Mask clearing - struggling with the last few drops.

[dhuskins]

For whatever reason I am having trouble clearing the last 1/8th inch of water out of my mask. It's a larger mask (Tilos Titanica) and I have no problem with water leaking in usually.

Are there any tricks to getting that last bit of water out?

Let's start with mask fit. If your mask does not fit, it will leak. The way to test a mask fit is to hold it to your face without using the strap. Inhale gently and look down. If the mask continues to stick to your face without holding it, it fits. If it falls off, its not a good fit.

How do you put the mask on when you intend to use it? Anytime you put the mask on, first hold the mask so the nose is at the bottom. With your other hand, push your hair away from your face. While you are holding your hair away, place the mask on your face. Then move the mask strap over your head.

Clearing a mask under water is done as follows: Inhale air and look down. (this keeps water from running down your nose.) Press the top of the mask against your forehead. Exhale through your nose as you tilt your head up so you are look upwards. (looking upwards put the bottom of the mask where it touches the cheek at the lowest part and therefore puts the water closest to the only escape route.) You may need to repeat this a second or third time depending on your lung capacity, force of exhale and size of your mask.

Common things people do that make complete clearing difficult (in other word: avoid doing). Lifting the bottom of the mask on exhaling. Exhaling hard and fast. Not pressing the mask to the forehead or looking up.

 

[Doug0716]

I had the same problems clearing my mask for my first few attempts and my instructor couldn't see it so he asked another dive master to watch. A second set of eyes is rarely a bad thing. As it turns out my mask was actually too high up on my head from the regulator pushing up on it so when I exhaled the air wasn't going out at the same point that the water was at. When I adjusted my mask down less than 1/4" and tried again it worked pretty flawlessly. Maybe give that a try.

 

[Doc Harry]

But seriously, a lot of people actually leave a little water in the bottom so that if they fog up, they can tilt their head down and let the water roll over the fog and clear it.

That's what I do!

 

[Prostar]

I had a student a while back who freaked out because she had a few drops of water left in her mask during the clearing skill. I bet she stood up six times in the first fifteen minutes in the pool. I told her to just keep working on it as we went along and I would watch her technique to see if I noticed anything odd.

We were standing in the shallow end about thirty minutes later when I looked over and saw that she had at least an inch of water in her mask. I asked her if it was bothering her and she just waved me off and told me that it was no big deal.

There have been many good ideas in this thread so I'll just suggest that you relax, dive, blow bubbles and it will all sort out.

 

[diverdoug1]

Here is a tip that I use. As an underwater photographer, we sometimes place a maxi-pad in our camera housing to absorb aberant water droplets. I would suggest taping a tampon in the bottom of each side of your mask.

 

[softballer]

Here is a tip that I use. As an underwater photographer, we sometimes place a maxi-pad in our camera housing to absorb aberant water droplets. I would suggest taping a tampon in the bottom of each side of your mask.

I would rather drown

 

[idocsteve]

He meant a "new and unused one"

 

[BarrelRoll]

Gotta take all the fun out of it...

 

[Prostar]

Here is a tip that I use. As an underwater photographer, we sometimes place a maxi-pad in our camera housing to absorb aberant water droplets. I would suggest taping a tampon in the bottom of each side of your mask.

What happens if you get a bloody nose?

 

[diverdoug1]

What happens if you get a bloody nose?

Uhhhh, Midol, Pamperin, and another tampon?