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While giving my purging style mask a good cleaning after 12 very enjoyable dives in Dominica, the little plastic gadget that looks like a bottle cap under the nose popped out. Which way does it go back in- open end pointing up towards your eyes or down towards your lips?
I can't exactly visualize the part you're describing, but I'll have a go at answering your question anyway.
You want the valve to prevent water from flowing back into the mask, while still being able to be blown it out from the inside. So the "bottle cap" should be on the outside of the "grate" or whatever part of the mask it fits into.
If that makes any sense....
It might help if your tell us what brand and model mask you have.
Hold the mask against your face and exhale through your nose,if the air escapes thru the purge then it's right. You should be able to inhale thru your nose and cause the mask to cling to your face if it's in right.
Hold the mask against your face and exhale through your nose,if the air escapes thru the purge then it's right. You should be able to inhale thru your nose and cause the mask to cling to your face if it's in right.
I knew there must be an easier way to put it! Brilliant!
No problemo Opal, glad I could help! But you know now that I think about it if it popped out while you were cleaning it it might be a good idea to have it cked out or just replace it and keep it for a back up. If it should pop out while diving it would ruin a dive at the least. The purge area of the mask usually deforms if you squeeze your nose to equalize and this would be a prime time for the little sucker to pop out on you!
Don't take it personally, but since I believe that a forum like this one is first and foremost for the purpose of exchanging opinions, experience and advice, I didn't want to hold back my 2 cents. If you ask me which way the plastic thing goes, I'd say there is only one way: straight into the trash, with the mask following right behind it. I'm not saying this to be facetious or anything, but because I firmly believe that purge masks offer zero advantage over regular masks while having severe shortcomings. They may be ok for snorkeling, but I would not use one for scuba. The main reasons in my own humble opinion are that they offer one more failure point and interfere with equalizing, especially in a case where you have to do it rapidly. The other disadvantage that I see with them is that they invite the wearer to purge a flooded mask using the valve as opposed to the regular way, which may be more convenient but at the same time prevents from getting comfortable with the idea of a mask being knocked off your face. If this happens and the wearer freaks out because they haven't practiced taking the mask off under water, they may be in trouble.
Maybe it is time to put the old "shark" out to pasture
But Pter, maybe it is because I've always used the purging "shark" diving that I really like it. I tend to suffer from mask squeeze and like to blow out throught the purge to get some relief. And, since I also suffer from sweaty eyeballs and resulting mask fogging no matter what concoction or spittoo-ee I scrub my lenses with, I often keep a little water in my mask to swish around and defog with. A further benefit is the water in the lenses magnifies stuff so I can better enjoy the teensy squiggle in the coral that all the other divers are enthusiasticly snapping photos of. So unlike most divers, every so often I stick my finger up in the seal and let it some water. Long story short I'm not a big mask clearer but on the occasions when the "shark" goes askew and leaks I tug er off and blow like I'm supposed to.
I'd think twice about using that mask unless you are sure you understand why it popped out and that it will not happen again during a dive. At least make sure you practice breathin without your mask.
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Originally Posted by LI Diver
