Some Images From One Of Our OW Cert Dives

[Bubble Junky]

Can someone please explain to me why you would want to look down to clear a mask? I have never understood that.

I think the masks with the purge valves are cleared by looking down. I also always teach students to start looking down, then to look up as they exhale slowly from the nose, this helps minimise the uncomfortable feeling of having water up your nose.

Also, don't worry about losing your contacts. I do lots of maskless work, eyes completely open, and have never lost a contact.

This is only true of soft contacts. Hard/Gas Permeable ones will float away !!

 

[scubatoys]

Can someone please explain to me why you would want to look down to clear a mask? I have never understood that.

Sure, I'll help with that. Especially with new students, it is many time beneficial to start a clearing move with the head in a down facing position because in case the diver has not mastered air way control yet, it will lessen the possibility of any water entering the nose. Then as they start their exhale, they rotate their head to a looking up position to finish the clear.

Or as this poster pointed out - if using a mask with a purge - it is also the best position.

To a large degree, remember that a lot of skills are taught with initial comfort of the diver in mind, even though in time, they may alter the skill to fit themselves better. Much like learning to drive with your hands at 10 and 2 - today most drive with a cell phone in one ear, a sandwich in one hand, while jotting notes on a piece of paper and driving with one knee... But we all learned hands at 10 and 2.

The important thing is the instructor working with each student assess the best way to have them learn the skills so they can have safe and enjoyable dives.

 

[creggur]

Can someone please explain to me why you would want to look down to clear a mask? I have never understood that. There are much more efficient methods...

Seriously I wasn't looking down to clear my mask. I was practicing, and when I flood my mask it helps me to keep breathing regularly to look down a little, probably just a mental thing, but it helps. In that picture if I recall correctly, I had flooded the mask, and was starting to exhale/look up, when the picture was snapped...

Shall I copy my previous posts about exhalation drills/cold water treatment that helps you adapt to colder water before you ever drop down?
Also, don't worry about losing your contacts. I do lots of maskless work, eyes completely open, and have never lost a contact. I would point out that you should keep your eye comfortably closed, or open as they normally would be out of the water. If you squint you are more likely to lose a contact (especially if you have your eyes slightly open) since squinting changes the shape of your eye.

I would never deny good information, if you post I will certainly read. My wife is very comfortable in the water. In these photos we were just doing some practice, that was the first time she had taken her mask off underwater that day, and the chilly water made her scrunch up a bit, notice the location of the mask in the picture, it she had just pulled it off...

 

[SparticleBrane]

creggur, I have been contemplating doing an actual 'writeup' on what I posted earlier instead of just copy/pasting a post over and over again. I'll see if I can do it later today. Basically the idea is that before you start a dive, you toss your head in the water with no mask and breathe through a reg until you can do it eyes open with a normal breathing cycle, feeling completely comfortable and relaxed. Do that at the start of every dive and you won't have issues with maskless work at all...

 

[Bubble Junky]

creggur, I have been contemplating doing an actual 'writeup' on what I posted earlier instead of just copy/pasting a post over and over again. I'll see if I can do it later today. Basically the idea is that before you start a dive, you toss your head in the water with no mask and breathe through a reg until you can do it eyes open with a normal breathing cycle, feeling completely comfortable and relaxed. Do that at the start of every dive and you won't have issues with maskless work at all...

I like the way you've assigned 'issues' to the OP, then offered to help overcome these made-up issues !

 

[SparticleBrane]

Who said they are issues?
I and all my teammates (and everyone I was trained to dive with, and everyone I work on training with) does these drills before every dive. I personally feel they are good for all divers to do before every dive...but I suppose that's just me.

 

[northen diver]

Ah... that's not too bad then... still a shock. Sorry - the other post has just been sitting in my brain... It's just funny to me how someone can try to assess someones comfort level diving from looking at one snapshot of one dive. There is no way I would try to tell you how comfortable you are in the water from a picture. I just want to thank you for sharing the photo's and extend congratulations on your accomplishments.

Besides, any time someone has to take off a scubatoys strap - their face automatically scrunches up a bit!

I was thinking the samething.

Welcome to you and your wife.

Larry and Joe: Thanks for the free subscription to the dive magazine. I bought a 7 mil wetset and a Oceanic B.C. from ya last year and I just received a free one subscription from you guys last week. Thanks.....Frank

 

[jviehe]

Really sorry I posted now...... Wife looks uncomfortable without mask because she had contacts in and was keeping her eyes closed, not to mention the water in the springs was pretty chilly when it hits your face....

No we did not go in a cavern, after we were out of the water the DM that was with us swam in to take the picture for us.....

I reflexively look down when I flood my mask, helps me to keep breathing, then as I exhale I tilt my head back to clear the mask......

Also this was just one of our dives, there were dives at other springs in central Florida. Our instructor was very by the book, in these pics we were practicing in shallow water per our request to get comfortable in the water....

Thats cool. Just checking. PADI doesnt need anymore bad instructors than it has.

 

[scubatoys]

Thats cool. Just checking. PADI doesnt need anymore bad instructors than it has.

Wow... this is even better... so by looking at 2 snap shots, 2 fragments of time throughout an entire course, someone can make a judgment call on the ability of the instructor. You've got to share the secret on how that is done! I'm a course director, and I have to go through all the effort of watching them teach and see their skills in the water. You could save me a bunch of time!

 

[SparticleBrane]

Wow... this is even better... so by looking at 2 snap shots, 2 fragments of time throughout an entire course, someone can make a judgment call on the ability of the instructor. You've got to share the secret on how that is done! I'm a course director, and I have to go through all the effort of watching them teach and see their skills in the water. You could save me a bunch of time!

Let me explain:

Did your OW instructor seriously take you in a cave?

No we did not go in a cavern, after we were out of the water the DM that was with us swam in to take the picture for us.....

Thats cool. Just checking. PADI doesnt need anymore bad instructors than it has.

edit: Sometimes things can be difficult to follow on a message board -- no worries.