New

[rr75]

Several years ago, before going on a tropical vacation, I signed up for a scuba class, as I thought it would be cool to go diving in a gorgeous place far away. Studied for the class, bought my stuff, and washed out the first night in the pool.

(Short story for those interested: Did well at first, but with wetsuit, I was well underweighted to start and floated to the top in the shallow end. Couldn't clear my mask more than partially floating in the shallow end, so the instructors decided to overweight me, have me sink to the bottom of the deep end of the pool, and try clearing my mask there. That did nothing for my comfort level. Well, at 12 feet, never having successfully cleared my mask before, I managed to inhale quite a bit of water and surfaced, exhaling all the way.)

At that point, I gave up and dropped the class. I wound up going on my vacation without learning to dive. I'm sure I was doing lots of stuff wrong, and I'm sure it's an easy skill for most, but not for me. I was bummed.

As it turns out, I'm going on another vacation to a warm island early next year. I'm going to try again to get certified (different shop, pool here, referral there), but I'll admit to being nervous about the mask clearing skill for the pool class. I did most of the other first-night stuff OK (regulator clearing, equalizing, etc.), can swim fine, and snorkeled extensively on vacation, so I've got that down. I just seem to have problems breathing (or not getting anxious) when clearing my mask.

Any advice or tips? I've searched the board and found some hints, but has anyone had a problem quite like mine? It sounds like too great a sport for me to give up on, but the skills seem formidable. I appreciate your help.

 

[Goeduck]

rr75,

Check out the following link. It has some very good advice for learning mask clearing in a step by step process, which will make it very comfortable to learn to clear your mask.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15542&highlight

I hope this helps. Once you have mastered mask clearing, it will become second nature while diving.

 

[DiverBuoy]

Mask clearing

1. Grip the mouthpiece on the regulator firmly - especially make sure your lips remain pressed all the way round (don't let this postion go).

2. Take a deep breath and close your eyes for comfort or if you have contact lenses.

3. With your mask facing forward pinch the silicon skirt on the top of the mask next to your forehead with your thumb and index finger to gently let water in and which helps reduce the chance of the mammalian reflex (water temperature shock). You have a good degree of control over how much water is let in by how gently you pinch the skirt.

4. You may exhale one more time through the mouth and take one more deep inhalation through the mouth.
NOTE: At this step you must be very careful not to suck any water through your nose. If you struggle with this step you're not alone this is a notoriously tricky step for some people to do. So I advise that you practice breathing at the surface through the regulator with your face down in the water with no mask on and your nose exposed for a while.

5. Tilt your head back and using both hands on the hard frame of the mask lift only the bottom of the mask skirt (lowest point in the water) off your upper lip just below your nose a tiny bit away from the skin making sure the skirt on the forehead and cheeks stays pressed gently against your skin surface. Again make sure the gap between your upper lip and mask is tiny.

6. Blow normally and continuously (don't blast) through your nose only. Don't let any of your air seep out through your mouth or around the mouthpiece through your lips. It helps some students to visialize the air from their nose filling the inside of the mask and pushing the water out of the bottom. When you picture things like this it may help you position your head and mask better.

8. Let the skirt sit back against your face all around again and face forward to detect if you still have any water. If you still have water repeat. Resume normal breathing through your mouth.

When you get good at it ... you'll rarely have to repeat. This is because you've remembered to inhale deeply first, and blow normally and continuously through your nose only.

 

[KeyLargoBrent]

Begin by standing in shallow water, head above water, breathing thru a snorkel without wearing a mask (hold the snorkel in the correct position with your left hand). Breath slow and deep... focus on your breathing... close your eyes... relax.

Now bend forward from the waist until your face is in the water, with your feet still planted firmly on the bottom. Focus on your breathing... slow and deep... eyes closed... relax. Keep a good lipseal on the snorkel mouthpiece. Exhale thru your nose if you need to displace any water. If you have a problem, just stand up!

This exercise should help you to become comfortable while breathing with your face underwater without wearing a mask. Practice until you are totally at ease. Have someone act as a spotter... just in case you fall asleep!

Now find an instructor who is patient and understanding... someone you feel that you can learn from and get along with. Share your prior experience and concerns up front. You'll get a feel for who can best help you to overcome your anxiety.

Yours is a common problem. Others have overcome it to become competent, self-reliant divers... so can you! I hope this helps.

 

[WillAbbott]

What everyone has suggested and said thus far are ALL great ways to work through this... they all will work, some vary slightly but all will work...

