john844
Contributor
You are not alone and many people have issues with mask clearing, my wife was one of them. I will try to explain the steps we used to help my wife with this same issue. She was able to work them out with a little time and practice. These are the progressive steps we used for her. Work on each step and get comfortable with that skill before moving onto the next one.
1. Sitting on dry land, inhale through mouth, exhale through nose while keeping your mouth open. You have to use your tongue to close off the airway to keep the air from coming back out of your mouth. Press it tightly to the roof of your mouth to get a good seal.
2. Add snorkel and repeat step 1.
3. Add Mask and repeat step 2.
4. In shallow water (we used our hot tub) work on step 2. Inhale through snorkel and blow bubbles out through your nose.
5. Add Mask and repeat step 4.
6. Now you have the ability to exhale through mask and should be able to expel the water in it. My wife still struggled with this part though.
7. Start with only about an inch of water in mask. When you start your exhale, it helps keep water out of the nose if you are still looking down. If you turn your head back quickly and don't exhale, some of the water tends to trickle into your nose. Don't worry if it takes multiple breaths to fully clear the mask. Start the exhale looking down and tilt the head back while still exhaling. Use your fingers to gently keep the top of the mask sealed on your forehead while exhaling.
8. You should now be able to fully flood the mask and clear it using your new skills. Remember to start each exhale looking down until you are completely comfortable. It will probably take multiple exhales to fully clear the mask.
9. Now fully remove the mask under water, replace it and clear it. When putting the mask back onto the face, do it gently. Doing it gently is the key to avoid forcing/pumping water into your nose.
I hope some of this information helps you out Jewls. Hang in there and keep practicing. Once you get the skill down, you will wonder why it was so hard in the first place.
1. Sitting on dry land, inhale through mouth, exhale through nose while keeping your mouth open. You have to use your tongue to close off the airway to keep the air from coming back out of your mouth. Press it tightly to the roof of your mouth to get a good seal.
2. Add snorkel and repeat step 1.
3. Add Mask and repeat step 2.
4. In shallow water (we used our hot tub) work on step 2. Inhale through snorkel and blow bubbles out through your nose.
5. Add Mask and repeat step 4.
6. Now you have the ability to exhale through mask and should be able to expel the water in it. My wife still struggled with this part though.
7. Start with only about an inch of water in mask. When you start your exhale, it helps keep water out of the nose if you are still looking down. If you turn your head back quickly and don't exhale, some of the water tends to trickle into your nose. Don't worry if it takes multiple breaths to fully clear the mask. Start the exhale looking down and tilt the head back while still exhaling. Use your fingers to gently keep the top of the mask sealed on your forehead while exhaling.
8. You should now be able to fully flood the mask and clear it using your new skills. Remember to start each exhale looking down until you are completely comfortable. It will probably take multiple exhales to fully clear the mask.
9. Now fully remove the mask under water, replace it and clear it. When putting the mask back onto the face, do it gently. Doing it gently is the key to avoid forcing/pumping water into your nose.
I hope some of this information helps you out Jewls. Hang in there and keep practicing. Once you get the skill down, you will wonder why it was so hard in the first place.
Last edited: