Tips and tricks of buoyancy control with blackout/absent mask.

[elan]

During my PADI deep diver specialty my instructor took me through basic skills check up. One of the skills was mask flood and full mask removal (he has done it of cause at the time when I was floating relaxed and did not expect it at all ) while we were holding the safety stop at 20' followed later by controlled surfacing without mask. While replacing the mask was performed w/o any reference points he did control my ascent holding on to me. At that particular place there was a wall approx 5' from us so I could have some clue about my location in the column as well as could feel it that I was going slightly down while replacing it. Now the question is. Say there is no visual reference available when the mask is blacked out/removed how can one determine the direction of the movement as well as the absolute value of the movement. My understanding is that over experience you develop some feeling but it would be nice to get some tricks that I can implements into the skill training procedure. There are 2 particular basic skills I'm interested in developing - 1, controlling stable position in the column and 2. Controlling ascent rate.

Thanks in advance guys.

 

[Tomikp]

When you loose your mask, you are lost. Because there is no method how to check your gauges, timer, and other important things properly. The best way how to prevent it is to have a backup mask in your pocket. Then learn how to quickly switch your masks and this will save you. The second way is your buddy must help you and guide you quickly to the surface. But in this case, it is still fine to have 2 masks along.

 

[Slonda828]

Personally, I do not carry a spare mask unless I am under some sort of overheard (real or theoretical). If I lost my mask, my dive buddy would just control my ascent rate. I could bring two of everything, but then diving (for me) would cease to be any fun. As for maintaining a generally neutral position in the water column without a visual reference, this is going to sound hokey, but feel your lungs. When you start to rise in the column, you can feel the pull right? As soon as you feel the pull, start exhaling. If you feel the pull too strongly, then exhale a lot. This works the opposite way for being too heavy. Once you learn how to time this (preferably in a pool initially), then you can hover with your eyes shut or without a mask. It also makes safety stops without a line way easier. You have to lead your breathing a little bit, because by the time you are too positive or negative, it is already tough to make a decisive change in your lung volume. Kudos to you for wanting to improve you skills man.

This is one of those cases where it is nice to have a friend or mentor who is good at watching you, so you can get good feedback in an honest fashion. I do it in the pool with students and it works great. Mostly people just need to hear how they are doing without being too abrasive, while at the same time not mollycoddling them.

 

[elan]

Personally, I do not carry a spare mask unless I am under some sort of overheard (real or theoretical). If I lost my mask, my dive buddy would just control my ascent rate. I could bring two of everything, but then diving (for me) would cease to be any fun. As for maintaining a generally neutral position in the water column without a visual reference, this is going to sound hokey, but feel your lungs. When you start to rise in the column, you can feel the pull right? As soon as you feel the pull, start exhaling. If you feel the pull too strongly, then exhale a lot. This works the opposite way for being too heavy. Once you learn how to time this (preferably in a pool initially), then you can hover with your eyes shut or without a mask. It also makes safety stops without a line way easier. You have to lead your breathing a little bit, because by the time you are too positive or negative, it is already tough to make a decisive change in your lung volume.

Yes I could feel the fact that the pressure was changing in the lungs and this is how I understood I'm falling down I tried to compensate and I think I could but not tottaly. But as I lack experience in doing it w/o reference I did not do it nice and clean In our waters when there is always something in the water either sand or plankton or algae it's very easy to control the level w/o the gauge just using it as a reference. I never listened to the lungs though

You just confirmed my thinking that the best would be just get into the pool or into shallow water and try to feel the changes in the lungs with the eyes closed. I think that's the only way to develop the feeling.

Yes spare mask is always good. And buddy can guide me but skills are skills

 

[Doc]

A "mask lanyard" will work in most instances.

From the mask's back-strap, tie an 18" piece of 3mm line. Small snaffle clip hooking it to a bungee neck loop. (This is the same loop that your octo is clipped to) Seeing a system develop here?

That's how the military does it, might even work for us mortals!

 

[BettyRubble]

Hmmm . . . Have your DAN card handy since you'll be headed to a chamber????

Seriously though, this is a good question. I have a hard enough time maintaining a level safety stop in a quarry let alone without a mask in the black. So I'll be interested in hearing the tips.

 

[stadevene]

Perhaps I'm missing something...but in a real situation if you lose your mask, and have no buddy to help you, why don't you do something crazy like open your eyes (or just an eye)? Yep, salt water stings, and yep, you might lose a contact, but in the face of an emergency, it's probably justifiable no? I even feel like this was something taught in my OW course.

 

[elan]

Perhaps I'm missing something...but in a real situation if you lose your mask, and have no buddy to help you, why don't you do something crazy like open your eyes (or just an eye)? Yep, salt water stings, and yep, you might lose a contact, but in the face of an emergency, it's probably justifiable no? I even feel like this was something taught in my OW course.

It's actually not a question opening your eyes or not. If you have a visual reference recognizable enough with your yes open even w/o a mask that's easy and the answer is clear - you just maintain it as usual, I'm mostly talking about the cases when you do not have a reference or you cannot recognize it even with your eyes open. Say mid waters, murky water, no bottom, no top, no clues of the depth changes other that your gauge and suspended particles in the water. But you will not be able to see them w/o the mask. One more thing I yet to train is trapping the bubble of air to get your vision back but this is yet to learn.

 

[elan]

A "mask lanyard" will work in most instances.

From the mask's back-strap, tie an 18" piece of 3mm line. Small snaffle clip hooking it to a bungee neck loop. (This is the same loop that your octo is clipped to) Seeing a system develop here?

That's how the military does it, might even work for us mortals!

That's a good point, At least a way to eliminate complete primary mask loss, the bungee is there anyways. Some just place it under the hood but I do not really like it.

 

[Blackwood]

My primary support will be my team and backup equipment.

However, don't discount feel. You should be able to tell whether you are moving in the water column based on your ears (and drysuit if you have one).