is being able to open eyes underwater a necessary skill

[tursiops]

Yes, I agree that it's beneficial but I'm not aware of it being "required" as a skill.

I just checked the PADI Instructor Manual again; there is nothing requiring the eyes to be open in the pool/confined water or open water portion of the OW class. In fact, the word "eyes" does not even appear in the IM. In addition, the word "eyes" only appears 5 times in 21+ years of the Training Bulletin....and never in the context of the student keeping them open during a class, but more like "watchful eyes" of the instructor.

So, while being able to open your eyes with your mask off might be useful (I do it in salt water and in pools), it is not a standard.

 

[kristen8416]

That's a great idea. Anything I can practice is great. I currently don't carry a spare mask. Where do you keep it? Is it out of the way? This sounds like something I'm going to look into. We head to the lake every so often to practice skills. I actually have an extra mask. I'd love some suggestions on how this is done.

Also, I just verified that it is not a skill to open your eyes under water. Some people can't due to contact lenses.

 

[Storker]

Some people can't due to contact lenses.

They can. I sincerely believe contact lens wearers should practice mask drills, too.

It IS possible to dive without contacts, at least for short training dives. Quite a few of us vision-impaired still have rudimentary vision without contacts, and quite a few of us vision-impaired use glasses part-time. I, as an example, normally use contacts when I'm outdoors, but there's also times when I use glasses. Thus, I've got two masks: One with prescription glasses, one without. If I'm planning a mask drill, I make sure to use my prescription mask. Besides, most contacts today are short-time wearing. A day, a week or a forthnight. I use two-week contacts. If I lose one, it's no big deal.

Wearing contacts makes mask drills a mite more complicated, but not enough to avoid the drills.

 

[TMHeimer]

I just checked the PADI Instructor Manual again; there is nothing requiring the eyes to be open in the pool/confined water or open water portion of the OW class. In fact, the word "eyes" does not even appear in the IM. In addition, the word "eyes" only appears 5 times in 21+ years of the Training Bulletin....and never in the context of the student keeping them open during a class, but more like "watchful eyes" of the instructor.

So, while being able to open your eyes with your mask off might be useful (I do it in salt water and in pools), it is not a standard.

Yeah, I figured that without checking. I took OW 2 weeks after Lasik eye surgery and the instructor said it's OK to keep eyes shut during mask skills. There is also the case of people with contacts (I guess if you lose a mask and a buddy doesn't get it you wouldn't be too worried about the contacts).

 

[Jerry68]

I can open my eyes underwater, and keep them open... however, you really can't see well underwater without a mask, so I have no idea why everyone seem so twisted up telling others that somehow their inability to keep their eyes open underwater is a severe detriment to their own safety. If this was a required skill, it would eliminate a lot of people from getting certified.

 

[oldschoolto]

I can open my eyes underwater, and keep them open... however, you really can't see well underwater without a mask, so I have no idea why everyone seem so twisted up telling others that somehow their inability to keep their eyes open underwater is a severe detriment to their own safety. If this was a required skill, it would eliminate a lot of people from getting certified.

I guess that's why they got rid of it....

Jim...

 

[Nemrod]

I can open my eyes underwater, and keep them open... however, you really can't see well underwater without a mask, so I have no idea why everyone seem so twisted up telling others that somehow their inability to keep their eyes open underwater is a severe detriment to their own safety. If this was a required skill, it would eliminate a lot of people from getting certified.

Because a lot of experienced divers think it is an important skill that you need when you need it. It was certainly a part of every course I have taken including most recently SDI Solo and not just for a few seconds but the dive had to continue normally and did. But, I am from a different era to think people should be comfortable in the water. Comfortable in that you are in control, square of mind and unruffled no matter what comes down the way, be prepared for all reasonable possibilities..

You know, it is a water comfort skill. What happens, if, somehow, the stars do get crossed, the buddy teams gets separated, and the mask gets knocked off. Yes, not really likely, but possible. Is this the time to find out that you are really, really uncomfortable and on the verge of panic?

I am sure you will be just fine. But I am not going to agree with you and neither are a bunch of other people, stated or not.

N

 

[bowlofpetunias]

We were required to do a mask recovery. Instructor took all our maskes...threw them into the deep end of the pool and told us to go get them, put them on and clear them.

:doh: I was the only idiot that didn't grab and clear the first mask I got to, use that to find my mask, clear it and throw the "used mask" back on the bottom. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't find my mask when I had been over the whole area several times! :blush: Now I will confess just how dumb I was. When I found a masks that weren't mine... I picked them up and gave them to the person they belonged to thinking it would be easier if I didn't have to sort through the same masks:doh: The last one I handed a mask to... took off MINE and handed it to me! :blush: did I mention I am blonde?

 

[Phantom Menace]

Interestingly when I did my CMAS 1 star SCUBA course (early 1980s at the age of 14) we had to do the whole mask recovery thing. I cannot remember if I had to repeat it in PADI Advanced or PADI Rescue courses I did a few years later. It was partially for us to experience coping without a mask and also to help ensure we could handle ourselves if something untoward happened.

I recently did an AIDA 4 star free-diving course (basically a level below instructor) and part of the performance criteria was to dive to 20m, take one fin off, remove our mask and then swim to the surface (on one breath - it was a free diving course!). This didn't seem too hard and I think is a good skill to have - if for no other reason that it removes one more "fear" of what might happen and improves your comfort and competence in the water.

 

[ScubaInChicago]

The whole story of not being able to lose a mask, or I would dive with a broken strap sounds great till the glass in your mask breaks. I've personally been in a shipwreck when my primary failed, went to my backup lite, turned a little to fast to signal my buddy when my mask hit a metal rod sticking out from the ceiling.

Having a backup mask may sound like horse$hit, but it will make your life so much easier when you need it.