Need help...

[JodiBB]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm currently taking my PADI certification, but there's one safety maneuver I'm having problems passing and want to pass or else I have to cancel my boat dive :(

 

It's the safety maneuver of going deep in the pool and having to take off your mask for 1 minute...every time I tried, I got water up my nose and began to choke with the respirator in my mouth!! Finally, my instructor (G-d bless her!) helped me get the mask back on so I could breathe again...everything else I pass with flying colors...this is my only sticking point!! :(

 

If there are any pointers to this it would help me immensely!!! Thanks in advance!

[tiggy]

My husband had a similar problem. When he went to do the "remove, replace, and clear mask" drill, he had issues breathing without the mask on. Our instructor gave him a few tips to help.

 

1. Hold your nose

2. Breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose

3. Tip your head slightly if you have bubbles going up your nose

 

It took a little time, but he's now quite comfortable without his mask on.

 

Also, check out scubaboard.com. This question comes up quite frequently and there's a wealth of information there.

 

Good luck, it's a blast!

[sportsterjohn]

I had alot of problems with that also. What I did was practice without using the scuba gear. Just use your snokle and go into water barely over your head. Then practice lifting the mask about half way off so you get over the panic of having the distorted vision. After I played around doing that for 20 min, I was 100% cured of having any problems removing my mask.

[TrqoisWtrs]

I can speak from experience because this is the one thing I had problems with getting certified! I just could not grasp the skill of breathing under water with just the regulator and no mask. Agree with the previous poster about holding your nose. Here's a kind of step by step: Take a big breath. Start blowing lightly out through your nose and remove your mask. This prevents any water from entering your nose. When mask is removed, pinch your nose shut and take a breath, exhale, breathe, etc. When putting the mask back on, take another big breath and start blowing through your nose as you put the strap behind your head. While the mask is still filled with water, stop to pinch your nose and take another breath. Then you can tip your mask back and exhale to remove all the water. The main thing is to just take it very slowly and don't rush. My instructor knew I had problems with this, and when I finished, he gave me a big hug underwater! :D Granted, this is not the best scenario if you get your mask kicked off underwater, but at least you won't panic and can have an idea of what to do. Hope it helps!

[cal2632]

I think many people have problems with this skill. I think these have already been mentioned, but to reiterate:

 

Practice with just snorkel and no mask just to get used to the feel of the water against your face - can even do this with your face in the bathroom sink.

 

Exhale while removing your mask.

 

Pinch your nose shut if you need to. I did the first couple of times. If water gets into your nose and you need to cough, just hold the reg in with one hand. I'm a pro at coughing under water and snorting water back out of my nose.

 

Relax. With practice, you'll get used to the mouth-breathing thing and won't have this problem anymore. And if you have an incident while diving where water gets into your nose, you'll have experience with that as well and be less easily freaked out by it.

 

Good luck with your certification and have fun.

[JodiBB]

Thanks for all the great tips!! I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one who has this problem!!

 

Here's my problem though...I'm not allowed to hold my nose for the 1 minute that I'm without my mask!!! I can pinch it briefly during the minute, but cannot actually hold it shut during that minute!! If I could, then this would be an easier task for me...

 

So what do I do during that minute!!??

[NM_Eman]

I'm a PADI instructor and believe me your challenge isn't a bit unusual. First of all make your instructor earn her fee - it’s her job. This happens all the time with students and she should be able to help. Don't be embarrassed about not getting it right away. Frankly if she is not able to analyze why you are having a problem you need a different instructor. Mask off breathing is not just a safety drill in the pool. It is really necessary in the open water. The potential for injury is quite great if say your on a dive at depth, the person in front of you makes an unexpected move and knocks off your mask with their fin. Do you panic and bolt to the surface (read possibly bent or air embolism) or do you calmly retrieve you mask, clear it and continue your dive. Another really good reason to be able to remove and replace easily is that scrubbing out your mask underwater is a really good way to fix a fogging mask.

 

 

Do take a look at http://www.scubaboard.com/forums.php and keep at it you’ll love diving!

 

Kent

[JodiBB]

Kent...

 

Thanks for your support! She is a very good, patient instructor and was able to help me regain my composure underwater without allowing me to surface (to prevent the bends). Like I said, once I was able to regain my breathing I had no problems for the rest of the night. She gave me the opportunity to take a break from that exercise, but I know that I'm going to have to face this challenge at some point...

 

I've already registered/posted/read the boards at scubaboard.com and am feeling better that this isn't an uncommon problem...and thank you for the explanation as to why pinching my nose for this exercise isn't the preference...those "real life" examples make is easier to me to grasp the importance of the concepts!!

 

I'm giving my body the night off tonight (we were in the pool for over 3 hours last night...most of it submerged!), but I think I'm dunking myself in the bathtub tomorrow!

[bruce-r]

Thanks for all the great tips!! I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one who has this problem!!

No, you are not. It was the hardest skill for me too.

 

So what do I do during that minute!!??

