Have fun with your training & enjoy your first OW dives 
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Mask removal skill = no fun..
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Completed day two of confined water skills today and this is the first hiccup I faced. I had no issue breathing without the mask, in fact, my instructor actually made the comment - "It looked like you fell asleep down there."
But man, putting that mask back on really gave me fits - the 2nd try worked out better than the first. But it really gives you an idea as to why this stuff has to be done in class in a confined environment.
Imagine never having experienced this and being in OW and it gets knocked off!
Learning a lot and tonight found that it takes 9lbs of weight to keep me down and weighted correctly.
Can't wait until next week.
I am not condemning my original OW instructor by no means. She was doing what the standards called for. I was only required to do a mask clear & removal once in confined water & once in open water. Those were the 2 skills I was weakest in & disliked the most. I found myself almost paranoid about losing my mask because of this. When I went to another instructor to begin my technical diving, he reviewed basic water skills, including several swims without a mask. Seeing I was week on this point, he took some extra time & worked with me on this. It was no more than repetition, but just doing it over & over again, I finally became comfortable with those skills. Now I can remove my mask & nearly fall asleep. In fact when I was beginning my full cave course I had a mask strap failure in the cave. I just got myself out of the way, pulled my back- up mask from my drysuit pocket, put it on, cleared it, put my failed mask in the pocket & carried on. Didn't miss a beat thanks to the comfort that was built through repetition.
timothyk
Registered
Everyone seems to have one skill they struggle with. Mine was breathing off of a free flowing regulator and my girlfriends problem was the same as yours. Surprisingly trying the skill now offers no problems whatsoever. Stick with it, you will come to terms with the behavior and after a few dives you will wonder how in the world such a simple thing gave you such difficulty.
I have to admit I don't understand why mask removal is such a big deal for some people. Why do people do this with their eyes closed? I understand if you're wearing contacts, but if you're not, why not leave your eyes open? Might make it less stressful. I'm apparently also backwards because I put the strap over the back of my head (with my eyes open...) and then pull the mask down over my face. Sure, everything is blurry till you get the mask on and cleared, but I'm so damned nearsighted that I'm used to things being blurry.
Just try to relax and enjoy your time in the water.
Just try to relax and enjoy your time in the water.
Personally, I will not open my eyes underwater because my eyes are so sensitive, especially chlorinated water. To put it simply,.... it hurts. As for difficulty with the mask removal skill I used to have, I am a VERY natural nose breather. It took me a while to learn (yes, learn) how to seperate my nasal & oral airways. For most people, just getting a little water up the nose triggers the reaction that the body thinks it is drowning.
beautybelow
Contributor
you are very lucky you don't understand this. I'm another one that recommends getting the mask cleared first then dealing with the strap later. It's still the way I do it no matter what. The fact is though that it is a big deal to a lot of new divers. If it's not, again, you are lucky : )
Oh, I get it. It's just that until I started reading here, it never occured to me that opening your eyes under water might be difficult (or impossible) for some people. I've always swam and I've always had my eyes open. And I certainly don't want to come across as demeaning people who have trouble with this skill.
But why is it so difficult for some people? One poster said that chlorine causes them pain. Ok, I get that. Pain is to be avoided. But is this a common reason for this difficulty? Most posts don't say why, just that they have a problem. Frankly, it almost seems a phobic response in many (which by definiation means there will not be a rational reason). We all have phobias. I certainly do. Taking off my mask underwater just doesn't happen to be one of them.
So rather than just stating 'this is a problem', how about explaining why, for you, it is difficult.
ScoobaDood
Contributor
I think we would all rather practice that maneuver in a pool when we are expecting it, than to have to master it in OW when we are not expecting it. I have to agree that this was the most uncomfortable part of the training though.
diver 85
Contributor
keep practicing--& contrary to what some here believe, this 'stuff' we do & wear is for a purpose......Enjoy the UW world as you grow in your experience(& skills)......
I'm not expert but maybe this is my advice take it or leave it.
putting your mask back on and clearing it isn't a race. Do it slow and deliberate and if things don't work out start over. Don't lose patience just take it easy. I am sure after awhile and you practice slow and steady it will get easier and quicker for you to do until it's a natural motion/skill for you.
putting your mask back on and clearing it isn't a race. Do it slow and deliberate and if things don't work out start over. Don't lose patience just take it easy. I am sure after awhile and you practice slow and steady it will get easier and quicker for you to do until it's a natural motion/skill for you.
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