flooded. The less water in your mask the easier and faster it can be cleared. Its really a very simple procedure. I do it all the time just to stay in good practice.

 

[devilfish]

One of the biggest mistakes most divers do when learning to clear the mask is tilting their head back and then beginning to exhale through the nose. Water enters the nose and choking begins.
First start to exhale through the nose and while continuously exhaling then gently tip the head back. If all water is not cleared, put your head down still exhaling from the nose, take a couple breaths and repeat the procedure.
One important key. Most people are nose breathers. As divers we must be programmed to be mouth breathers. The best way to learn to breathe through the mouth is simply stand in the pool waist deep. With NO mask hold and breathe through the snorkel or regulator, put your face in the water and breathe. Practice this until you can comfortably breathe through the mouth without inhaling water through the nose. Once you can do this, mask clearing is a snap. Breathing through the snorkel or regulator with the mask off and face submerged should be the very first skill in a scuba class. To further your mouth breathing, walk around the house with your mask on trying not to fog up the mask. You will be forced to breathe through the mouth. It may look ridiculous but it works.
Mask clearing is not and should not be a death defying skill. You should be able to be underwater and breathe comfortably with the mask off.

 

[TheDivingBear]

I am still going through the OW training and my dive master had me do just that. Stand in water, lean in to cover my mask-less face, and breath off the regulator until I stopped breathing through my nose (which did not take long).

Now I was having trouble with the snorkel/regulator exchange skill. Seems whenever I blasted my snorkel, I would place the tip of my tongue on the roof of my mouth (to act as the splash guard), slowly inhale and get a snout full of water from my mask. I tried this skill some 40 times before I got it (though as long as I was on my regulator, I mask clearer fine).

Tip from a newbie and a mouth breather : I found from this experience that WHERE I placed the tip of my tongue played a very important role of my breathing. Too far forward on the pallette and I could not breath through my mouth. Even if I tried, I would breath through my nose. I held my nose, thinking it would force me to breath through my mouth, no such luck. However, if I placed my tongue farther back, I was able to breathe through my nose and then clean my mask. Now, your experience may vary, but this works for me.

Bear :mean: