I am so happy!!!!??? I think????

[Scuba Dooba 12]

I was fidiling with my mask today. I put it on my face and I have pastioned in such away that my nostrils are up against the silacone in my mask. So when I want to equalize I just give a short puff out my nose. Am I gonna have problems with this when I go diving on monday next week?


BUT IN THE MEEN TIME------ I"M SMART:doctor:

 

[DocVikingo]

As this appears to be an inquiry better suited to the General Scuba Discussions section than the Diving Medicine forum, I have taken the liberty of moving it here in the hopes that you will get more replies.

If there a medical aspect to this question that I have missed, please specify what that is and I'll attempt to address it.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[CBulla]

Thanks for moving it DocVikingo

Scuba Dooba 12 - I'm not sure I catch what your question is aiming at here. Are you asking if your technique for equalization is correct and will you be experiencing trouble with it in other than controlled conditions? If you are, all I can offer for advice is that which my wife and I offer up to our friends and are conscious of their techniques: "what ever is comfortable for you"

I posted this in another thread as well, but I dove with a guy who was a commercial diver and carried a bowl of hard candy with him on the boat. Aside from being cool and sharing, he explained that the reason he popped a peice in his mouth before diving was to help him equalize. It also helped with dry mouth, but that was his way of dealing with equalization. Me, any number of ways depending on if my hands are free, of I'm jetting off to the bottom or doing my text book feather float to the sand.. wiggle the jaw, squeeze nose and exhale.. etc.. whatever happens to work

 

[Col.Maniac]

Scuba Dooba 12 once bubbled...
I was fidiling with my mask today. I put it on my face and I have pastioned in such away that my nostrils are up against the silacone in my mask. So when I want to equalize I just give a short puff out my nose. Am I gonna have problems with this when I go diving on monday next week?


BUT IN THE MEEN TIME------ I"M SMART:doctor:

Hi, well if you can equalize doing that then why not, just becarefull on a fast decent and get an ear squeeze. Also if ur wearing heavy gloves it can make it harder to pinch your nose.
Im going to play with my mask to see if i can do this
Tony

 

[Tropics Diver]

I used to have a Scubapro purge style mask where my nostrils pushed down against the purge valve just hard enough that I could do a no-hands equalization. Had to kind of crinkle up my nose to get the nostrils off the purge valve enough to blow air into the mask to purge or equalize the mask.

IIRC some full face masks have a "nostril block" that allows the diver to somehow block off his nostrils to do the same trick you describe.

Just be careful about mask squeeze.

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Scuba Dooba 12,

If you meant that you were able to TIGHTEN the strap so that it forced the mask against your face, then you might be in for a problem.

You actually need very little force to get a seal from a properly fitten mask. The strap sort of keeps it on when you may exhale through your nose or in a current.

If the strap is too tight, you might find that the nasal spine under the nose gets quite sore during your dive. You may also get a headache from pressure on your forehead.

My mask has a purge valve inside the nose portion and the little rubber thingy that holds the rubber diaphragm into the mask pokes me in the nose if the strap is too tight :holycow:

If your mask isn't too tight then enjoy the easy purge.

Larry Stein

 

[wet]

Larry asked just what I was wondering...you didn't tighten the strap to make the "fit", right?

If so it will be uncomfortable and you will exagerate your chances of getting a mask squeeze.

 

[owsi83098]

=-) scuba

tooth doc has a point if the mask is to tight then
you will not enjoy the dive.The mask should fit snug not tight. Take the mask and pull the strap to the front and hold the mask to your face and suck in with your nose a little like a normal breath. If it stays then make the straps for that fit if it falls then the mask is to big and try another mask. I dive and do the first equl. with my nose pluged and all times after that is out the mask by my nose and it makes the dive much more fun when you are doing multi level dives.