UserNameBella
Contributor
Hi Everyone. This is my first post and I am a fairly new diver (10 dives done in total), so please be kind. Sorry for the long tale, I just want to get the best information I can....
I completed my OW pool sessions and classes in Canada and then came here to the DR to do my open water certifications. While I was doing my pool sessions I did the drills and cleared my mask no problems. I removed my mask with no problems and put it back on and cleared it. It took some time to do the mask drill, but I got it on the first "attempt" although I had to do it twice because I got all tangled in my hair. Other than the tangles, no problems.
Fast forward, I get here to do my open water for my certification. The instructor is a friend of mine. We did a quick review/demonstration of skills in my pool (it's only six feet deep) Everything went well, except that when I replaced the mask I couldn't clear the darn thing until I did it multiple times. Finally I got it clear enough to satisfy the instructor and we did our open water dives without incident. While diving I could clear the mask from a partial flood, but the fact that I couldn't replace the mask and do a full clear still nagged at me.
I went ahead and did my Advanced open water. And I learned a lot. On my last semi-deep dive (80 ft) my mask started to slip off my hair while I was ascending, and thank God I was ascending! I got it back on, but never fully cleared it, the mask would only clear an inch or so. My husband was right beside me and I only had five feet or so to go, so I just squinted ( I wear contact lenses) and went for the surface at a normal rate. Cleared the mask at the surface and swam for the boat. But it had me worried.
The other day I rented some tanks to practice some skills with a friend of mine in my pool. I wanted especially to work on this darn mask. I read every thread I could find on here on mask clearing ect. I gave it my all for about an hour, and I had to give up. I'm comfortable taking it off, my friend watched so I would know if the seals were bent up. All I got was a chlorine headache from hell.
Today I spent an hour with another instructor trying to do it. If anything I am so worked up by it that I am doing worse and worse.
So now my dive shop wisely, won't let me do any dives past twenty feet until I get over it, get past it and figure my damn mask out.
I've practiced with my snorkel, no go that way either. I can do a partial clear under the water at any depth no problem. In fact I do as soon as any water gets in, because I don't know if I can handle a full flood (okay I've proven I can't do it)
So..... Could it be my mask? I used a different mask for my pool sessions in Canada. Would one with a purge (never tried one) be easier for me? Is there any other way to get this working?
It seems like the nose part is really close to my nose, so I have to breath hard to clear or lift the actual mask unless I am at depth. I try just breathing into it and no water leaves. But if I breath hard, I get more water than I had before, so I know that isn't working.
Any advice or help is appreciated!
I completed my OW pool sessions and classes in Canada and then came here to the DR to do my open water certifications. While I was doing my pool sessions I did the drills and cleared my mask no problems. I removed my mask with no problems and put it back on and cleared it. It took some time to do the mask drill, but I got it on the first "attempt" although I had to do it twice because I got all tangled in my hair. Other than the tangles, no problems.
Fast forward, I get here to do my open water for my certification. The instructor is a friend of mine. We did a quick review/demonstration of skills in my pool (it's only six feet deep) Everything went well, except that when I replaced the mask I couldn't clear the darn thing until I did it multiple times. Finally I got it clear enough to satisfy the instructor and we did our open water dives without incident. While diving I could clear the mask from a partial flood, but the fact that I couldn't replace the mask and do a full clear still nagged at me.
I went ahead and did my Advanced open water. And I learned a lot. On my last semi-deep dive (80 ft) my mask started to slip off my hair while I was ascending, and thank God I was ascending! I got it back on, but never fully cleared it, the mask would only clear an inch or so. My husband was right beside me and I only had five feet or so to go, so I just squinted ( I wear contact lenses) and went for the surface at a normal rate. Cleared the mask at the surface and swam for the boat. But it had me worried.
The other day I rented some tanks to practice some skills with a friend of mine in my pool. I wanted especially to work on this darn mask. I read every thread I could find on here on mask clearing ect. I gave it my all for about an hour, and I had to give up. I'm comfortable taking it off, my friend watched so I would know if the seals were bent up. All I got was a chlorine headache from hell.
Today I spent an hour with another instructor trying to do it. If anything I am so worked up by it that I am doing worse and worse.
So now my dive shop wisely, won't let me do any dives past twenty feet until I get over it, get past it and figure my damn mask out.
I've practiced with my snorkel, no go that way either. I can do a partial clear under the water at any depth no problem. In fact I do as soon as any water gets in, because I don't know if I can handle a full flood (okay I've proven I can't do it)
So..... Could it be my mask? I used a different mask for my pool sessions in Canada. Would one with a purge (never tried one) be easier for me? Is there any other way to get this working?
It seems like the nose part is really close to my nose, so I have to breath hard to clear or lift the actual mask unless I am at depth. I try just breathing into it and no water leaves. But if I breath hard, I get more water than I had before, so I know that isn't working.
Any advice or help is appreciated!