ktkt
Contributor
Thinking about mask removal and replacement skills...
So, it's clear that you want to be able to replace your mask if it should ever come off (say, someone kicks it off), and you can't really practice putting something back on if it hasn't come off in the first place, so we take masks off simply to practice putting them back on.
But is there a situation on a dive where removing your mask temporarily would somehow be helpful? I am having a hard time imagining one. The closest I have come was on a dive where I forgot to defog before going in. A few rinses underwater didn't really help, so I wanted to rub the interior surface of my mask. To do so, I just kind of poked one finger in while keeping my mask on, and that did the trick.
So, it's clear that you want to be able to replace your mask if it should ever come off (say, someone kicks it off), and you can't really practice putting something back on if it hasn't come off in the first place, so we take masks off simply to practice putting them back on.
But is there a situation on a dive where removing your mask temporarily would somehow be helpful? I am having a hard time imagining one. The closest I have come was on a dive where I forgot to defog before going in. A few rinses underwater didn't really help, so I wanted to rub the interior surface of my mask. To do so, I just kind of poked one finger in while keeping my mask on, and that did the trick.
Sometimes it fogs. But even at 70 or 80 feet it doesn't bother me to take it off, if needed. It's a good skill to have. I consider it a confidence builder. If you can calmly remove and replace your mast at 80 feet you'll be surprised how you will relax and feel confident going forward.
