Mask Clearing

[jennifercorbitt]

Everyone that has responded to my post, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

I will attempt every technique that was mentioned to get over my fear. You've all been so wonderful with your comments.

Thank you again.

Jennifer Corbitt

Good luck to everyone!

 

[Walter]

Vici,

Ah, the infamous 50' underwater swim.

Take your time; slow, strong strokes work best. If you hurry, you'll produce more CO2 and feel a need to breathe sooner. A small amount of hyperventilation will allow you to hold your breath longer. Take no more than 3 deep breaths before going under. If you hyperventilate excessively you run a risk of passing out under water. Finally, if you're having trouble, practice.

Walter

 

[vaporcelli]

Jennifer:

Last Thursday was my 6th week of class, but I still hadn't completed the whole gear removal and retrieval requirement. Luckily I have 4 instructors, but one in particular hates water up his nose too! He was really patient, worked with me, I did just what Rosa did, I took my sweet time. I just kept doing it over and over. Bottom line breath slowly, hold your nose if you have to and r e l a x (that's the hard part). Good Luck!


Walter:

As stated above I have 4 instructors but nobody made the suggestion you did! I always try to swim as quickly as I can, but what you said makes more sense. This Thursday we
Ditch and Dive, yech!
I only wanted to swim with the fishies!

Vici

 

[Mario S Caner]

Walter's post was very well written. /me pats Waters back.
I too have used very similar techniques when working with students having difficulty, which makes me curious as to where you teach. I've worked with many instructors, and don't quite remember who I saw it from first.

The scary ones are the ones who breeze through the exercise in the shallow end on numerous occasions then freak out while trying it in the deep end. (The pool we use most is a 14ft pool, which can be intimidating).

 

[Walter]

Mario,

I'm an independent YMCA Instructor in Fort Myers, Florida. In the mid 80's I taught at a dive shop in north Naples. I worked for several years at Tavernier Dive Center in the Keys, but have been gone from there since '92. I learned this particular technique in the early 80's from Ken Nemeth, a YMCA Instructor in Atlanta, Georgia. Ken was recently appointed to the National YMCA SCUBA Advisory Committee.

This technique is so effective that I use it for all students, not just those having difficulty. I rarely have students who have difficulty in any aspect of my program because I plan skills to be easy. You can teach very difficult skills IF you present the skills in the correct order, building from simple to more complex AND if you explain and demonstrate how to do the skill easily. Usually when a student is having trouble it's because we, as instructors, are doing something wrong. The answer is to find an easier method of learning/teaching the skill, not to drop the skill.

Vici,

What do you mean by "Ditch and Dive"? I probably teach the skill with a different name. I'll be happy assist you if I can.

Walter

 

[vaporcelli]

Walter:

"Ditch and Dive" - Hold all your gear and jump in. As you are jumping in put regulator in mouth, since you have weight belt on, you sink. When you get to the bottom (12 ft) put all gear on.
What I don't get is why and where you would ever do something like this! Wouldn't it behoove you to have inflated your BC a bit to float? Who knows how deep the water can be in places.
We have already removed and put gear on both under and above in other exercises.

Vici

 

[Walter]

Vici,

We call that a bailout. Some agencies have eliminated it as a required skill. They make the same point you make, it's not exactly practical in the ocean. OTOH, it's not designed to be practical in the ocean. It's designed to let you know you can handle emergencies, that you are competent with your equipment. It is a confidence builder, one that after you've mastered it will decrease your chances of panic while diving. We used to teach it air off with a purged regulator, but now it's strictly an air on skill.

This is a surprisingly easy skill. You've already completed doff & don, bailout is much easier.

First, make sure your BC is completely empty. If you're allowed to wear your weight belt, do so. Second, position everything in a logical order, fin straps over your non-dominate wrist, then your mask strap on the same wrist. If you are not allowed to wear your weight belt, have it in the same hand. Hold your second stage in your dominate hand. Firmly grasp your tank/BC assembly in both hands. As you step in put your regulator in your mouth. Now, as you hit the water wrap your legs around your tank, you'll sink comfortably together. As you settle to the bottom, if you are not wearing your weight belt lay it across your lap. Now, put on your mask and clear it. Now you can see, put on your weight belt if you don't already have it on. Now, put on your fins and don your BC from the right side like slipping on a jacket. This excercise it easier if you are about 2 lbs negatively buoyant.

The most important step is to visualize yourself going through every step before you start and remember it's an easy skill. You'll do fine.

Have fun!

Walter

 

[mikethomson]

This has been a really interesting thread for me. The only thing I might offer to the discussion is that once you've conquered the mask clearing, it may help to keep practising the skill, so familiarity and confidence with the technique is not lost over time, but is maintained and hopefully grows.

I personally don't find mask clearing per se a problem, but taking the mask off entirely is a bit more tricky.

Like many people I don't like opening my eyes underwater, and I find I have to concentrate to ensure I breathe with my mouth only, maintaining slight positive pressure to prevent water getting in my nose.

However, I've practised in the pool so I can deal with this situation if it should arise, and this builds confidence. I also practice taking my mask off completely, and refitting it and then clearing it, whilst diving in the real world. The more often you do it, the more in control you will be as your confidence grows. Yes, it's difficlut to force yourself to do this exercise the first time, but it does get easier.

Last week I was on holiday in the Red Sea, and practised several times at depth, concentrating on breathing steadily and evenly while I performed the exercise, so I didn't breathe too deeply and start rising towards the surface. If it helps, you could get your buddy to place a gently restraining hand around your stab jacker waistbelt, just to steady you and stop you floating off as you conduct the exercise.

I'm going to try some of the techniques discussed in this thread. One thing is still tricky though - I dive in UK waters, and the shock of the cold water on your face when your mask is removed does make things more difficult. But I'll keep practising, so I know what to expect, and so I can deal with it in the future.

mike

 

[haggis]

Hi

I've just started training with BSAC to do their club diver
course. All was going well untill it came to doing mask clearing (it probably wasn't the most brilliant of ideas to do it for the first time at 3m). I ended up panicking, hyperventilating and inhaling water through my nose, and each time I tried it after that first time I got so wound up I kept inhaling through my nose and choking.

I've got to say my instructor wasn't much help ("you'll probably be better next week") so I went on the net to try and find some advice and found this site. It's comforting to know that a.) I'm not the only one with a problem and b.) there's more you can do than "hope" you'll be better the next time you try it.

Cheers,

 

[Mario S Caner]

haggis, welcome to the boards, you will find that there is a wealth of information that not just you, but quite obviously even your instructor can and will benefit from. Please do your classmates a big favor and tell them about this diver forum, so that they may benefit too! Welcome to the family.