Night Dive Unwanted Ascent

[MikeFerrara]

I think the answer has already been given but just to emphisize it...

This happens all the time, especially to newer divers. We set them up for it with the hosed up way we teach mask clearing...negative, planted on the bottom, looking up at the stars and taking a deep breath to clear.

No deed to look up very much, no need to go vertical and no need to take a deep breath or to try and clear in one breath.

Buoyancy and position control comes first. You don't drop everything else to clear a mask because you are still diving, so you dive.

Breath normally, exhaling out your nose, stay horizontal and put a priority on position and buoyancy control.

Earlier in the thread soneone pointed out that these skills need to be practiced midwater, they were right.

 

[Fuzzmutton]

Greg,

Don't feel too bad. Been there, done that on a shallow night dive. Freaked me out. Now I'm veeery careful.

Fuzz


PS I've got to stop posting my mishaps or you guys are going to think I'm a newbie or something .

 

[LAJim]

A standard DIR drill is to remove the mask with eyes closed, hand it to a team mate and maintain perfect byouancy until it is handed back, and then put it back on and clear. This is an essential skill as your experience demonstrated. Most divers get floaty when their mask comes off until they learn to control their breathing and stay level.

Jim