fear of losing mask

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Based on the standards you quote, I would figure an instructor holding onto a student would not qualify as "swimming".
I know I wouldn't want to swim 50' in chlorine eyes open. Would actually like doing it in salt water.
If I were to do a 50' swim in chlorinated water, that would be me for the day (and likely the following day). My eyes don't take to pool water very well. As you say salt water is a different matter though - I wouldn't have a huge issue with that.
 
Very rare for a mask to be dislodged. But it’s the regulator that’s important. It’s still in your mouth and you have gas supply. So slow your breathing down and think through your options. Is your mask retrievable? Can you get it? Can your buddy get it? If neither, indicate to your buddy that you need to ascend...slowly, making a safety stop. Take your time... Again, it’s very rare to see a mask dislodged.

And it's important to be able to open your eyes underwater. Saltwater tends to sting slightly when you first open your eyes underwater but you get used to the feeling quickly. If you are going to retrieve your own mask you need to be able to see. I remember a boat charter I was on where we did back rolls off the boat. On one particular dive I had my mask on backward while I kitted up and forgot to turn my mask around. I back rolled into the water and discovered I had no mask. I descended to look for my mask in about 40 feet of water only to meet another diver who had descended before me was swimming up with my mask. I met him about 3/4 of the way down, took the mask and calmly put it on and cleared it. What maybe could have been a problem turned out to be a mere inconvenience.
 
Years ago. I had an issue with a full face mask, where it had to be removed, and replaced with a spare, conventional "split" mask, which I always carried, along with an octopus. It was a bit of a drag; but probably took all of ten or fifteen seconds to perform.

The prospect of the loss of a mask is generally far worse than its actual occurrence. It's really more aggravating than anything else . . .
 
I've only had a mask more or less come off once - and it wasn't a big deal.

It happened on a negative entry on a drift dive - current wasn't exactly ripping but was stronger than usual (so a fun ride but nothing scary). I got down to our depth and went to clear my mask, which was flooding a bit more than usual but was still pretty firmly on my face - and noticed it wouldn't stay on after clearing because the strap had come off and was floating around near my forehead.
I put the strap back on, cleared, and continued the dive. The mask hadn't come off before because the pressure was holding it to my face and continued to do so until I broke the seal.

Up until last year all my dives were done more or less 'blind' as I need a prescription to see. When I first started, the prescription masks were out of my price range (broke grad student) so I just got a good fitting mask and made the best of it. I've been near-sighted since I was a kid so I was already very used to swimming without being able to see well - it made the no-mask pool and open water skills super easy. To this day, I still take my mask off and practice dealing with gear and such without it.
 
And it's important to be able to open your eyes underwater. Saltwater tends to sting slightly when you first open your eyes underwater but you get used to the feeling quickly. If you are going to retrieve your own mask you need to be able to see. I remember a boat charter I was on where we did back rolls off the boat. On one particular dive I had my mask on backward while I kitted up and forgot to turn my mask around. I back rolled into the water and discovered I had no mask. I descended to look for my mask in about 40 feet of water only to meet another diver who had descended before me was swimming up with my mask. I met him about 3/4 of the way down, took the mask and calmly put it on and cleared it. What maybe could have been a problem turned out to be a mere inconvenience.

Did you need to hold your nose on the decent?
 
No. I never had any trouble breathing just from the reg with my nose exposed to the water. I did pinch my nose periodically as I descended to clear my ears.
 
Did you need to hold your nose on the decent?
That is a problem I've seen people have and I've read about. I always find it hard to believe some take the OW course and can't close off their nose to prevent water going further in past the nostrils. It's like, they've never had their head underwater before--swimming, etc..
 
That is a problem I've seen people have and I've read about. I always find it hard to believe some take the OW course and can't close off their nose to prevent water going further in past the nostrils. It's like, they've never had their head underwater before--swimming, etc..

You normally don't breathe in holding your head underwater.

Back when we had swimming pools ours had a couple of people regularly using front-mounted snorkels without nose clips and I always looked at them in wonder. Even at the surface with no extra water pressure, you do it without a clip or much practice, you gonna be rinsing your sinuses in chlorine. Ask me how I know.
 
That is a problem I've seen people have and I've read about. I always find it hard to believe some take the OW course and can't close off their nose to prevent water going further in past the nostrils. It's like, they've never had their head underwater before--swimming, etc..


I don't know about you, but I hold my breath when I swim under water. Not so much when I am scuba diving.
 
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