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Greetings! I sure hope someone can help me with my situation. Last Fall (1999) I enrolled in a scuba certification class. I absolutely loved it. I was doing very well, passed the written test and was just waiting for warmer weather (I live in Michigan) to do my open water certification. During the wait time, I would practice in the pool. Now, I was very comfortable in the water. All of a sudden one day, I went to do a mask clearing and I totally freaked out. I shot right for the top! I don't even remember being scared, but, I can't do it now. I am absolutely, DEATHLY, afraid of doing that maneuver. I have nightmares at night that I'm drowning. Please, tell me what the he** to do, to get over this. I'm going back to school to major in marine mammal science and I know I'm going to have to get my certification at one point in my career. I love being underwater, I can do every other maneuver, besides that one. Someone please help me. If this scared someone else out there, please tell me what you did to overcome it. The instructors were of NO help!
It would only be natural for that to freak you out the first time around and I may know something that can help. As silly as it may sound to some I have seen this help others before.
If you have access to a swimming pool, jump in with your dive gear on and practice taking your mask off, not clearing it but take it off and just sit there and get used to breathing through your regulator without your mask on. You can even stay in the shallow end and "sit" on the bottom where you could easily "stand" up and be out of water.
The object is to mentally realize that nothing has changed ... You can still breathe ... there is no reason to panic ... You "buddy/partner" is still right there to help you.
For me it has become a issue of "mind over matter" ... As long as I don't mind, it doesn't matter, hehe. Many a time Someone has KICKED off my mask on accident especially when I am divemastering a class so this is the reason why you want to be comfortable with being underwater and breathing with no mask ... Just realize that the only thing that has changed is things look a little more funny without a mask, you still have air and you still can't breathe through your nose, only your mouth, etc.
Your problem can be solved. Of course it would be easier to solve if you lived next door, but you can do it.
At what point do you "freak out"? When you think about flooding the mask? When you actually flood the mask? When you fail to clear it quickly?
My methods may sound unrelated to your problem at first, but they will work. Often, important skills are left out of OW classes. Take your time and practice each step until you are comfortable before moving to the next.
Leave your SCUBA gear in your bag. You only need 3 things at the pool at this point. 1. Mask 2. Snorkel 3. Weight belt with weight.
At no point will you leave the shallow end of the pool.
Take your snorkel off your mask and put on your weight belt. With your mask on the pool deck, your snorkel in your hand and your weight belt on, get into the shallow end of the pool. You should be where when you stand you are no deeper than chest deep, waist deep is even better. Put your snorkel in your mouth and breathe from it. Now, bend over and breathe through your snorkel while you dip your face into the water. If you are comfortable, stay awhile until you feel natural. If you have difficulty, think about drinking through a straw while you practice the excercise. Remember, you can always stand up straight to end the excercise at any time. If you need to, you can slowly build up your time until you feel comfortable.
Next, practice dropping underwater, allowing the snorkel to flood and coming up to blast it clear, leaving your face in the water. Continue until you are comfortable
At this point, you have accomplished three important things.
1. You lowered your anxiety level by working in a no risk (shallow) environment.
2. You became an expert in no mask breathing.
3. You know you can breathe with a flooded mask.
Now, put your snorkel down and pick up your mask. Put it on and drop down to your knees. Break the seal just enough to allow a small amount of water in. Clear the mask. Do not pull out on the bottom, merely push in on the top while looking up. The biggest mistake most people make is not looking up. The second most common mistake people make is not exhaling through their nose. Keep your mouth closed. Repeat this until you are comfortable. Don't forget to stand up and catch your breath between clearings. Now, increase the amount of water you allow into the mask to about ¼ flooded. When you are comfortable with that level, move to ½, then to a fully flooded mask. When you've reached the point you can clear it easily every time, see how many times you can clear it on one breath. After you are at this point, clearing your mask will be easy. You will have reached it in a step by step manner that was easy to accomplish.
Remember, you can always stand up if you feel uncomfortable.
Actually, I'd prefer it if you'd incorporate in into your regular class rather than using it for "problems." After the swim test, this is the first skill I teach. I normally add 3 elements to the skill when I'm right there with a student, other than adding those elements it's exactly as I've always taught it. Those three elements are 1. before putting down the snorkel and picking up the mask, I have the student drop the snorkel, drop down, pick it up, come up keeping their faces in the water, blast it clear. 2. After finishing with the mask, the student drops the mask, drops down, puts it on and clears it. 3. Finally, I have the student put the snorkel on the mask, drop them and recover clearing the mask and blasting the snorkel. Just as your students are about to do this, boost their confidence by reminding them they've just cleared their masks 3 times on 1 breath. Clearing a snorkel requires less air than clearing a mask.
Practice all the elements with no students around and demonstrate each step just prior to having students do the skill.
Seriously though, I can't wait to try this, as it seems to be a really good way to take the "drama" out of mask clearing for many students.
Much better to try it without all the still unfamiliar scuba gear, and probably easier to get good results.
I had a hard time getting used to clearing my mask. The first couple of times, I got water up my nose and ended up shooting for the surface (we were only in the 5 foot end of the pool luckily). The third time, I managed to do it but I hated every minute of it. Then we went to the 13ft end of the pool and I realized that its a long way up if I get water up my nose. I told myself to take my time. The first few times, I was rushing myself to get the water out of my mask since I was sort of in a panic mode. The 4th time, I did not clear with every breath from my regulator....if I felt like I was starting to lose control, I made myself close my eyes and forget about clearing the mask and just told myself breathe in and breathe out through the regulator. Then when I felt more relaxed, I started clearing the mask again...I had the do the breathing relaxation a couple of times before my mask was cleared out but I felt a lot better and more capable of doing it again!
I am in my fifth week of NAUI session - I knew that it was coming... been practicing breaking the seal and flooding then clearing with no problems, but... when we all went and sat on the bottom of the pool to play "Simon sez" (HA!) and after several rounds of taking some things off and putting back on, it was time for the mask to be removed, kept off for a count of five and put back on, I did exactly what Rosa did, except that a) we were in 12' and b) I couldn't relax and started to hyperventilate.
It is October and I'm in PA so little opportunity to practice, but I've wanted this for too long!
Just reading that I'm not alone really helps, thanks.
Vici
PS: Now any advice on holding breath for 50' underwater!!!!
It took me a minute to realize what you were responding to...
No, I didn't mean holding my breath with SCUBA on, I meant without equipment we are required to swim underwater 50' as part of the "Abilities We Must Be Capable of Performing."
With that in mind... any suggestions. I can say that when I swim with snorkel and dive down, not thinking about it, I can hold my breath, but thinking about it I feel like my lungs are going to explode!
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