Flooding your mask with Contacts??

[irishsquid]

Dailies may not stay in any better, but; they are cheaper and won't give you fits if they wash out. I've been wearing them to dive since I started diving. I don't eally have a problem with them diving. You shouldn't be intentionally flooding your mask during a dive except for practice. During my certs, I just asked the instructor to let me do the mask flood and clear last before we finished and returned to the surface. Do the same for practice; do it at your safety stop at the end of the dive.
I carry spares when I'm diving just in case.(Another reason for the cheaper Dailies)

 

[Kilili]

I just told them I was wearing contact lenses and could not do this exercise for fear of losing them, and was told I did not have to do it. Have never lost one whilst diving, but always carry spares.

 

[fire_diver]

Dailies may not stay in any better, but; they are cheaper and won't give you fits if they wash out. I've been wearing them to dive since I started diving. I don't eally have a problem with them diving. You shouldn't be intentionally flooding your mask during a dive except for practice. During my certs, I just asked the instructor to let me do the mask flood and clear last before we finished and returned to the surface. Do the same for practice; do it at your safety stop at the end of the dive.
I carry spares when I'm diving just in case.(Another reason for the cheaper Dailies)

I flood and clear my mask any time I have fogging issues on dives. There is nothing diffucult or dangerous to it, so why should it be relagated to practice on the surface?

 

[irishsquid]

I flood and clear my mask any time I have fogging issues on dives. There is nothing diffucult or dangerous to it, so why should it be relagated to practice on the surface?

I never said it was dangerous or difficult, or should be done at the surface. If you flood your mask for fogging, that's fine. I just leak a little water in to rinse my mask if it fogs, since I don't want to wash my contacts out. I save flooding and clearing practice for the end of my dive, usually while hanging on my DSMB, which I practice at the end of the dive. Sometimes I'll spend the last 5-10 mins. of my dive, mask free for the heck of it. I wasn't implying it shouldn't be done, just trying to help the OP with his question relating to mask flooding and contacts. I consider mask flooding as totally filling the mask with water and see no reason to intentionally do this during a dive.

 

[johnatabc]

I use gas permeable lenses and have always used them when diving. I cover the risk of losing one (hasn't happened yet) by wearing the pair with the previous prescription, rather than the current. Always found them fine for diving, but not quite as sharp as I want for driving.
In terms of mask drills, if I tell the instructor beforehand and then do it with my eyes shut, they will tap me on the arm to confirm that the mask is full enough and again to confirm that it is clear.
Works for me
John

 

[Bubbletrubble]

What should I do as I know I will most likely have to repeat all of this in a certification class? Just keep my eyes shut the entire time? That could be a bit freaky when I am out of the pool and into the ocean, no?

And don't your eyes burn like crazy whether or not you have contacts and flood your mask?

@EFB: I was OW certified while wearing contact lenses and, since then, have conducted 350+ dives while wearing contact lenses. No issues at all. Just about every other dive, I'll take off my mask a couple of times to practice mask-clearing. I almost always keep my eyes closed during the skill and only experience minimal stinging from the residual saltwater that lingers on my eyelashes.

On a few occasions I've barely opened one eye and squinted a little to verify that the contact lens will stay put. It does. FWIW, I wear 2-wk. disposable lenses. If one were to float off into the water, it wouldn't be a big deal.

You mentioned that it might be a "bit freaky" if you had to keep your eyes shut while performing the mask clear in an OW situation. What are you afraid of? If you can clear your mask in the pool (with eyes shut), then you can do it successfully in an OW situation. The only difference would be the temperature and chlorine/salt content of the water. When my mask is off, my breathing remains "normal" and I can easily maintain neutral buoyancy. That comes with practice, practice, practice.

When my contact flew out, I was more focused on that then the breathing and ended up holding my breath, which trust me, I know is a big no no.

You were doing a Resort class. I wouldn't expect you to be comfortable doing any of the skills. FWIW, mask clearing is probably the skill that most OW students have the most anxiety about. Practicing maskless snorkel breathing followed by maskless reg breathing increases the student's comfort level with having his/her face exposed to water while breathing. This goes a long way to mastering the mask clear.

Good luck with your OW class.

 

[LynnB]

I always close my eyes... I will flood mine to clear my mask and have never lost my contact..
It isn't like you are keeping them closed for a long period of time.

 

[Walter]

What should I do as I know I will most likely have to repeat all of this in a certification class?

There are several options.

1. Don't wear contacts when you'll be flooding your mask.
2. Keep your eyes closed when the mask is flooded.
3. Ignore it (I haven't had any issues with losing contacts since the '80s), but have a spare set on the boat.
4. Wear one contact and keep that eye closed when your mask is flooded.
5. Get a prescription mask (available at any dive shop).

Just keep my eyes shut the entire time? That could be a bit freaky when I am out of the pool and into the ocean, no?

If you feel freaked out, open one eye.

And don't your eyes burn like crazy whether or not you have contacts and flood your mask?

Sea water will burn your eyes (so will pool water) when you first start opening your eyes underwater, but it will not continue, your eyes get used to sea water exposure. I don't feel it at all anymore.

I just told them I was wearing contact lenses and could not do this exercise for fear of losing them, and was told I did not have to do it.

I hope you reported your instructor for a standards violation.

 

[xyrandomyx]

I never said it was dangerous or difficult, or should be done at the surface. If you flood your mask for fogging, that's fine. I just leak a little water in to rinse my mask if it fogs, since I don't want to wash my contacts out. I save flooding and clearing practice for the end of my dive, usually while hanging on my DSMB, which I practice at the end of the dive. Sometimes I'll spend the last 5-10 mins. of my dive, mask free for the heck of it. I wasn't implying it shouldn't be done, just trying to help the OP with his question relating to mask flooding and contacts. I consider mask flooding as totally filling the mask with water and see no reason to intentionally do this during a dive.

How do you deal with an itchy nose or eye underwater? I don't know of any way to scratch without ending up completely or at least mostly flooding my mask.

 

[irishsquid]

How do you deal with an itchy nose or eye underwater? I don't know of any way to scratch without ending up completely or at least mostly flooding my mask.

I've never actually have that occur yet. If I had one of those "can't stand it itches", my mask would be off in a heart beat.