Mask clearing-finding out the hard way

[gsk3]

Just to follow up, this is one of the reasons I think all scuba divers should be comfortable, confident swimmers before they take scuba, and why allowing people to swim any stroke (including dog paddling, which isn't really a stroke) is inadequate preparation. If you know how to do freestyle properly, you're already comfortable with your face in the water while keeping water out of your nose and breathing out through it, and mask removal/replacement/maskless swim is a non-event. I think it was only after swimming for about 5 years (including lots of swimming underwater) that I got my first mask, so being without it was no more than what I was used to. It improved my vision but not my comfort (back then, with a rubber skirt it was considerably less comfortable than nothing).

I agree that divers should be proficient swimmers, but I don't think that's the whole story here. I passed OW just fine, and recently when taking another class had a devil of a time doing a no-mask swim or even mask removal. The problem was the cold water on my face while breathing in. I tried sticking my face in the cold water, no problem. I went to the pool and swam around with no mask and breathed through a snorkel, no problem. Sticking my face in cold water and breathing through the reg? Couldn't get the breath in. Just. Physically. Could. Not. Breathe.

Solution for me was to breathe out through my nose when I exhaled, and to spent ten minutes without my mask while diving (shock therapy!).

But I'm a proficient swimmer and comfortable underwater at this point, and still had trouble, so I have a hard time seeing swimming as the solution to everyone's problem with mask removal.

I agree that the OP should get comfortable enough to where he/she can just rip it off, though, because someday someone's stray fin will likely do just that.

 

[rostato]

All I can say is I sympathize with you. I had a heck of a time with the mask removal during my pool dives, but got through it.

When I did my open water, I had a mini panic attack when the cold water hit my face. Luckily I had talked with my instructor before hand and told him to make me commit to achieving the removal/replacement. So he grabbed ahold of my BCD to help with my buoancy. After about a minute, I was able to gather myself, clear my mask, and cough out all the water that rushed into my nose while everyone else did their removal. After about 5 minutes of coughing and hacking it out I finished the dive, and had fun.

Now, about 3 times a week I go to the pool and practice clearing my mask with my snorkel. I want it to be a reflex

 

[cookenup]

I agree practice, practice, practice in the pool or wherever till you are comfortable with nose underwater. I can relate to the cold water on your nose. For me, the cold water touching my nose, just feels like it is going UP my nose, in fact it does go a very short distance up your nose, but it seems to feel like it is going up...it is a very strange feeling, always amazes me actually, that it doesn't go up your nose when the mask is off, that we can swim normally, and breathe normally, without any mask, but we can.

The only problem, I think, with exhaling out the nose is, I worry that if I exhale through the nose, I might just forget and inhale through my nose too, so I really work on just in and out through my mouth slowly and calmly, so if my mask is knocked off or lost, I can just keep breathing the same....in...and out...slowly and evenly through my regulator, without changing anything, or having to think about it.

When breathing out the nose, you have to close off the passageway to breathe through the mouth again, simple yes, but still an adjustment, maybe just enough of an adjustment to cause a split second problem at 70 feet....like snorting water, and panicking, if mask is off. When in the pool, if I breathe in through my mouth, and out my nose, I have to think about that more, it seems, than if I just breathe in and out through my mouth.......

Whatever works best for you, but, clearing is easier in 84 degree water than 55 degree anyday

 

[halocline]

The only problem, I think, with exhaling out the nose is, I worry that if I exhale through the nose, I might just forget and inhale through my nose too,

Believe me, you will NOT voluntarily inhale through your nose if it's underwater.

Another technique for getting used to this is to get on the surface with a reg and no mask, and slowly descend holding your nose. Then when your head is underwater, you can try releasing your nose, keep breathing, if you get uncomfortable, pinch it shut again, repeat, etc....

The whole idea is to break down the threatening experience into as small steps as possible, desensitizing yourself as you achieve each step.