Tip your head forward slightly and slowly breath in thru your mouth while you concentrate using only your mouth. When you breath out, it is OK to breath out thru your nose. That will help clear any water. Breath slowly and think you can do it. You might also want to practice in the shallow end until you are more comfortable, then do the demonstration for the instructor at the deep end.

 

I kept my eyes closed which helped me concentrate on breathing just thru my mouth.

[JodiBB]

bruce-r...did the bubbles from exhaling from the reg. go up your nose? I would think that would be a problem...thanks for the tips! I'm trying all of them in the bathtub tomorrow!

[bruce-r]

bruce-r...did the bubbles from exhaling from the reg. go up your nose?

No, because I was breathing out of my nose. That is also how you clear your mask, so if you were putting your mask back on underwater, that is what you would do anyway.

 

In slowly thru the mouth, out thru the nose. Slow and easy while thinking to yourself, "I can do it, I can do it...."

[w&k]

Mine's already been said - breathe out through your nose. If you decide to practice in the kitchen sink with a snorkel, be sure to have a mop and towels handy (BTDT).

 

If bubbles from your regulator bother you, try tipping your head back or to one side. Bubbles going up the front of my face or mask drive me buggy, so I use a side-vent regulator (Oceanic Omega). Bubbles in the front also tend to knock my mask off because I sometimes forget to pull the strap down.

 

Another reason to acquire proficiency in this skill is to be able to clean your mask out after sneezing. For some reason, I sneeze at safety stops, and I'm told it's quite funny to watch. Evidently, my mask lifts straight off my face in a huge cloud of bubbles. Then I have to take it off and clean out the snot while floating aound with the buoy line, grapple hook, catch bag, lobster gear, camera, used fishing line, kitchen sink, etc. that I'm carrying with me.

 

Welcome to diving!

 

Wendy

[sea-jay]

Wendy - Kitchen Sink???

 

I have seen a commode underwater once.

 

 

Taken on the Spiegal Grove in 2004:D

 

As for the mask/breathing problem, I had the same issue and the resolution(s) have all be mentioned above.

 

JodiBB - I would add one more word of caution. Once you learn the skill, do it periodically when diving just to keep in practice. If you never do it again for two or three years, then have a mask kicked off, you may panic. I try and take my mask off evey three or four dives as I am completing my safety stop. Why do I wait until I complete the stop?? If I do have a problem, my stop is finished and I can bob to the surface in no time.

 

Happy Bubbles.

[JodiBB]

John...thanks for the advice...I'll be working on this in the bathtub this afternoon...I'll let you know how it works out...

[sea-jay]

You're welcome. Good Luck!!

[rram1234]

good luck and keep us posted on your progress, my mask was kicked off on our first dive for our certification, really glad that i felt comfortable with putting it back on, instructor saw what happened and reprimanded the other person for not watching what they were doing.

[bruce-r]

Another reason to acquire proficiency in this skill is to be able to clean your mask out after sneezing. For some reason, I sneeze at safety stops, and I'm told it's quite funny to watch.

I'd flood my mask watching that, then I'd get to practice clearing.

 

I will flood my mask on purpose if I start to get some fogging. This rinses off the inside so I can see better. Then I get to clear my mask again. I do this with my eyes closed too, BTW.

[JodiBB]

Okay...update :confused:

 

I went into my VERY SMALL bathtub and filled it up as high as I could go...I could only do this exercise face down (which makes sense anyway because I'll be SCUBA diving with my stomach to the floor bottom anyway)...

 

I can breathe fine through the snorkel with just my nose and mouth in the water...did it for several minutes in fact! But every time I tried to dunk the rest of my head in 1 of 2 things happened:

 

1) My eyes began to sting like crazy! (Which is strange, even for me)...didn't matter if my eyes were opened or closed...

2) The roof of my mouth began to sting badly, which resulted in water getting into my throat...resulting in me swallowing water (which is obviously counterindicated)...

 

Any ideas? Suggestions? Feedback? I obviously can't try to clear my mask in this shallow level of water correctly...but I've passed that part of this exercise easily on several occasions, so this isn't the issue for me...it's being underwater for a minute without the mask!!

 

Help?? :(

[w&k]

To keep the water out of your throat, try this.

 

Roll over the tip of your tongue, and then press the bottom of your tongue against your top teeth. If you get water in your mouth, it will bounce off the bottom of your tongue, and you won't choke.

 

Of course, when it is salt water, it can taste a little nasty, but salt mouth is part of the fun.

 

With this trick and some practice, you can actually breathe through water in your snorkel!

 

For the face in the water part, maybe try the shower in your face first, or just sticking your face in the sink. You will definitely want to keep your eyes closed, though. Do you wear contacts? Then, after you get that part under control, add the snorkel.

 

Just try not to get stressed out about it...

 

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Wendy aka the 'diving bag lady'

 

Sea-Jay - Don't know if it's still there, but there used to be both a motorcycle and a 'throne' on the bow of the Mercedes in Ft. Lauderdale in the early 90's.

