Mask Flooding Panic

[Sideband]

This has been aproblem for me as well. I need to read Walter's method but here is what I did today.

I started with just a snorkel. No mask. I held the snorkel in place with my hand to keep it above water and then just started to do a dead mans float. Viola. I was breathing with my mouth even though my face was under. I stayed that way for a few minutes until I was 'comfortable' and was sure that there was not going to be any surprise nose breaths. None came.

Next I moved onto breathing in through my mouth and out my nose. In and out..Making all kinds of bubbles. I was getting very proud of myself. This was working!
Next, I attached the mask and, with my face under water, took a good breath and broke the seal. As the water came in I just closed my eyes and concentrated on mouth breathing. I had just been doing it so I knew I could. I tipped my head back, pressed in the top of the mask and breathed out through my nose. It took two breaths but the mask cleared and I was not panicky at all.

I did variations of the above for about an hour. I wish I had a SCUBA tank to do it on the bottom, but I really gained a lot of confidence today.

This has been the only skill that has caused me any problems (except for the doff and don of the BC but once I got a properly sized BC that was fixed). I'm going to do this again to reinforce the positive feelings that came with doing it. I have had a hard time practicing this because, like you, it caused panic. The thought of doing this skill filled me with dread and then when it was time to really do it I panicked because I had been telling myself that I would panic. After a few successes that positive image will be what I think about before I do it and I won't be as stressed. The next time I get in the pool on SCUBAI plan on going straight to the bottom with no mask just to prove to myself again that I can do it.

Joe

 

[jbd]

Congratulations on passing your certification dives. If you dive frequently you'll get plenty of practice with mask clearing. The usual culprit for most folks is leakage when they smile or laugh during a dive.

 

[Chris Walrod]

Congrats on your Certification!!

I too thought too much about whether or not I will be able to breathe with my mask off or not. I too think there is a lot of phsycological road blocks in this exercise. I just slowed down and concentrated some, it was no problem in the pool or on the required OW dives..

 

[scubaherb]

This has helped students in the past. Sit in the bathtub with your mask on, flood it and then say the ABC's or talk to someone for a while with your mask flooded. You'll get used to the water in your mask and and around your nose.

 

[crispos]

Way to go Riff Raff on working on your mask clearing, and plenty of people have similar problems, so don't fret. Another technique to make sure you are breathing out your nose after taking a breath from the regulator:

Hum. Just like in Church. This automatically closes the mouth and sends the air out the nose, which is what is required to do a mask clear.

 

[theskull]

Perhaps you should consider bicycle riding as your recreation. A SCUBA diver on the verge of panic over a little water in the mask is an accident looking hard for a place to happen. Please warn your potential dive buddies before endangering them.

theskull

 

[crispos]

Always depend on the skull to liven things up and encourage the new divers.

 

[Sideband]

Perhaps you should consider bicycle riding as your recreation. A SCUBA diver on the verge of panic over a little water in the mask is an accident looking hard for a place to happen. Please warn your potential dive buddies before endangering them.

theskull

That's right. We all know that you can't possibly get any better at that skill. Practice and determination will be of absolutly no use. Not to mention experience. Someone that can't instantly undo a lifetime of learning not to breath while under water has no place in a SCUBA class.

They might also want to reconsider bike riding. I doubt they were able to balance their first time and a bicyclist that has no balance is an accident in the making. Be sure to warn all future biking partners of that as well before involving them in a fiery crash with... something that is big... and might catch fire if you run into it with a bicycle.


Riff Raff,
Mask flooding fears seem to be one of the biggest problems that we new divers have. Do a quick search on this board and you will instantly see you are not alone and it can be overcome. There have been 3 fairly lengthy threads on this since I started here about a month ago and I know there have been many others in the past. Most of those that start the threads end up posting that they finally got through it and got their certification. If you stick with it I'm sure you will too. You may never 'like' it, but the panic will go away and you will be able to do it.

Joe
ps. I was just kidding about the fiery bicycle crash thing too

or was I?.......

 

[theskull]

Always depend on the skull to liven things up and encourage the new divers.

:10: We do what we can. I am of the somewhat unpopular opinion that not everyone should be a diver. Many, absolutely. Most, I'd like to think so. ALL, no.

I have to wonder why someone even wants to get certified if they are near panic when some water gets in their face. Do they swim? Do they like to swim? Will their life be in danger if their mask gets knocked loose by a buddy's careless kick or a snag on a descent line?

I am very encouraging of students who have trouble clearing their mask, or who don't like to get COLD water in their mask. But I like for people to enjoy their hobbies, and if they aren't going to enjoy being totally immersed in water, including some water in their eyes, nose, and occasionally in their lungs, then they should find something else that they do enjoy.

Call me negative, call me a realist, or just call me someone who has dived with many many buddies and students. The ones who panic are not having fun, and when their panic becomes a rush for the surface it is not fun for anyone present.

theskull

 

[theskull]

They might also want to reconsider bike riding. I doubt they were able to balance their first time and a bicyclist that has no balance is an accident in the making. Be sure to warn all future biking partners of that as well before involving them in a fiery crash with... something that is big... and might catch fire if you run into it with a bicycle.

Having trouble learning to balance on the bike--work on it, practice, ride more.

But, if you panic every time a car passes you on the road, and you then bolt for the ditch on your bike in that panic--then you very well might want to reconsider this hobby, too!

How about a nice game of chess?

theskull