Don't tighten your mask; that will only contribute to more leaking.
Please help me...
- Thread starter Susanrosa
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Susanrosa: you can still leave the passageways to your nose open while you are breathing out of your mouth (trust me this is true). You need to learn to actually CLOSE the passageway to your nose.
Try pinching your nose with your fingers and breathing for a while--do this while you are just sitting still on land. Notice how the air feels in your mouth. Next try to get the same effect without pinching your nose with your fingers; learn to use the muscles in the area.
If you still can't imagine this, here's another little trick: pretend you have a bad cold and are imitating somebody talking with a stuffy nose: "I'b feelig really crubby today. Baybe I should bake some hot tea add drik it...". In order to talk that way, you need to close off the nasal passages. Pay attention to how you do this--it's exactly what you need to do with your nose when you are underwater.
Then practice. I agree, too, that keeping your mask clear of water will help tons, just in case you forget to close your nose once in a while.
Try pinching your nose with your fingers and breathing for a while--do this while you are just sitting still on land. Notice how the air feels in your mouth. Next try to get the same effect without pinching your nose with your fingers; learn to use the muscles in the area.
If you still can't imagine this, here's another little trick: pretend you have a bad cold and are imitating somebody talking with a stuffy nose: "I'b feelig really crubby today. Baybe I should bake some hot tea add drik it...". In order to talk that way, you need to close off the nasal passages. Pay attention to how you do this--it's exactly what you need to do with your nose when you are underwater.
Then practice. I agree, too, that keeping your mask clear of water will help tons, just in case you forget to close your nose once in a while.
Susanrosa:
Tightening the mask may not help. If it has a good seal, it should take little or no pressure to hold it in place. If you have it too tight, it may end up causing you discomfort.
havnmonkey
Contributor
Yeah I think the mask might not be properly sealing.
Also when I roll over on my back to get a photo toward the surface(up) I still get drips in my nose. Just go horizontal (chest toward the bottom, not fins) and hack it up through the Reg.
Also when I roll over on my back to get a photo toward the surface(up) I still get drips in my nose. Just go horizontal (chest toward the bottom, not fins) and hack it up through the Reg.
TxHockeyGuy
Contributor
The only thing I can think of would be to make sure you get no water in your mask or make sure to get it all out when you clear. Perhaps a mask with a purge valve would make this easier for you. I don't dive with one so perhap someone else who does could elaborate on this. Of course if you were ever unfortunate enough to lose your mask on a dive this could make the dive very uncomfortable for you having to deal with this extra problem.
Quero: Yeah that is exacly how I feel - that the pasage is still open eventhough i am breathing only with my mouth. Am I right that most people just close it automaticly, or do all have to "learn" how to close it like me?
The area I need to learn to close is it at the bottom part of the nose (the nostrils) or is it a bit further up on the middle of the nose just before the big nose bone?
Thanks so much for the good tips! I really wanna get this to work so I can enjoy my diving.
The area I need to learn to close is it at the bottom part of the nose (the nostrils) or is it a bit further up on the middle of the nose just before the big nose bone?
Thanks so much for the good tips! I really wanna get this to work so I can enjoy my diving.
LyneMarie
Guest
There are nose clips that synchonized swimmers use so that they can stay underwater with the head in all types of positions and not get water up their nose. At times, river kayakers use them too for when they roll in and out of water. Keep your mask comfy, not too tight and try that. Just make sure that you can still expire through the nose with the clip on - so it should not be ultra tight - the amount of air will be slighter, but if you can empty your mask, it should be fine. I have never tried it, mind you, but it is an inexpensive solution that might work. I would give it a try...
Good luck...
Good luck...
Look at your mask fit...Keep the mask cleared...I don't know about some others but I don't have alot of problems with mask leakage....
Susanrosa:Quero: Yeah that is exacly how I feel - that the pasage is still open eventhough i am breathing only with my mouth. Am I right that most people just close it automaticly, or do all have to "learn" how to close it like me?
The area I need to learn to close is it at the bottom part of the nose (the nostrils) or is it a bit further up on the middle of the nose just before the big nose bone?
Thanks so much for the good tips! I really wanna get this to work so I can enjoy my diving.
I think most people just do it naturally, beginning from infancy, whenever they drink (try it). Maybe you have an unusual physiology that an ENT can shed some light on, or maybe you just developed a different drinking technique or something.
Were you able to read out the sentence I put down for practice? You simply can't read that the way I wrote it with your nose open. There are enough "closed nasals" in that simulation ("crubby" for "cummy"; "add" for "and" etc.) so that you should be able to feel the place where you close your nose off. I'm not entirely certain, but I think what you have to close off is what is labeled the "nasopharynx" in this drawing: http://encarta.msn.com/media_461527012/Anatomy_of_the_Nose.html
Hope this helps.
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