 

[Guy Alcala]

I agree that divers should be proficient swimmers, but I don't think that's the whole story here. I passed OW just fine, and recently when taking another class had a devil of a time doing a no-mask swim or even mask removal. The problem was the cold water on my face while breathing in. I tried sticking my face in the cold water, no problem. I went to the pool and swam around with no mask and breathed through a snorkel, no problem. Sticking my face in cold water and breathing through the reg? Couldn't get the breath in. Just. Physically. Could. Not. Breathe.

Solution for me was to breathe out through my nose when I exhaled, and to spent ten minutes without my mask while diving (shock therapy!).

But I'm a proficient swimmer and comfortable underwater at this point, and still had trouble, so I have a hard time seeing swimming as the solution to everyone's problem with mask removal.

I agree that the OP should get comfortable enough to where he/she can just rip it off, though, because someday someone's stray fin will likely do just that.

As you mention, the issue was the cold water on your face. But if you're a competent swimmer who's done any swimming outside of a heated pool, then you've probably also had your face in cold water before. For instance, by the age of 10 or 11 I'd swum/snorkeled in the ocean in water temps of 53 deg. or so, and swum/dived in mountain lakes or rivers with temps running from 66 down to 40 (although describing what I was doing at 40 degrees as 'swimming' stretches that definition. It was more like dive off a rock, take three strokes to the next rock as fast as you can before your muscles lock up, haul yourself out and spend the next 15 minutes lying in the sun until the shivering stops, before repeating).

At scout camp, water temps usually varied from 56-66, and we swam maskless or snorkeled in and under that water all week long in nothing but our Speedos. Do that before hand, and I doubt you would have had a problem breathing off a reg in cold water, mask off on Scuba. As you said, the solution for you was to get used to the environmental conditions, and then you had no problems.

As to being a decent swimmer first, that's just basic to comfort/competence/efficiency and emergency requirements; you need reserves of speed and endurance, and if you're a poor swimmer your reserves are smaller to non-existent. Add the stress of not being comfortable in the water, and you're operating even closer to the panic cycle under normal conditions, with little required to tip you over the edge. IMO, if you're engaging in a(ny) water sport, you should be comfortable in the water under the worst conditions you're likely to encounter (with a hefty allowance for unexpected changes for the worse), in no gear whatever. Anything less loads the dice against you when everything goes to hell.

Guy

 

[Ken Sommerville]

I think everyone here has touched upon the point of training, learning at his or her own speed and "again" more training. Dive within your limits and train often. Very good posts, dive safe.

 

[SangP]

Take it from a guy who used to be afraid of the water, one of the best methods is to just put a snorkel in your mouth, n put your face in the sink or bucket of water without a mask. you could also add some ice into the water for realism .

Soon you're get comfortable knowing that you can still breath n water on your face won't really be an issue anymore. You could also try swimming with a snorkel n no mask.

SangP

 

[assingl]

I am having the same issue, I had to get out of the confined dive pool and watch all my classmates continue on while I was kicked out of the pool. My instructor wasn't exactly patient, he let me try twice, but as soon as the water hit my nose, up to the surface I went. I am an extremely proficient swimmer, I've been swimming with water in my face for as long as I can remember and I was a lifeguard! So water in my face is not the issue, it's the feeling of the water going up my nose. I can't explain it, but when it occurs my heart starts racing a mile a minute and all I want to do is breathe out of my nose. I'm taking the advice I found on this board and performing my laps with only a snorkel. I'm still struggling and choking, but I’m not giving up.

Thanks so much for all the advice and allowing me to see that I am not alone and that the skill can be acquired, it just may take me a little longer

 

[vshearer]

I am sure you will get there. But you never should have been given a card to begin with if you had that much of a problem with being underwater.

EDIT: assingle, why are you trying to learn to scuba dive if you are not even comfortable swimming?

EDIT@: This is the real problem. People going into a completely foreign environment thinking it is like spinner class. (although one of those would probably do the trick)

 

[bburville]

Always good to keep those masking clearing skills sharp... you never know when you'll need them...

[video=youtube;zgfmvXFWsTs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgfmvXFWsTs [/video]

Safe diving,
Ben "Sealdiver"
www.youtube.com/bburville