Ideas on Taking your mask off!

[Belle67]

Try this.

Take your snorkel off your mask. With your mask on the pool deck, your snorkel in your hand 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 excercise. Remember, you can always stand up straight to end the excercise at any time. If you need to, you can slowly build up your time until you feel comfortable.

Keep at this until it becomes easy for you.

Wow Walter thanks! I too am having a problem with the whole removing mask thing. I can retrive my mask from the bottom of a shallow and put it back on...Mine is more so just the inital taking off the mask... As soon as I do my nose becomes flooded with water (i am a nose breather naturally). I too will try this exercise to help with my own problem! Appreciate the sugjestion!

Also thanks to all for their sugjestions. I will be trying as many as possible to help me with my problem. You guys are so helpful here!

-Tricia

 

[Belle67]

I had this exact same problem as well when training! I panicked on my third shore dive on my first day out in the ocean when asked to do a mask removal and ascended quickly from 6m After this I made it a goal to make mask removal + clearing second nature as panicking under water is a horrible thing to experience (and also very dangerous).

Anyway, this sounds a bit stupid but the way I got over the problem before my next dive (didn't have access to a pool) was to snorkel in my bathroom sink! My problem was basically circular breathing - I usually breathe in through my mouth and nose at the same time so was doing this when I took my mask off. So forcing myself to snorkel in the sink (without a mask) for five minutes at a time taught me how to just breath through my mouth. My partner found it amusing anyway.

I also would fill my mask with water and just keep it on my face to get used to water being in my face all the time. Use cold water though as that is closer to what you really will experience. I can now do mask clears and removals with no hassle

Anyway, I hope that helps as something you can do from home. Good luck!

Funny you should mention that!I was contemplating doing the same thing in the bath tub. hehheee

 

[Walter]

You're welcome, Tricia.

 

[Belle67]

Ok, I have been trying some of these ideas.... This is what I have started with, it is an odd combo of a few of the suggestions.

First off, I tried part of Walter's idea.. but in the bath tub instead. I put my face down in the water without any gear and just held my breath there underwater with eye opened... ok this was working. stayed there until the air bubbles ran out.

Then put snorkle in mouth and did the same process, breathing through snorkle... felt some water seeping into nose. Tucked chin into chest and then blew out 3/4 of exhale through nose, then rest through snorkle. ok water was leaving nose ... tried a few more times and got most of water from nose.

Tried process again with mask on but did not use strap. duh no problems. Then I filled mask with water and just stayed like that for a while. Ok this too is ok. So then i let mask fall off to the bottom of the tub and immediately tuck chin into chest and blew out of nose the same as before... repeated nose exhales a few times... started to feel better... put mask back on with no strap again and cleared.. created small bit of mask pinch when i raised head... ok with that at the moment.. it actually helped me finished clearing nose water... k, then took care of mask pinch all was good again. :>

Did this repeatedly.. and now almost think I could do it in a public place without hacking and coughing. <grin>

Will try same process in a pool next. Then will try swimming with no mask across the pool and back and then replace mask... will let you know how that works out. Will finish report in my thread about my own dilemas. :>

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/introductions-greets/223711-passed-test-got-sign-offs-today.html
-Tricia

 

[Rec Diver]

Not everyone is required to be a scuba diver. If you are finding it impossible to perform the requied safety drills then maybe scuba diving is something you should consider not doing.

Kirk

 

[DiverBizz]

Tricia good for you. Congrats on your successful completion of the skills. Now continue to practice them and you will be fine. Once you are an OW certified dive doesn't mean you stop practicing.

 

[Belle67]

Tricia good for you. Congrats on your successful completion of the skills. Now continue to practice them and you will be fine. Once you are an OW certified dive doesn't mean you stop practicing.

Thanks much!

 

[gypsyjim]

As kids, adults would toss coins into the deep end of the pool, or something larger into the lake, and we'd dive for them. Great preparation for my later YMCA scuba training where all our gear was tossed into the deep end, and we had to jump in, find it all, turn on the valve, don all gear and clear, before returning to the surface. Yes, that was a bit stressful at the time, but after accomplishing that I never found solving small problems underwater quite so intimidating.
We did the same coin toss with my kids when they were very young, so they learned that swimming underwater with their eyes open was easy. Their PADI training was a lot less stressful than what I went threw, nearly 40 years ago, but as their course director said that they must both be part fish.
I think that any playful way you can get yourself to have fun and forget for a bit that you are trying to learn something unnatural helps you to see that opening your eyes under the water need not be so traumatic as it seems at first.

 

[Walter]

Ok, I have been trying some of these ideas.... This is what I have started with, it is an odd combo of a few of the suggestions.

First off, I tried part of Walter's idea.. but in the bath tub instead. I put my face down in the water without any gear and just held my breath there underwater with eye opened... ok this was working. stayed there until the air bubbles ran out.

This is an excellent thing to do, but not to help you with no mask breathing. This is excellent for people who don't like getting their face wet. I hope you are way beyond this point.

Then put snorkle in mouth and did the same process, breathing through snorkle... felt some water seeping into nose. Tucked chin into chest and then blew out 3/4 of exhale through nose, then rest through snorkle. ok water was leaving nose ... tried a few more times and got most of water from nose.

You skipped a part - If you have difficulty, think about drinking through a straw while you practice the excercise.