Mask clearing as the first skill?

[austriandiveress]

I'd like to ask you instructors out there the following question: at what point do you teach a student to clear their mask? I ask for the following reason: I have recently seen an instructor whom I respect greatly require his students to be able to do this the first time that they are in the water. Obviously I understand the necessity of mastering this skill, but two of these students were women in their late fifties who wanted to dive, but were understandably a bit nervous. It was hard for both ladies to understand that they simply shouldnt inhale through their nose, and therefore they inhaled the water that they hadnt been able to clear, started choking and freaked out. Both quit after struggling with this for a second day. The training environment was such that it would have been impossible for their masks to be kicked off by someone, as the instructor was alone in the water with them, with no other swimmers around.
I frankly had the same problem when I started, and so I understand these ladies. I am certainly not an instructor, but if I were (and if it didnt violate the standards of my agency) I think I'd wait until a student felt a bit more comfortable under water in full gear.
What say you guys?

 

[jtpwils]

As a point of reference we did mask clearing skill in a discover scuba class. Open pool, instructor and 3 students.

I am sure we would have done it with only 3 of us, and that's when they're trying to hook us into taking the full cert course, so I'm thinking its a requirement of the agency - PADI in this case.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I start my students off clearing the mask while snorkeling in the first pool session following the swim tests. I do not expect demonstration quality. We do work up to this by snorkeling with no mask, no mask breathing, and simple partial clears. On scuba they should be able to clear a partial flood first night. If they cannot handle a full flood that's ok. But by session 4 they must be comfortable with remove and replace and I will do private sessions to be sure this is the case. Other wise we cannot move on due to the skills required in sessions 4-8. I do this to make sure they are totally comfortable in the water before going to open water.

One of the things that may be going on with the instructor in his defense( very weak one but still), is he under a shop's timetable. If so he may only have so much time to get them thru. If this is the case then there are two options. Tell the shop management to go to hell and he will take the time needed to train these ladies or change his teaching methods and be flexible to the needs of the students. Some will not be totally ok with a mask skill the first night. But they must be before going to open water or IMO before they are allowed to progress much farther with any of the other skills. If they can do weightbelt, reg recovery etc, that's fine but before doing OOA skills, air share swims, etc the mask skill should be worked on and be completed numerous times before these skills are done. Mask clear is one of the most basic skills and it is also a core skill.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

As a point of reference we did mask clearing skill in a discover scuba class. Open pool, instructor and 3 students.

I am sure we would have done it with only 3 of us, and that's when they're trying to hook us into taking the full cert course, so I'm thinking its a requirement of the agency - PADI in this case.

It is not an agency requirement. But it is a good skill to have new people do. One of the best ways to see if scuba is for them. Some will get it right off, other will have minor issues, once in a while one will totally freak. This is the one who should take up tennis.

 

[300bar]

This is the one who should take up tennis.

I wanted to say midget golf.But tennis will do.

btw Jim.thanks for the outline.

 

[Walter]

I frankly had the same problem when I started, and so I understand these ladies.

It can be a problem, but if presented correctly, it's a pretty easy skill to learn. Most problems clearning a mask is because the skill was not taught well.

I am certainly not an instructor, but if I were (and if it didnt violate the standards of my agency) I think I'd wait until a student felt a bit more comfortable under water in full gear.

A great theory, but until a person can easily clear their mask and is comfortable with no mask breathing, they'll never really be comfortable underwater in full gear.

What say you guys?

Immediately after the swim test (300 yds, 50 ft underwater swim, and 15 minute tred/float), I teach snorkel breathing (no mask) which also teaches no mask breathing. I then teach snorkel clearing and recovery from the pool bottom. I then teach mask clearing. They all clear their masks a minimum of 3 times on one breath by the end of that segment. It's really not all that hard and they've built up a great deal of confidence in their abilities. Next, they recover their masks from the pool bottom and clear them. Putting snorkels on their masks, they recover them from the pool bottom, clearing the mask and snorkel. Next, we put on fins and learn frog, flutter, scissor and sculling kicks. At this point, time (2 hours) is usually up. We spend the next entire pool session (2 hours) working of skin diving skills. At the beginning of their 5th hour in the pool, I introduce SCUBA. BCs, regs, and tanks haven't even been at the pool for the first two sessions. By the time they get into their full rig, they are actually ready for it. Mask clearing at this point is a piece of cake, merely a review of something with which they are already comfortable.

 

[Thalassamania]

First I teach breathing exercises and static breath hold.

Second I teach independent control of the nose and mouth.

Then I teach mask clearing and I never, ever, have any problem with it.

With proper preparation students breeze through the bugaboos like mask clearing, never even knowing that other people who are less well prepared sometimes find it difficult.

 

[Zeke XA3]

Wether its the Discover Scuba Diver, Scuba Diver or Open Water classes,it is mandatory that the student demostrate the ability to clear their mask in the confined ater section of the course before going into open water.

From your post im not clear if the 2 ladies were doing this skill in the confined water or the actual open water portion of the course.

If it was in the pool, then they have to do this, however with nervous student i do this as the last skill as most people once they have been under for 20mins will clear their mask without thinking!

If it was in the ocean then depending on what course they are on, they have to do this on Dive number 2 (or not at all for just Discover Scuba Divers)

The reason this is taught is not only because it can be kicked off but also just an ill fitting mask with a slow leak can cause a mask to flood and if the person panics 5 mins into a 30 foot dive, well this could be very dangerous. As such it is one of the skills a person must be able to do before they hit the ocean then demonstrate again in the ocean later on.

This is set by PADI and not the instructor

 

[jtpwils]

First I teach breathing exercises and static breath hold.

Second I teach independent control of the nose and mouth.

Then I teach mask clearing and I never, ever, have any problem with it.

With proper preparation students breeze through the bugaboos like mask clearing, never even knowing that other people who are less well prepared sometimes find it difficult.

Thalassamania,
Could you please briefly explain what is taught in the breathing exercises and the static breath hold?

I'm particularly confused about the static breath hold since we're taught not to hold our breath - do you mean keeping our airway open but not moving our diaphragm on that one?
Thanks,
Jim

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I am very visual, and being a resort instructor forced me to work with the PADI Discover SCUBA Flipchart. When the chart gets to the confined water skills (pool), I seem to remember the page showing reg recovery has the diver with mask around neck; I follow the picture and have the students copy me copying the picture of reg recovery. Then we just bend over, stick our faces in the water and breath with no mask for the very first breaths on the reg. I don't even take them under water until they can take a few breaths through the reg with water surrounding their nose.

Continuing underwater with the same order as the Flipchart, all the students then take turns copying me copying the pictures; blowing bubbles / clearing reg, blowing bubbles / reg recovery / clearing reg and then adding water to mask / clearing imaginary fog / clearing mask (OK, the Flipchart only shows clearing mask).

I start out dealing with the nose issue, then distract them with some easy monkey see monkey do and by the time mask clearing happens most students just monkey see monkey do that as well. Say what you want about PADI Discover Scuba but I know from experience most first timers that have "successfully" snorkeled can "look" like divers on an easy ocean dive after only 45 minutes of pool practice.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this but one of PADI's strengths has been education material that make learning to dive easier.