Mask clearing problems.........

[1scuba30]

Hi, I am very new to diving and struggling with the mask clearing thing. Whenever I try to do it I get water up my nose and have now got a cold. I am practicing weekly in a pool with an instructor but am really struggling with this. Any advice would be great.....................

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Don't tilt your head back so much. In fact, you can clear without looking up that much...just exhale through your nose while looking straight ahead (perhaps with a slight up-tilt) and anchoring the top of your mask to your forehead (by exerting pressure with your hand/fingers).

If you want to avoid having water go up your nose, make sure that during the up-tilt you are always exhaling. Continue the nose exhalation until you return your gaze to straight ahead (with perhaps a slight down-tilt). This effectively traps an air bubble inside your nose which prevents water entry.

Some students find it helpful to practice maskless breathing when preparing for the mask-clear. Feel free to keep your eyes closed. (At least that's what I do since I wear contacts.) Once you get comfortable with the maskless breathing, you really shouldn't fear the mask-clear at all. After all, a flooded mask = maskless breathing, right? Get yourself into "mask clearing mode" by training yourself to control your breathing so that you inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose. Add a mask and you'll be surprised how easy mask-clearing becomes.

Good luck.

 

[tstormdiver]

Mask clearing can be one of the most difficult skills a new diver can master. Don't let it discourage you. Some things you can do to help. 1. make sure that you are comfortable with breathing with your face submerged without a mask & have control of your airways. This can be done using just a snorkel. Practice breathing in through the mouth & out through mouth & then in through the mouth & exhaling through the nose. If this is so, then how I teach my students to clear a mask is to:
1. Tuck the chin into the chest
2. With head tucked, use the fingers to break the seal at the top of the mask- let it fill from the top, not the bottom.
3.Wait just a moment, breathe with a filled mask, get used to it.
4. There are 2 ways you can clear it, but both work the same way 1 you can push on the top of the mask, above & between the eyes or you can ever so slightly tilt the frame of the mask from the face (do not pull it away from the face or water will re- enter). Just loosen the seal, do not break the seal at the bottom.
5.Before anything else start exhaling through the nose (if exhaling through the nose, then water can not go up the nose).
6.Start tilting the head back, you shouldn't have to tilt the head back much more than to make the face slightly elevated. Air will seek the highest point & force the water out through the loose seal at the bottom.
7. If you need to take another breath to finish clearing it, then, before you are out of breath tuck the chin again, switch back to breathing completely through the mouth, then take a breath or 2 then repeat the steps above.

By tucking the chin it will help prevent some water from being exhaled. Don't give up on it just yet! It just takes a little patience & practice. You can do it!

 

[Ozwald]

Perhaps understanding exactly what you are trying to have happen might help.

Basically you are trying to replace the water in your mask with air. So, if you exhale underwater your bubbles rise correct? So what you are doing is sealing the mask around your forehead by applying pressure gently so as to not let the air that you exhale from your nose escape. As more air gathers at the top of your mask it eventually pushes the water out the bottom of your mask.

 

[Paladin]

Perhaps a mask with a purge valve would help. When clearing a mask with a purge, you look down while exhaling through the nose.

 

[WetBoy101]

Good tips here (except fot the Purge Valve). Also, it isn't just how much you tilt your head up, as much as "when." You really only need to tilt your head back a bit "after" you have cleared almost all the water from your mask with your head level. There won't be enough water left in your mask to go up your nose... Happy Diving!!

 

[TMHeimer]

All good advice. Some points to consider:
1. As mentioned, if you can breath underwater without the mask, mask clearing should be a breeze. That's like constantly mouth breathing with a mask full of water.
2. Don't do any inhaling by nose (you can't do that anyway while diving due to having a mask on). Think: "My nose is shut tight. It's not part of the breathing process ever".
3. Understand that anytime your nose is in water it will go into your nostrils. This won't do any harm, you just have to get used to it. Practising without the mask will train you to keep the water from going past the nostrils and messing things up--it will train you in how to prevent this. In fact, you can first practise without a mask and without breathing with your mouth as well (no regulator--just stick your head underwater). I assume you may have problems also with the no mask swim skill? Good luck.

 

[1scuba30]

Thanks for the tips, will try these out next week. Feel much better knowing that it is difficult skills to master, made me feel much better! Fingers crossed for next time..................

 

[Bubblewell]

I hada horrible first session due to mask clearing. So bad in fact I was allowed to spend the rest of it just swimming under Water instead.

I practiced loads every day at home after that by standing in front of the sink and mirror pouring water in from a small glass, holding it there a while and then exhaling to clear the mask. Made a soaking shirt and floor but when I tried it next time at the pool it was a breeze.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Many mask clearing issues can be traced back to a simple physiological fact that we're nose breathers. That affects mask clearing because we have to coordinate the act of inhaling through our mouth with exhaling through our nose ... and overcome the instinct to want to inhale through our nose.

One thing that works for my students who are having difficulty with the exercise is to spend a few moments above the surface just breathing in through your regulator and out through your nose. It helps you develop "muscle memory" for performing the exercise. After you've done it a few times, then (in the shallow end of the pool), dip your face in the water (mask on) and do it a few more times. Don't try to flood your mask at this point, just concentrate on breathing. Now remove your mask completely and dip your face in the water again and breathe a few times ... in through your mouth and out through your nose. If at any time it feels uncomfortable just stand up, take a few breaths normally, and try again.

When you can take 10 breaths comfortably while standing in the shallow end with just your face in the water and no mask on, then it's time to try the mask flood and clear exercise while submerged ... you'll be amazed at how easy it just became ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)