 

Bruce - the sneeze trick usually makes everybody clear because they're laughing so hard!

[NM_Eman]

First of all you may be working at this a little too hard. I’m not sure I could do mask off snorkel breathing belly down in a bath tub.:eek:

 

 

 

The only thing keeping water out of your nose and sinuses is the static air pressure in your upper respiratory tract. The stinging you are getting is probably tap water in your sinuses which could also make your eyes sting. It’s easy to keep positive dynamic pressure while exhaling, just divert a little of the air out your nose. Inhaling involves upward pressure by the back of your tongue at the back of the soft palette right at the epiglottis (the little hangy-down thing in the back of your throat) Strangely enough many people find mask off breathing easier in somewhat deeper water than just under the surface. I suspect that a little surrounding water pressure gives you something to push against. Your posture in the tub will be more like letting water just trickle up your nose. Again I suspect you may actually have your head tilted down so that your chin is level with or a little higher than your forehead. If that is the case it takes a lot of skill to keep all water out of your nose on inhalation. Also this whole skill is much easier to do with a pressurized regulator than with a snorkel. With a snorkel you have to work harder to overcome the dead air in the tube which in turn requires more forceful use of the diaphragm to inhale and it becomes more difficult to control all the other things going on with your tongue and throat muscles.

 

 

 

If you were my student I’d suggest you work on this in the pool with your instructor or if your instructor has a DM helping out, with them. You can get objective feedback and help that way rather than just experiencing one more frustration. This is supposed to be fun, don’t beat your self up. Sometimes trying too hard just creates a whole lot of extra anxiety and then things get harder.:D

 

 

 

Kent

[JodiBB]

Kent...

 

Thanks for your support!! I actually emailed my instructor who responded positively and told me "not to worry about it anymore" and that she'll work on it with me in the shallow end at our next pool dive (Tuesday)...so I'm giving my sinuses a break, which were not happy with me after this experiment!!

 

I'm refusing to let this one exercise to get me down...I really want to learn how to SCUBA, so I'll have her help me come next week...

 

Thanks again!!

[cruzegirl]

JodiBB,

You can do it girl.... You can.... I just got certified and had the same problem.... Couldn't get it at all on the first pool session. Everytime I took it off, the water hit my face or water up my nose, I'd pop up....And we were in the shallow end....What my instructor had me do was basically the same as all the other advice. but I also went around the house consciously breathing in through my mouth and gently out my nose. To change my breathing pattern. But I also went to the pool, sat on the steps so I was underwater but my snorkel was out. My problem wasn't so much water up my nose except when I first took off the mask due to the cold, it was startling. So I would take a breathe, just lift the mask off, blow the air out my nose as the came water in.... Tilt up and clear......Take a breathe, then lift the mask off, blow the air out my nose as the water came in... Tilt up and clear... Did I get water up my nose, yes.... And after 5-6 times it didn't scare me so much and I knew what to expect when it did... I finally got ok with that.... and as far as in the deep end, basically the same routine but I also bit down on my regulator to concentrate on breathing in/out my mouth.... But I did it over & over & over..... I honestly thought I'd never get that mastered... But I had to really concentrate to coordinate it.. I did my certification dive last sunday and we had that as one of our last skills... I was eager and did great... Because I'd done it time after time in the pool..... Also, our first boat dive 3 weeks ago for some reason I had flooding problems with my mask that hadn't occurred before.. Now I think it wasn't tight enough. I learned how to deal with water seeping in periodically causing flooding.. it was either deal with it or go to the top...I was so excited to dive that I'd just clear it when needed so I could swim around and see everything... My eyes did burn temporarily and some water up my nose but I wasn't stopping....I will also do that skill from time to time underwater while diving... It can happen and I don't want to be startled....Good luck........

[NM_Eman]

Good for you Cruzegirl. Mask leakage happens, splash around the water in your mask, blow it out and clear the fog! :o

 

Avoid tightening your mask strap. If it fits properly you don't need it tight. If you do over tighten you'll probably get a headache or even more fun, increased risk for a mask squeeze - not painful but spectacularly ugly :eek:

 

Kent

[JodiBB]

Cruzegirl...Congrats on your certification!! Mask clearing is an interesting experience...

 

However, for me mask clearing isn't the issue, it's breathing without a mask on altogether!! Once I get that mask back on, I can clear it with little problem...

 

I refuse to give up!! I already have my first post-cert dive "planned" so I can't fail!!

[cruzegirl]

JodiBB,

I know you meant the breathing underwater but that's the prep I had to do to be able to do it....lol.... I really hated it. At first I had water up my nose and all.. I just sat underwater on my step and did my breathing with no mask a little at a time... For 30 sec to start, then a minute and so on..... But I had to talk to myself in my head.... In through the mouth, out through the nose... Now it's ok....do I like it no but I was able to do it.... I know you can do it....Don't stress over and go slow....Go to your pool and just sit on the step and do it at your own pace. No one to rush you. I had kids watching me and they thought it was funny to watch. So I humored them.....lol.....Good luck...... :)