Scuby Dooby
Guest
When I first started to dive the only thing that scared me was having my mask off underwater.
I'm a very comfortable swimmer and never had any problems opening my eyes underwater on a regular swim - in fact it's always been hard to keep me out of the water. The thing that bothered me was that on scuba I had to block my nose off and at the same time inhale - not a natural feeling and it caused me a lot of distress. I was able to do the mask removal and clear without too many problems during my OW training because I knew I had to but the feeling of dread continued in the back of my mind . .
For the first few months after OW I tried to avoid practicing mask removal and was pretty paranoid about (gasp!!) having my mask knocked off underwater. I finally decided that this was a dangerous situation and that I needed to get more comfortable with this skill for my own safety.
I began by getting negative on my knees on a sandy patch at the end dives and quickly taking the mask off and putting it straight back on again, all with my eyes closed. When this became comfortable enough i began waiting about 5 seconds before I put the mask back on and cleared. The first few times were the worst but I quickly calmed down, especially as I would repeat this about a half a dozen times before calling it quits. I then added opening my eyes to the mix and gradually increased the amount of time to a couple of minutes over 5 or 6 dives. At that point, problem solved!! I moved on to taking my mask off during safety stops and keeping myself neutral while looking around for a minute or two before putting the mask back on.
I continue to do this periodically and now think it is kind of fun to follow along and figure out what the rest of the dive group are doing through my blurry vision. Some tips that worked for me:
- Close your eyes for a moment before the water floods into your face, then reopen them once the mask is off. Much more comfortable that way.
- Lean your head forward and exhale through your nose - the bubbles won't go straight up your face into your eyes and your nose will be less likely to fill with water.
My point for posting this: I know that this is a fairly common 'fear' and as I've progressed with training and dive in different spots with different buddies I often encounter people who are very much like I was - they can grit their teeth and do the skill of mask removal but they aren't very comfortable with it.
So, my sincere advice to everyone, find a way to practice and make, or keep, this very important skill comfortable (even fun). When you think of all the accidents that can happen when you are underwater - getting your mask knocked off is probably one of the more common ones. Be prepared for it so it is only a minor inconvenience rather than something that causes panic or worse.
thanks for listening to my ramble . . .
I'm a very comfortable swimmer and never had any problems opening my eyes underwater on a regular swim - in fact it's always been hard to keep me out of the water. The thing that bothered me was that on scuba I had to block my nose off and at the same time inhale - not a natural feeling and it caused me a lot of distress. I was able to do the mask removal and clear without too many problems during my OW training because I knew I had to but the feeling of dread continued in the back of my mind . .
For the first few months after OW I tried to avoid practicing mask removal and was pretty paranoid about (gasp!!) having my mask knocked off underwater. I finally decided that this was a dangerous situation and that I needed to get more comfortable with this skill for my own safety.
I began by getting negative on my knees on a sandy patch at the end dives and quickly taking the mask off and putting it straight back on again, all with my eyes closed. When this became comfortable enough i began waiting about 5 seconds before I put the mask back on and cleared. The first few times were the worst but I quickly calmed down, especially as I would repeat this about a half a dozen times before calling it quits. I then added opening my eyes to the mix and gradually increased the amount of time to a couple of minutes over 5 or 6 dives. At that point, problem solved!! I moved on to taking my mask off during safety stops and keeping myself neutral while looking around for a minute or two before putting the mask back on.
I continue to do this periodically and now think it is kind of fun to follow along and figure out what the rest of the dive group are doing through my blurry vision. Some tips that worked for me:
- Close your eyes for a moment before the water floods into your face, then reopen them once the mask is off. Much more comfortable that way.
- Lean your head forward and exhale through your nose - the bubbles won't go straight up your face into your eyes and your nose will be less likely to fill with water.
My point for posting this: I know that this is a fairly common 'fear' and as I've progressed with training and dive in different spots with different buddies I often encounter people who are very much like I was - they can grit their teeth and do the skill of mask removal but they aren't very comfortable with it.
So, my sincere advice to everyone, find a way to practice and make, or keep, this very important skill comfortable (even fun). When you think of all the accidents that can happen when you are underwater - getting your mask knocked off is probably one of the more common ones. Be prepared for it so it is only a minor inconvenience rather than something that causes panic or worse.
thanks for listening to my ramble . . .