Scared newbee - need some encouragement

[deignor]

I loved my first pool session and was excited about scuba. But in my second pool session, there were some problems. I had no problem taking off my mask and putting it back on BUT I couldn't clear it to save me. I ended up snorting and/or swallowing a lot of water, panicked, ended up on the surface- gasping for air. I could barely breathe for over a minute. I tried to relax and eventually continued with the class and did the exercises.
My instructor suggested a new mask with a better fit- I went ahead and got a great new mask and snorkel.
But- I have been anxious and stressed all week about my next class - it is tomorrow. I figure I need to conquer this fear and climb back on the horse.
I was glad it happened in the pool but what if it happened in 30' of water? It was like a blockage- I could hardly breath air in or out. Any feedback is welcome.

 

[Mike M]

Welcome to the board.
Mask clearing comes with practice. Go to the top of the page and do a search for mask clearing. There have been serveral post on this subject. Or try a mask with a purge.
Don't stress over it, I'm sure your instructor will help you and with time you WILL get it. Good Luck tomorrow.


Mike M

 

[pipedope]

diegnor,

Relax, you have already done 75% of what you need to solve the mask problem.

First, you got back in and did the excersises that night.

Second, you got a better quality, better fitting mask.

Now it is a matter of time in the water and experiences dealing with the little things that come up, like flooded masks.

I have had times where I had to take off a glove and use a bare finger to seat my mask skirt to my face and make sure that there was no hair, hood or other items to make it leak. This only requires the confidence that it can be done and nothing terrible is going to happen even if I don't get it fixed. The worst that could happen (open water) is that I would surface without my mask on.

Remember that everything you do underwater takes time and usually is done step by step.
Repeat after me;

"Breath
Relax
Breath
Slow down and do the the very next step in the task
Breath
Relax
Breath
Slow down and do the very next step
Breath"

Repeat as needed.

It is more important to do it right than it is to do it fast.

Doing it *very* slowly and right the first time is better and faster than doing it over.

Remember to relax and have fun.

michael

 

[TexasMike]

As the other Mike said, Mask clearing is one of the more difficult skills to acquire. Humans are built to breath through our noses, and when we remove the device that helps remember NOT to inhale through our nose (the mask) then the normal breathing reflex kicks back on and we take on water through the nose.

One trick I discovered that works for me during this skill is to slowly exhale through my nose during this skill. You need to do this anyway to add positive pressure inside of the mask to break the seal around your face. Just keep exhaling through the nose as you breath slowly and normally. If needed, pinch your "bare" nose slightly to "remind" yourself not to inhale through your schnoz. Then after mask is replaced, exhale a little faster to add air back into your mask to clear it.

And it does take a bit of practice. Try to hit the shallow end of the pool with your snorkle and mask and practice. If you're able to do it comfortably with the snorkle, doing it with a regulator in your mouth is not that far off.

And continue posting questions. We love helping new divers get comfortable and share in the enjoyment that we know.

 

[Walter]

deignor,

You never mentioned if you were having difficulty breathing without the mask. Since you "ended up snorting and/or swallowing a lot of water, panicked, ended up on the surface- gasping for air," I'm going to assume for now that that might also be an issue.

My methods may sound unrelated to your problem at first, but they will work. If you follow these steps to the letter (don't skip anything) you will soon have your problem solved. Often, important skills are left out of OW classes. Take your time and practice each step until you are comfortable before moving to the next.

Leave your SCUBA gear in your bag. You only need 3 things at the pool at this point. 1. Mask 2. Snorkel 3. Weight belt with weight.

At no point will you leave the shallow end of the pool.

Take your snorkel off your mask and put on your weight belt. With your mask on the pool deck, your snorkel in your hand and your weight belt on, get into the shallow end of the pool. You should be where when you stand you are no deeper than chest deep, waist deep is even better. Put your snorkel in your mouth and breathe from it. Now, bend over and breathe through your snorkel while you dip your face into the water. If you are comfortable, stay awhile until you feel natural. If you have difficulty, think about drinking through a straw while you practice the exercise. Remember, you can always stand up straight to end the exercise at any time. If you need to, you can slowly build up your time until you feel comfortable.

Next, practice dropping underwater, allowing the snorkel to flood and coming up to blast it clear, leaving your face in the water. Continue until you are comfortable.

At this point, you have accomplished three important things.

1. You lowered your anxiety level by working in a no risk (shallow) environment.
2. You became an expert in no mask breathing.
3. You know you can breathe with a flooded mask. You have confidence in yourself.

