Ideas on Taking your mask off!

[sassalin]

You guys are going to get tired of me asking questions but you are all so nice and full of great knowledge.

As some you may know I had some problems in the pool which caused me to be scared of diving (read my old post) and the whole mask being off or flooded. I went to the pool last night and was at first scared to go to the deep end but I stopped and took a deep breath and worked through my fear and swam in the deep end most of the time. I even can flood my mask and clear now (even though I don't really like it).

The one skill that still is giving me problems is taking the mask off and putting it back on and clearing. I have to hold my nose so I only have one hand to do this with. I know I should be able to be in the water and not hold my nose and I am working on that skill each time in the pool but it is going to take more than a few pool sessions to correct this. I did the mask on/off thing fine during the original class but after the scare it seems to be harder.

Any good tips or ways to do this? THANK YOU for all your help!

 

[Walter]

Try this.

Take your snorkel off your mask. With your mask on the pool deck, your snorkel in your hand 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.

Keep at this until it becomes easy for you.

 

[MSilvia]

Walter's advice is good. I'd only add to it that if you can get yourself comfortable being in the water without a mask on at all, removing it won't be a big deal.

 

[Jim Kerr]

You guys are going to get tired of me asking questions but you are all so nice and full of great knowledge.

As some you may know I had some problems in the pool which caused me to be scared of diving (read my old post) and the whole mask being off or flooded. I went to the pool last night and was at first scared to go to the deep end but I stopped and took a deep breath and worked through my fear and swam in the deep end most of the time. I even can flood my mask and clear now (even though I don't really like it).

The one skill that still is giving me problems is taking the mask off and putting it back on and clearing. I have to hold my nose so I only have one hand to do this with. I know I should be able to be in the water and not hold my nose and I am working on that skill each time in the pool but it is going to take more than a few pool sessions to correct this. I did the mask on/off thing fine during the original class but after the scare it seems to be harder.

Any good tips or ways to do this? THANK YOU for all your help!

You're holding your nose because you don't like the feel of the bubbles right? Try exhaling thru your nose instead of out of your reg. It will not feel as uncomfortable and will leave both your hands free to don your mask. Practice doing it with your mask still on so you get use to it. Then try it with the mask off. And don't worry about inhaling thru your nose. With the reg still in your mouth you will not be so comfortable that you will forget.

 

[TNdiver6387]

I was going to suggest the same thing, to try exhaling through your nose when your mask is off, that way water wont get up your nose. I know that my biggest discomfort with the mask being off was the bubbles hitting my nose, and exhaling through your nose mostly solves that too. I think the snorkel idea given earlier is a great way of getting more comfortable with it.

 

[jbd]

Follow the method Walter has provided above. It is so effective that I use it with all my students. It makes no difference whether they have any issues with being in the water or not. Many people are convinced they have a problem but when they follow this method, they realize they really didn't have a problem

I also agree with MSilvia--get comfortable with having your face in the water without the mask on. Don't hold your nose, don't wear nose clips to swim etc, etc.

 

[Daz]

I agree with the exhale through your nose advice, Walter's method is a good one. Some people have a difficult time exhaling through their nose - it seems to take a lot of concentration - but it doesn't have to. To make it easier, the next time you have your mask off (or even while just sitting at your computer), inhale through your mouth normally, then press your tongue against the roof of your mouth when you exhale and you'll automatically do so through your nose. No more water up the nose, and no need to hold it. It will get easier, just take it slowly.

 

[JSharp13]

One thing I did to get used to the feeling was to swim laps in a pool with goggles and a snorkel. Got a few laughs from the other swimmers, but it really helps you get used to the feeling of not having something on your nose. I have contacts, so just using nothing on my eyes was a pain.

 

[Katamuki]

I train my students from the very fist CW session in (while standing) shallow water to breathe from a regulator without thier mask. If they cant do it with their head underwater at first then while breathing from the reg they lower thier head until just thier nose is above water... and we make bubbles! From the bubbles at the surface to finally lowering their head its a pretty quick progression. Never had much of a problem so far!

 

[donkey]

I train my students from the very fist CW session in (while standing) shallow water to breathe from a regulator without thier mask. If they cant do it with their head underwater at first then while breathing from the reg they lower thier head until just thier nose is above water... and we make bubbles! From the bubbles at the surface to finally lowering their head its a pretty quick progression. Never had much of a problem so far!

My instructor had us do the same thing. He told us that it was the hardest part about learning to dive. (It was one of the things that I had the most trouble with) It takes me back, actually, I remember getting into the pool with a BC, tank, and regs and being told to leave my mask on the deck when I reached for it. At first I thought he was kidding, but there was method to his madness.

It sometimes takes me a little while to get used to not having a mask on when I do drills, but I start by pinching my nose until I feel comfortable. Then I let go and exhale through my nose until I'm comfortable doing that. Then I breathe normaly. Well, at least as normally as I can, underwater without a mask.