I have completed the ow class and I am now doing the advance class, I have not made any of my certification dives yet. I am fairly comfertable with all the skills I have learned so far, except anything to do with mask removal. As soon as water hits my nose I start to freak out. So I guess what my question is 1.What can I do to practice this so when I have to do it I don't flip out?? and 2.What all will I have to do on my certification dives??
Mask removal help
- Thread starter Canoe513
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A couple of things that may help with the water and the nose issue.
Chances are you may still try to breathe through your nose. Just simply use your fingers to pinch your nose shut after you take off your mask. You will probably need to have both hands available to put your mask back on though. What I practiced was breathing through the reg (obviously) and exhaling through my nose (with mask off) This made it a little more bearable until I got used to the feeling!
Practice, practice, practice. That is the key. Try and find a swimming pool where you can practice this skill.
Chances are you may still try to breathe through your nose. Just simply use your fingers to pinch your nose shut after you take off your mask. You will probably need to have both hands available to put your mask back on though. What I practiced was breathing through the reg (obviously) and exhaling through my nose (with mask off) This made it a little more bearable until I got used to the feeling!
Practice, practice, practice. That is the key. Try and find a swimming pool where you can practice this skill.
Barb729
Contributor
One thing you need to know, and I just learned this last summer when I was practicing taking off my mask, the salt water does not burn your eyes, and u just don't breathe in. Just relax and take your time. You're spending to much time panicking then just slipping the mask off and putting it back on. Also practice in the shower letting the water hit you in the face and breathe. I was petrified at first taking my mask off like you, but you can over-come it, I did and I'm 56 years old.
Put some water in your mask and put it on your face. Have just enough water in the mask to cover your nostrils. Sit down on your couch and watch TV for a while. Repeat until you are comfortable with the feeling of water on your face and around your nose. If you want to take it a step further afterwards, you can use very cold water since that will most likely be the kind of conditions your dives will occur in Illinois.
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elan
Contributor
The simplest just blow the bubbles out of the nose it will not let water in.
In fact you can easily get used to water in the nose. It's not that awful as might seem. Clearing nose with water is not really rare procedure and I use it all the time when I feel I'm getting sick and my nose starts running. Pour a glass of fairly warm water and add a tee spoon of salt in to the cup. Then stir it for the salt to dissolve. Then just pour small amount of water into you palm and inhale it through the nose. You will not actually feel anything weird. The water will just go through the nose and leak out of you mouth. Be careful first few times. Then you will get used to it's presence and it will not freak you out anymore. Do not do it in the pool or in fresh water. You will feel very uncomfortable w/o salt. This can be done with sea water and procedure pretty good for the nose.
In fact you can easily get used to water in the nose. It's not that awful as might seem. Clearing nose with water is not really rare procedure and I use it all the time when I feel I'm getting sick and my nose starts running. Pour a glass of fairly warm water and add a tee spoon of salt in to the cup. Then stir it for the salt to dissolve. Then just pour small amount of water into you palm and inhale it through the nose. You will not actually feel anything weird. The water will just go through the nose and leak out of you mouth. Be careful first few times. Then you will get used to it's presence and it will not freak you out anymore. Do not do it in the pool or in fresh water. You will feel very uncomfortable w/o salt. This can be done with sea water and procedure pretty good for the nose.
How can you be doing the advanced class without doing your checkout dives for OW? If you are not comfortable with taking the mask off and putting it back on underwater you are not ready to get out of the pool yet! What kind of shop or instructor is allowing you to do this? This is nuts and why people die!
Jesus H Christ! Are standards that loose that they are allowed to do this? I don't think so. WHat agency are you with? As far as I know all of them require you to remove and replace or at least clear a fully flooded mask at depth. How did you get thru the no mask swim in the pool? What you need to do spend alot more time in the pool removing and replacing the mask until it's no longer an issue. Then you'll be ready for your checkouts. Until then going into open water is a BIG MISTAKE!
JDMerk
Contributor
He's not even certified yet and was simply asking a question to help him overcome one of his basic OW skills...he didn't ask for you to berate him and tell him he or those like him are going to die. Don't you think we have enough of that "your gonna die" mentality floating around already? Chill out.
I had the same issues. (Just certified last weekend) I spent some time in the pool with the mask and a snorkel. I practiced flooding the mask and clearing probably 50 times. I was comfortable doing this by the time checkout dives occurred.
JDMerk
Contributor
Try splashing or submerging your face in cold water before you put your mask on. Having your mask leak in really cold water will give anyone a good shock if your skin isn't acclimated to it.
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
Here's what I used to do when I was DM'ing for an instructor and he had me work with people having trouble with this skill.
Flood your mask about a half inch up and breath normally for 3-4 breaths. Then flood it up about half way and breath normally for as many breaths as it takes to get used to it. Then flood your mask almost all the way or all the way and leave it on and breath normal. Open your eyes with the mask on if you closed them and continue to breath until your breathing smooths out and you relax. Then pull the mask away and off your face and you will notice there is no difference between breathing with a full mask on your face and no mask. If you freak, don't go up, instead close your eyes and plug your nose and concentrate on breathing normal and calming down. Once you've calmed down, open your eyes and breath several times then let go of your nose and continue to breath. Once you can do this sit underwater with no mask for 10 to 15 minutes and just breath.
As you flood and take off your mask doing this incremental technique you will be able to eventually rip your mask off all at once without stopping breathing and or freaking out.
Shooting up from depth because of a dislodged or lost mask can be fatal, so this skill is critical.
If you can't master this skill, unfortunately I have to tell you, you have no business diving in open water until you get it down.
But truthfully I have never had anyone not get it using this technique, so hang in there.
Good luck and let us know how you're doing.
Flood your mask about a half inch up and breath normally for 3-4 breaths. Then flood it up about half way and breath normally for as many breaths as it takes to get used to it. Then flood your mask almost all the way or all the way and leave it on and breath normal. Open your eyes with the mask on if you closed them and continue to breath until your breathing smooths out and you relax. Then pull the mask away and off your face and you will notice there is no difference between breathing with a full mask on your face and no mask. If you freak, don't go up, instead close your eyes and plug your nose and concentrate on breathing normal and calming down. Once you've calmed down, open your eyes and breath several times then let go of your nose and continue to breath. Once you can do this sit underwater with no mask for 10 to 15 minutes and just breath.
As you flood and take off your mask doing this incremental technique you will be able to eventually rip your mask off all at once without stopping breathing and or freaking out.
Shooting up from depth because of a dislodged or lost mask can be fatal, so this skill is critical.
If you can't master this skill, unfortunately I have to tell you, you have no business diving in open water until you get it down.
But truthfully I have never had anyone not get it using this technique, so hang in there.
Good luck and let us know how you're doing.
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