I did it !!!!!

[fasty39]

I posted on here a few months ago about going to my first class and i couldn't clear my mask. Well, i had to go back to work (don't you just hate that) and i finally got home to go back to class after working on the mask clearing problem. When it came time to clear my mask i did it the first time...I was soooo glad. Thanks to alot of people on this site for all the help...i did just what you guys said to do and it worked....thanks so much..

 

[iztok]

Congratulations! It gets better and more fun from now on!

I remember how bad I was few months ago and how scared before my first dive I was. Especially because of mask clearing.

52 dives later I practice at least partial mask flood on most of my dives.

 

[fasty39]

Thanks...i'm looking so forward to gettin to my first dive.

 

[defkonmusic]

Congrats on clearing your mask. I just got my cert last week!

 

[Geologist4sail]

Congrats, it only gets easier from here... are you finished with the confined water dives now?

 

[Wildbill]

Good Job!!!!!! Most OW Students are nervous which is surely and understandably expected. I think you being able to wait a bit before your second try really helped. Trust me when I mention this......... It only gets better from here

 

[2905luvsbubbles]

Congrats on doing this...the more you dive the better and easier it gets.

 

[CamG]

Greetings fasty39 and congratulations on completing your mask skills. You will find that it will get much easier each time now. It is incredible the sense of accomplishment one feels when we conquer a difficulty like this. Allow this confidence to help you overcome hurdles in the future. Meet them with the same determination and confidence. This can and will supercharge your life! I found a whole new world that was given back to me by diving. Have a blast and love every minute of your OW experience. Please keep us posted on your progress.
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[LLias]

Oh, man, I sure didn't like mask clearing the first time I had to do it. Now? No big deal.

My big goof when I was doing my first certification dive for deep class was that I didn't dump air as I ascended. Well, turns out all that stuff they tell you about the pressure of the water is true! I needed to inflate some at 80" in order not to bottom out. Well, get to about 20" to get ready for the safety stop and what happens to the air in my BC? It's under a lot less pressure and up I go. Grabbing for my dump valve, I end up with my gauges in my hand and break surface. Note to self, courtesy of my instructor: release air gradually on ascent from a deeper dive so you maintain control. (And configure your stuff so you don't reach for this and end up with that.)

My instructor is a level-headed piece of work, and I knew enough to dump air, go right back down and do the stop. But I am thankful for good instruction and a safe environment in which to goof now so I don't do it later.

 

[Gerbs]

Good to hear that you got that rather useful skill sorted!

What has happened to me to help me learn:

Ex-East-German-UDT-Instructorshocked2: Randomly removed mask by sneaking up from behind and yanking during pool training (we were warned that his could happen...)

Having a beard (your Mask will Flood at some point!)

Having a crap mask at first (think always fogging up, eventually you flood it just to clear it for reading your depth...)


Mask clearing is one of those things that at first cause you a lot of consternation, but after you have realised that you can do it, it becomes trivial.

Gerbs