Now, put your snorkel down and pick up your mask. Put it on and drop down to your knees. Break the seal just enough to allow a small amount of water in. Clear the mask. Do not pull out on the bottom; merely push in on the top while looking up. The most common mistake people make is not looking up. The second most common mistake people make is not exhaling through their nose. Keep your mouth closed. Repeat this until you are comfortable. Don't forget to stand up and catch your breath between clearings. Now, increase the amount of water you allow into the mask to about ¼ flooded. When you are comfortable with that level, move to ½, then to a fully flooded mask. When you've reached the point you can clear it easily every time, see how many times you can clear it on one breath. After you are at this point, clearing your mask will be easy. You will have reached it in a step-by-step manner that was easy to accomplish.

Remember, you can always stand up if you feel uncomfortable.

Once you've mastered this (a skill level all my students reach during the 1st pool session) when you try it on SCUBA it'll be even easier.

Good luck, you'll be fine.

 

[deignor]

Thanks for the feedback. I did have trouble clearing the mask during my first pool session and mentioned this to my instructor at the start of the second pool session. I had difficulty clearing the mask while pushing on the top and looking up. They suggested I use the "tilting the bottom out" method. Forgot to mention that I have NO problem with breathing using the regulator with no mask on. They told us to keep our eyes shut- I would have prefered being open eyed but...
When it came time to put the mask on and clear it, I exhaled hard and tried to clear it and after 5 times, it was still full of water. That is when somehow I sucked in water and choked and couldn't breathe. Hope the new mask will be better.
I will relax and practice. Unfortunately, my class which only had 3 people when I signed up has ended up much larger. We actually have some students who are bringing accompanying accomplished divers that monopolize the instructor and divemaster's time with their tales of diving excursions. I think I need more personalized, one on one time. Time to practice in the bathtub.
Thanks.

 

[DivingGal]

As the others have said, take your time with this one. Slow, and "mini" successes will build the confience that you obviously have within yourself (after all you did take the first steps to calm yourself, and get the better mask).

Boy you can sure tell Walter is a teacher of this stuff can't you? He's given you some great advice!

As for the students bringing "accomplished divers that monopolize the instructor and divemaster's time with their tales of diving excursions." whoa... there! Speak to the instructor or LDS, the students are the ones that are suppose to be receiving the attention, and the guidance fo the instructor and DM! IMHO, those "accomplished" divers have little business being any where near a OW class.

Keep your friends here informed of how you're doing, we'll be the first ones there (if we can) to shake your hand when you join the ranks of certified divers.

 

[ckharlan66]

Since you said you could breathe with out a mask with now problem but you were having trouble with clearing the mask it indicates that you are probably blowing out through your mouth while you are trying to clear your mask. Do the exercises that are mentioned in the thread this will help alot. Also try to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth when you are clearing your mask this will help you to not blow out through your mouth and direct the air through your nose. I hope this helps.

remember....practice.....practice...practice and when you think you have it practice alot more.

I just spent a hour in the pool thursday doing nothing but mask removal skills.

Chad

 

[Walter]

deignor,

Keep your eyes open. Don't assume you are following directions when you have your head tilted back. You need to point your eyes up. Looking up means looking up, you can't look up with your eyes closed.

Exhale gently. A small amount of air will go a long way.

Your new mask may fit better and it may be more comfortable. If so, it's a good investment. OTOH, it will not allow you to clear any easier.

Tilting out the bottom of the mask can be very effective if you are accomplished in the skill. When someone is having difficulty tilting out the bottom usually makes the problem worse. You don't have a feel for how far to tilt it or exactly when to stop tilting it. This usually results in partial clearing followed immediately by full flooding.

It sounds like you are exhaling through your mouth. If you practice the skill with just a mask and weight belt (as described above) you will be able to keep your mouth clamped tighly shut and therefore force yourself to exhale through your nose. It's a good idea to have a buddy watch your mouth while you practice. Your buddy can tell you when bubbles are coming out of your mouth. Once you've mastered the skill, you'll know how to do it and what it feels like. After that, you'll be able to do it easily on SCUBA.

A bathtub isn't deep enough to practice mask clearing.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Walter is right that a better fitting mask won't make mask clearing easier - unless it has a lower volume. Smaller volume masks require you to displace less water, and require less exhaled air to do the job.

From what you have described, I think it is just being able to exhale through your nose that is holding you back. The thing you keep hearing is that relaxing, and breaking this skill down into smaller steps will help.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.