OW cert - does EVERY skill have to be mastered to get it

[Joanne Hughes]

Hi, I am doing the PADI OW course and am nearing my OW dives. I have mastered all of the different skills in the pool sessions/pool dives but am not confident with the mask removal and clearing. It has taken me several attempts at each session to finally clear the mask, often after a couple of times choking first. I am getting a little better each time though. Although I am confident enought to swim without the mask, will this me my downfall, and will I have to be very competent at each skill to be certified? I know there have been many threads on the mask clearing theme, but my question is just how confident and acurate do you have to be to, and do you have to master every skill in the PADI book to be certified at OW level. Thanks in advance for you comments.

 

[FIXXERVI6]

Some skills like fin pivot and what not (if they still do that) are crap, has no place in the real world.

Mask clearing however is a critical skill, not just from a clearing standpoint but what if your on a wall dive in salt water at 80 feet and someone kicks your mask off, are you going to panic?

Conditioning is key.

 

[MSilvia]

You don't have to master every skill in the book, but you do have to be able to perform all required OW "checkout" skills adequately.

 

[spectrum]

Yea mastery is a strong word. You need to perform them safely.

You can take multiple tries to clear you mask but should not have yourself in distress for instance.

Nothing is a race. Look at it like learining your driving permit. You need to show that you have what it takes to go out with a budy and become a good diver.

As for the mask clear in particular relax when you practice, blow slowly and experiment with how much tip works best for you nose, face and mask.

Even if you botch up a skill you can usually re-try. The important thing is to work through it without panic.

It will come together, just keep plugging away at it.

Pete

 

[JodiBB]

Joanne....

I saw you had already read the thread about the gentleman's wife having difficulty with her skills as well, but I wanted to let you know that the mask removal/clearing was my most difficult skill to complete...this is what I did to help me:

I also had problems with my mask removal (still isn't my favorite skill). I took extra confined water time with my instructor and sat on the shallow end doing the following:

1) With snorkel, I stuck my face in the water without the mask.
2) With regulator, I stuck my head in the water without the mask.
3) With regulator, I sat on the bottom of the shallow end without the mask.
4) With regulator and mask, I began to flood the mask. What I found was my face/nose hated the feeling of the flooded mask and I ripped it off my face underwater...I completed the skill!
5) I swam on the bottom without the mask.
6) With regulator and mask, I completed the skill...clearing the mask and all.

I spent about 2 hours in totem doing these steps until I could get to #6 on my own. Hope this helps.

Just to let you know, when I did my checkout dives, my instructor was just a bit ahead of me as we were free-diving and almost kicked my mask off by accident. I was glad I knew what to do as the mask leaked a bit of water (not a full flood by any means), but I didn't panic. If nothing else, you'll feel secure that you will know what to do if there's a need.

You'll do it!

 

[ceason]

I heard a trick for this is to snorkel around without a mask to get use to not breathing through your nose. You can also just practice taking off your mask and putting it back on without scuba gear in a local pool.

If you are having trouble clearing out all the water and simply dont have enough air maybe a low volume mask would help.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

I was working with a student this summer that kind really uncomfortable when her mask flooded halfway, her initial reaction was sort-of a panicky spasm followed immediately by an attempted ascent. I grabbed her hand and she calmed down some, I gave her the ok sign and she returned with the something's wrong sign. I signaled that she should clear her mask completely and she did successfully. After a couple of more moments she gave me the thumb and we made a slow ascent (from a shallow training platform FWIW). Talked about it, cold quarry water was much different than her pool experience and was frightening for her. After a few moments to regain her composure on the surface she assured me she was ready to rejoin the group. On our descent we caught a quick glimpse of one of the elusive resident paddle fish which some say do not exist, I gave her the happy sign as we returned to the platform.

Second attempt at mask flood and clear came off without a hitch. We made a quick tour of the shallow end of the quarry and returned to the platform where the instructor had her remove and replace mask, again the skills were performed to standard.

Another student that couldn't take his mask off the first night of pool sessions (Arranged in a circle, pass the mask to the right until yours is returned to you). I never thought he would be certified. My mentors went to work with him and had him put his face in the water with a reg/snorkel but no mask. Focus on breathing through the mouth and hold your nose if you have to.

There is no perfection but you have to be able to perform the skills competently, something that is subject to your instructor's evaluation. Personally I would suggest you must be able to react instinctively to having your mask flooded / removed without warning. Fill your bathtub and do the drill with your snorkel if you have to, but you really want to get that comfort level.

 

[dbulmer]

Joanna,
MSilvia and Spectrum got it right. I strongly suggest you practice mask clearing, mask removal every chance you get. Have you tried the skill with a hood in cold water yet?
If you haven't, you need to spend more time in the pool. If you have, well done but you still need to practice. BTW if you can do this in cold water it only gets easier!

This skill was the one thing that for a long time affected my confidence in the water - now I'm happy doing it (my very first post on Scubaboard was about mask clearing) so don't despair you'll get there with practice.

Think of the bigger picture which is when you have certified and are diving. If you don't get the skill now you'll find a nagging doubt at the back of your mind along the lines of: what if someone bumps me with a fin, what if my mask comes off etc? Those doubts can undermine your comfort level and make your diving less enjoyable.
It's better to get the practice in now with the instructor watching over you.

 

[The Chairman]

In theory, mastery is required: your instructor may or may not operate to that level.

Mask clearing is one of THE most important skills. Working in the pool can be dicey... here is a safer method. Fill your mask with water in the tub and put it on your face FULL of water. Now takd to someone or sing a song. Try to not empty the mask until you are READY to do so.

 

[SDAnderson]

Mask removal and replacement is an important safety skill and, yes, you must master it. Practice makes perfect, you'll have free time in the pool to "play" and that's a good time to work independently on skills. Relax and remember that it's not a race and that you don't have to do it perfectly, just reliably.

Oh, and the fin pivot is a critical skill, too, although a transitional one. Mastering the fin pivot is an essential step towards learning to control your bouyancy. You can usually take a look at divers in the water and tell which ones thought the skill was "crap" during training and never learned how to do it.