Mask Squeeze..comments

[jepuskar]

I have a question about mask squeeze and what is the proper way of handling it. I have dove down to depths of atleast 10-15ft with my snorkel and have felt the mask squeeze onto my face to the point it really hurts. Am I suppose to exhale threw my nose when this happens? I tried this in my pool, but my mask starts to leak sometime after doing this.

I am going to start SCUBA classes soon and I will ask my instructor about this, but it would be nice to get a little heads up.

Thanks,

 

[JimC]

Yep, just blow a bit of air into your mask. If it starts leaking use your hand to wiggle/push your mask back into fit.

Dont forget to clear your ears too! Clear early and often, and long long prior to hitting 15 feet.

 

[finstotheleft]

I just got my certification on 7-12-02. Did my cert dives in a quarry. We went to a max. of about 30 feet, and I had no problem with mask squeeze. I think this is becuase I was equalizing like crazy. It seems I was always grabbing my nose and blowing and clearing excess water from my mask.

On the second day of the dive, though, I got this horrible pain in my eye socket as I descended. I didn't even make it to 10 feet before I had to come back up. It felt like someone was shoving a needle right in the corner of my eye near my nose.

We figured one of several things:
1. The first skill we did for the day was an emergency swimming ascent from about 15 feet. I may have come up to quick and not given my head enough time to equalize, causing a sinus squeeze when I went back down.
2. Something just triggered my sinuses and they stopped up.
3. I was over equalizing and it eventually messed up my sinsuses.

It took me about 30 minutes of blowing my nose on the surface, and then it took me about 5 minutes just to get down to 20 feet. I made sure not to over equalize on my way down and went REAL SLOW!

The mask squeeze will be the lesser of your problems, I think, once you get going. Just watch out for all the other junk!

Let us know how it goes for you!

 

[Jazzy]

I had some trouble with what felt like mask sqeeze, even on the surface during one checkout dive. Turned out I had the mask strap way tighter than it needed to be. You might want to check that. The strap only needs to comfortably hold the mask on your face, not squash it on. Also, if your strap is too tight your mask is MORE prone to leak, because the skirt gets smooshed out of shape and doesn't seal to your face.

 

[srkdvr]

your mask. Also you do not have to have your straps so tight as you dive the pressure pushes the mask onto your face. Just work with it and I am sure you will figure it all out, it is something we have all had to deal with as we began diving, and even now when we get new equipment. I am still trying to figure it out on my new mask and I have been diving since 89 go figure.

Good Luck..... Rich :mean:

 

[art.chick]

Are u sure you have a good-fitting mask? Did the salesman have you put it on your face without the strap & just inhale to see if it stuck? If it does not do that, you probably need another mask. I hope you did not go out & buy a whole bunch of gear before asking your instructor. It is a good way to waste $ on stuff that isn't right for you.

 

[sdexcalibur]

First thing. Before you get in the water you have to get your ears ready to equalize. What I did is everytime I went to the bathroom I GENTLY equalize. Now your not really going to equalize because their is no pressure, but your getting your ears ready for when you have to. It's like streaching. I did this for about two weeks before I got into the water. Some people really have a hard time.
Also the mask squeese. Don't exhale to much just very slow. It doesn't take alot to fix the mask squeese problem/ Good luck and watch out for:sharky: