May I ask how you determined that your mask fits properly?
Use Nose plugs or is there a bigger issue?
- Thread starter Tournesol2000
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Aaron Harmon
Contributor
To put things into perspective, when you dive rebreather, breathing out your nose (or around your regulator) is sometimes necessary to adjust loop volume. periodically breathing out through your nose should not cause issues, even if there is a small, slow leak.
OP
Tournesol2000
Contributor
@wetb4igetinthewater i can keep the mask secure on my face without strap by breathing in through my nose. I can’t remember how long though
That unfortunately is not the best test as I can make many poorly fitting masks stay on my face by inhaling through my nose.
I will admit having a big Greek nose helps.
A better test is to put a snorkel in your mouth to simulate a reg. Tilt your head back and have someone see of there are any places where the skirt doesn't contact your face.
Exactly.
OP
Tournesol2000
Contributor
Thanks. I will try that with my masks and will see what happens. thus is very useful info that I wish I had known.
I also realize, that aside from the great advice ,that nose plugs would be bad if water comes in the mask, I would not be able to clear the water.
I also realize, that aside from the great advice ,that nose plugs would be bad if water comes in the mask, I would not be able to clear the water.
Why is it a problem anyway? I do this all the time, the only issue I had was finding seadrops platinum that work the entire dive, every dive.
That is the minor issue. The major one would be as you descend to greater depths, the air space in the mask will suck your eyeballs out of your head.
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Water in the mask is one problem which others have & will address. Practice closing off your nose airway completely. Water in the mask, like water outside the mask, going into your nostrils won't hurt you as long as you have the airway locked shut. The only real problem with mask water is vision.
Give yourself time, and this will be reduced. What is happening is that you are letting air into the mask to equalize pressures, even if unknowingly. You really haven't blocked the nose like a lot of divers can do. Therefore, when the pressure gets lower in the mask, air flows into the mask from your throat. If you don't block that flow, it will then overfull the mask and the mask will leak. I don't think it's a big deal. You will probably, with time and experience, learn to block that flow.
Some of the very early divers (Hans and Lotte Hass, for instance) did use nose clips, lightly put onto the nose so that with some effort the mask could also be equalized, so as to facilitate hands-free clearing of the ears. As long as the nose clip is loosely applied, and you can still blow past it to get air into the mask as you descend, you can use nose clips.
Lotte Hass | The Times
Hans Hass - Wikipedia
Hans Hass’ Expedition Xarifa II and the Enicar Sherpa Dive Ref. 100/124 BaANXS
SeaRat
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