Mask Removal Drill - Question

[bwerb]

So, there I am, hovering two feet off the bottom. Day 1 with the long hose set-up. Theresa is having some major ear clearing problems as she has been fighting off a bronchitis and sinus infection for over a month. We hit a max depth of 15 feet where Theresa signals "that's it, no deeper". We practice our hovering and bouyancy control, (and find we are caught between two OW classes one is stationary, the other is swimming by...how do we know? Ever seen a heard of elephants crossing the Serengetti?...all you see is a massive cloud of dust.) We stay in the clear water between the groups and go to practice mask removal drills.

I signal that I'm going for it. I remove my mask. Put it back on, tilt my head back to clear, blow it out and realize that the light above is getting brighter. I hit about 8 feet before I realize what's happening and Theresa signals "up".

We talk on the surface and she indicates that we are all done as her ears are just not right. I ask her how it looked. She said "just like the video, you never moved the entire time you took your mask off, or put it on...but...when you tilted your head back to clear it and took a deep breath you started ascending".

So question to everyone...how do you keep from ascending like this when you no longer have any frame of reference to determine if you are moving? Do you breathe everything out first then a quick inhalation and clear? Or is there some other secret? I'm looking forward to trying it again and Theresa is doing everything she can to heal as she is really loving it and hates being less than 100% healthy.

Brian

 

[detroit diver]

Although this might sound simple, it does work. Just breath normally. When you take your mask off, don't hold your breath-just breathe. When you replace your mask, exhale thru your nose to clear.

At the depth you were at, even tilting your head up or holding your breath for just an instant will create large changes in your postion in the water column. Without knowing where you are at (ie you can't see, or you can't tell), the smallest move up will compound itself.

It's just practice! One of the things I do with my buddies is to take my mask off, and my buddy holds my hand with my thumb sticking out. When I start to ascend, he points my thumb down, and visa versa. You get the feeling of your position after a while.

 

[Uncle Pug]

bwerb once bubbled...
when you tilted your head back to clear it and took a deep breath you started ascending".

That is one reason to have a low volume mask.

And even if you have a large volume mask there is no need to clear it completely with one big blow

Two things conspired against you... the BIG breath and when you tipped your head back you probably went into a head up attitude as well lessening your resistence to vertical movement.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Use your eyes and your ears and stay horizontal. As the others said breath normally. If you alter your breathing or position you will effect buoyancy. When I remove my mask I don't get in a hurry to replace it. I take a moment to make certain my breathing and position are under control. I have yet to find a low volume mask that fits me so I usually take more than one breath to clear the mask. However, after the first exhale I can see again so why rush.

 

[bwerb]

I figured it was the "big breath" thing combined with the really shallow positioning.

Thanks UP for the comment on the body positioning heads up being an additional factor.

Good call Mike on the "why rush, after one breath I can see again".

Question DD, how does you buddy hold your thumb if you are using both hands to put your mask back on? Or...is this a lost mask swimming technique?

Brian

 

[boomx5]

One of the things I do when replacing my mask is exhale through my nose on every breath. That way, it helps to clear my mask as I'm putting it on.

 

[detroit diver]

bwerb once bubbled...
I figured it was the "big breath" thing combined with the really shallow positioning.

Thanks UP for the comment on the body positioning heads up being an additional factor.

Good call Mike on the "why rush, after one breath I can see again".

Question DD, how does you buddy hold your thumb if you are using both hands to put your mask back on? Or...is this a lost mask swimming technique?

Brian

Yes, the technique is from a lost mask drill, but we use it to assist in "feeling" the water column also.

You can put your mask on with 1 hand, but I ususally use 2. Once you're comfortable with your position, putting the mask back on becomes relatively simple.

I forgot to add- in VERY cold water, all bets are off!! Breathing rates get messed up, and your face says to your brain-"Uh, somethings not right here. I'm going to stop breathing for a while".

 

[kalvyn]

detroit diver once bubbled...
<snip>

I forgot to add- in VERY cold water, all bets are off!! Breathing rates get messed up, and your face says to your brain-"Uh, somethings not right here. I'm going to stop breathing for a while".

<snip>

How true this is! I recently did a mask removal and replace in about 15 fsw at Seacrest Park in Seattle. As soon as the cold (46 F) water hit my face, all bets were off... it was all I could do to exhale, let alone breathe normally. Needless to say, my buddy had to hold me down until I got my mask back on and cleared.

I am planning on doing some practice things to make my reaction to that better. First on the list is to just lie face-down on the surface with no mask, breathing through my regulator. That way, I can get used to the feel of the cold water on my face in combination with normal breathing. I figure I can then move to removing the mask while face-down at the surface, then finally at depth.

Jimmie

 

[detroit diver]

I've been told that that method helps some people, although it didn't do much for me when I tried it.

 

[Aquanaut713]

It's been a while since there was a post to this subject, but I have a couple of suggestions.

1. Try letting a little air out of your BC beforehand. It seems to me that it would be easier to need to give a couple of kicks to remain neutral than to be worried about becoming positively buoyant and rising too quickly. Also, it would be easier keeping a reference on your buddy if they were slightly above you while doing this.

2. See about getting a purge valve put in your mask. In that case, you would clear it while looking down and it would not take more than a couple of exhalations to clear it.

Hope this has been helpful to someone. If you have tried this and not had any luck, please let me know.

Dive Safe.