What went wrong

[mamashark]

YEP! Newbie issue. I had the same problem. The anxiety is over whelming enough without taking off or flooding a mask. After 32 dives....I am finally COMFORTABLE. I love diving! It is a learning process. Every thing is accomplished with MORE DIVES. Clearing a mask will become second nature.

 

[SNorman]

One thing that may have happened is this: If you were sitting or kneeling on the bottom when you performed the skill, AND you tilted your head back as you were taught, it is quite possible that this allowed water to run down the bottom of your nasopharynx and into your throat. If your body is upright when you do a mask clear, the bottom of the mask is actually its lowest point, and there is no need to tilt your head back. It's only when you are actually diving and your body is horizontal that there may be a need to tilt the head to get the bottom of the mask at the lowest point.

I figured this out when I was doing OW, because I repeatedly choked myself doing mask skills -- Including having a near bolt to the surface during OW dive 2 because of it. Since, I have seen a couple of other people run into the same problem.

Yeah, that's what happened to me. I did clear it but it went blow *choke* blow *choke* blow *choke*. Heh. Now I don't look up if I'm already upright.

 

[RonFrank]

Mask clearing is the number one problem for new divers, and it's a very important skill.

One thing people don't realize is that if you do it right, and don't swallow any water and choke, no problem. If you swallow water, start to choke, and panic, you are now fully task loaded.

New divers don't do so well with task loading, but that is exactly what is going on. Now, not only are you dealing with clearing a mask, but you are dealing with getting the water out of your system, and choking. All this while being in a new environment that we were just not designed to handle instinctively.

Nose breathing for new divers can add to this problem as they may suck water in through their nose and further complicate the issue.

Is two months enough time to loose new skills, absolutely! I'd suggest that you go back to the pool, and work on mask clearing. Keep in mind that during OW you had an instructor there, and were likely hanging onto a platform, or kneeling at the bottom. In real diving situations you will need to maintain buoyancy as well, and it's much more likely that problems will occur during a difficult dive rather than an easy dive.

 

[just_a_regulator_guy]

Thanks for all the replys.
I was able to partially flood (and clear) later in the dive, although I did it, I was not happy with myself.
I know I need to get this skill down cold.

Yes, in the pool, I was tilting my head back a bit, (and that is what I did during my test) I am going to be more aware of my mask/head orientation the next time I try this.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

IMHO, even kneeling/upright some head tilt is neccessary for most masks/divers to get all the water out. The important part is to remember you can only breath out through the nose when there is water around the nose. Some divers are not bothered by a little water in the mask, so getting completely clear is not an issue. For those with nose breathing issues, having a dry mask is important but getting there is much more challenging. Have you considered a mask with the nose valve? No head tilt needed.

For future reference, questions like this belong in the new diver forum.

 

[SNorman]

The important part is to remember you can only breath out through the nose when there is water around the nose.

Not sure what exactly you mean?

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

you can only breath out through the nose when there is water around the nose.

Not sure what exactly you mean?

If you breath in through your nose when there is water around it, you will breath in the water!

Before any of my students breath underwater with a mask on, I require them to breath from their regulator 4 normal breaths with bare face in the water. We are standing in the pool and we lean forward putting our face in the water. If you can swim without a nose plug or mask, you can most likely do this easily. There is little point continuing if you can not do this, because the third skill once underwater is partial flood and clear. Standards are to Master this skill before moving on.

If you just barely contain your panic while clearing a partially flooded mask, you have not successfully completed the skill. In the PADI OW course, Mastery is defined as a reasonably comfortable, fluid, repeatable manner as would be expected of an Open Water Diver. If you can not Master partial flood and clear you shouldn't go deeper than water you can stand up in, and you are not allowed by Standards to progress to Confined Water training session #2.

Confined Water session #2 includes mask removal and replacement and no mask breathing, although why PADI lists them in that order is very odd. You must perform both breathing for at least a minute without mask and clearing it after putting it back on, which could easily be one skill. Without Mastering these skills, you are not allowed to progress to CF #3, and can not participate in Open Water dives 2-4.

I am not interested in taking referal students into Open Water without the Intro Confined Water training session, because I want to at least see the partial flood and clear before going into Open Water.

 

[SNorman]

If you breath in through your nose when there is water around it, you will breath in the water!

Oh...ooooohhh I thought you meant you can't breathe out the nose when there is no water around it!