Wife fear of mask clearing

[Diver0001]

Switch to a low volume mask such as the Cressi Nano; it takes very little effort to clear the mask.

Good luck

GJS

Hi,

This could help in some cases but it is also an example of what I would call throwing gear at a skills problem.

What you really need to do is address potential mechanical and/or emotion issues first to lay a solid foundation for the skill. After that, you would think about gear solutions to optimize it. I'm not necessarily saying that replacing the mask is a bad idea, but it's a good idea to do things in the right order.

R..

 

[CaptainCalamari]

Practice being underwater without a mask, then practice starting underwater without a mask and putting one on underwater but not clearing it and just surface to clear, then practice putting it on underwater and clearing it underwater, then finally taking it off and putting it on underwater.

It's a combination of comfort and technique.

 

[dirkadirk]

When I teach mask drills, I always start with a partial flood first that stays below eye level, then a full flood without removal, then a complete removal. This make take more than one pool session. Once students are happy, we will have a game of 'pass the parcel' - remove mask, hand to your left, replace new mask, all OK, repeat until you get your mask back. Another 'blind confidence' trick I use is to remove, locate a seam of grouting on the pool floor and, keeping a finger on it as a guide, follow for 1/4, 1/2, a full length to build up confidence in being able to breathe and move around without a mask.

As a side note, I wear contact lenses as am blind as a shortsighted bat, so cannot open my eyes underwater at all. I used to have a bit of a rush on when doing this skill as didn't want to risk losing one. I got around it with repetition, and by having a spare mask in a pocket so if I lose my primary, I don't have to try and search or make a blind ascent (computer beeps at everything to give a clue) as can just stick my hand in my pocket and drag out the spare.

 

[maj2]

My daughter was terrified of the mask remove and replace, and I did a lot of work with her in our backyard pool between her certification pool sessions. Keeping her head as close to the surface as possible really seemed to help (top of the head was at the surface).

We worked from clearing very small mask leaks, working to a flood below eye level, and eventually a full flood.

Once she was comfortable with that (a couple of pool sessions), we moved on to the mask remove and replace, but started with a very rudimentary "remove." We just kept he strap a bit on the loose side, so the entire mask could be pulled forward off her face and rapidly flood the space. Then replace the mask and clear like she was used to. Fairly quickly, we got to the full remove. As she got more comfortable with it, we also progressed to where instead of having her head touching the surface, she was kneeling on the bottom in 4 feet of water. Her head was fully submerged at this point.

A couple of days later, she had it with comfort, and could remove her mask and sit there for 2 or 3 minutes until I tapped her arm to replace the mask, which she did. I knew she had it when her hair got tangled in the mask buckle. Instead of panicking, she stopped, thought it through, and then yanked as hard as she could. She pulled a good sized chunk of hair out of her scalp, but never panicked and completed the exercise. It hurt just watching it...

The key here was just taking very tiny baby steps, starting at the surface, and with tiny amounts of water in the mask. We then progressed in water volume and to being able to do it fully submerged. It did take a few extra pool sessions though.

 

[admikar]

What @Buliwyf and @TMHeimer said. Small steps first. If more comfortable, she should do it with her eyes closed. I can open my eyes in pool water, but I always close my eyes during flooding and clearing portions. Also, tell her to try and blow her mask slowly, sometimes people get confused and suck water through nose if they try to rush things.

 

[AdivingBel]

I can only speak from my direct experience, but my wife and I went through a similar situation. She wanted to try diving and we did a few DSDs which she was unable to complete mainly because of mask clearing, but the underlying cause was definitely due to her general lack of comfort in the water. I went on to get certified and dived on my own for a few years. We had a change in lifestyle that put us closer to the water. Through being around the water, participating in watersports, floating in pool chairs, just generally becoming more familiar and comfortable in and around the water she became acclimated to the water. To her credit she still wanted to try diving and after our change in environment, she breezed through a DSD and immediately got certified. We have been dive traveling ever since and it has been one of the best experiences of our lives. The combination of travel and the co-reliance of being dive buddies has made us stronger as well as just having a boat load of fun together. It more than outweighs the hassle of lugging an extra set of dive gear through airports. Good luck with resolving her issue, however you work it out. The morale of my story is that it may not be a quick resolution, but if you're both game, it's worth it in the long haul. Have fun. All IMHO, YMMV.

 

[Texasguy]

In the pool dive without a mask for 5 mins. Mask then will no longer feel an extension of oneself.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Another small step that may help: stand in the shallow end, bend over, fill mask partially/fully, stand straight again, and then clear the mask.

 

[Rred]

I was also not happy with mask clearing, or with breathing the regulator without any mask. I was a strong swimmer but mainly a pool swimmer and I had ALWAYS preferred to wear nose clips which worked just fine for me. In ARC water safety class the instructor said "But what if the victim tries to pull those off you?" and I said he's just gonna get slugged faster.

So when I heard what I'd have to do in SCUBA class in order to advance in the class...me and a couple of other folks just had the choice, get over it, spend time in the pool learning to constrict the muscles we'd never used to do that, or not become SCUBA divers.

Took a week, I got over it. I still don't LIKE it, but I got over it.

That's her choice. Low stress, controlled situation, one-on-one coaching, and get past it. Or not get past it--and that's one of the things that screens you out as being unsafe for diving.

Not meaning to be cruel...but that really is the choice. Low stress situation, trusted coach, and it CAN be done. If it needs an extra couple of private sessions...just do it.

 

[TMHeimer]

Funny--before starting the OW course I tried to clear my mask while snorkeling with no success. I guess I didn't have the correct angle for my head. Then found it really easy in the course. Then learned how to do this in like 50 steps slowly to demonstrate it while in the DM course. Then assisted one instructor who demonstrated it by quickly tipping it with one hand. Once you get it, it just becomes natural since you do it most likely on every dive-- so it's not a skill you ever have to review or practice. Think of it as just doing the right procedure with proper head angle and hand(s) placement and blow the water out. I've heard it said that you can pass the skill in the class no matter how many nose-blows it takes to clear. You really should never need more than one big blow. Big inhale and blow it away. My worst skill was removing and "replacing" the scuba unit--so many more steps there.