Just to add one little hint/trick to this... I recently had a cold and during which couldn't do mask clearing comfortably (the instructor said I did great, but it felt bad)... well after the cold I played in the pool during a discover scuba class my instructor did and found out some things.... a new problem has arose (I don't know why or how come) but I seem to not be able to close my nose off fully, so when under water I get some water inhaled through my nose on a mask flood/clear no matter how hard I try... Long story short I found a trick that even whith this problem I can do the skill... even though I seem to not be able to work around it without changing the skill... What I found is that if you tip your head down (prior to flooding) like you would with a purge mask, so that your head is tilted forward somewhere between 30-45 degrees then flood your mask, then begin to exhale, after begining to exhale through your nose, then tip your head back... it seems that the tipping of the head forward traps more air in your sinus's and nasal pasages thus allowing for not only more room for error if you being to inhale water, but also more restriction against water flowing up there....

The last time I did this skill I struggled EVERY time (which was odd for me, not having trouble in the past prior to the cold and all) but AFTER I discovered what was going on and this trick I never ONCE had a problem.

My advice would be try all the suggestions previously mentioned... and if they don't work, or even before trying them, try them all with adding this little trick... Your instructor shouldn't care... whatever you have to do to solve it do it...

 

[SwimJim]

The best way to deal with a problem like this is to meet it head on. You don't need tanks and a reg to practice clearing a mask. A mask and snorkel will do.
Step on down to the local YMCA or pool and practice. I learned to swim at two and was snorkeling at five. I've been certified for hmm, jeezz, almost twenty five years. Clearing your mask is a freaky propisition even for someone who has been in the water all thier life. The key however is practice, practice practice. You'll get it. And you'll enjoy diving.
have fun and enjoy your vacation. Its going to be great!

Jim

 

[aquababe]

are good ones and I'm sure with practice you'll get it right!
What I really wanted to say is 'bravo for not giving up!' It's been several years, as you said, and I don't think many people would try again! Believe me you'll love it!!!
Dive deep and safe

 

[greg somers]

Relax. Give yourself a break for not getting it the first time and don't build up the previous experience in your mind too much. It is natural for new students to put unnecessary pressure on themselves. They see some others breeze though the exercises and if they struggle then they get too self-critical of themselves and frustration makes it harder. The truth is that I have never seen a class where each person didn't struggle with at least 1 aspect of training to one degree or another. You will have your own pace of learning. Ask the instructor to help and maybe he will give extra one on one training with you or assign an assistant instructor to guide you until you're comfortable before you go deeper into the pool. One thing to help. Some people struggle with their noses being exposed to water, especially since the natural rythym is to breathe through them. You can put on your mask and practise breathing with your mouth and try to keep some air pressure in your nose by blowing from it lightly. This will release pressure from mask squeeze and will keep water from going up your nose when it enters your mask. If your not used to it then you can also snorkel without a mask.Practice breathing and you will learn to control any panic responses which most people have when water hits their face.
I like to get my students comfortable with the water on their face as part of their general training.
Hope this helps,
There can be only one,
The Gasman

 

[Hollywoodivers]

Try this ...it works...I promise...Fill up your kitchen sink with luke warm water. Detach your snorkel from your mask and hold it in your mouth with your hand. Now pinch your nose shut and lean over so that your face and ears are under water. breath in through your mouth and exhale through your nose. Keep your eyes shut if you need to at first. Gradually you should be able to breath with out the pinched nose. If you can breath in through the mouth and out through the nose without pinching it you will be able to clear that mask.....I promise. Now try it with cold water in the sink. Hal@Hollywoodivers.com:bang:

 

[stiebs]

Just another reassuring word to support the basic idea that a lot of others have already pointed out.

First get comfortable breathing while your face is underwater. Basic human instinct says that when your head, therefore face is underwater, you can't breathe.

Stay in your comfort zone. KeyLargoBent makes a very good point of standing up to reassure your subconscious that you are still on solid ground, and not about to sink to the bottom of the ocean with no air supply.

When you're comfortable with that, next step is to continue a relaxed breathing pattern through a snorkel (or reg, if available) while you are firmly seated or standing with your head just below the surface, with a mask on but filled with water. If you can get to that point, the rest should be easy.

The most important thing to remember in any type of diving, no matter how experienced you are, is to remain in your comfort zone. If you push that zone (or get pushed out of it) too quickly, learning will only get harder.