Post by Dive Bunnie on Mar 30, 2009 8:03:30 GMT
Ok so I have had this advice page up for ages, and not really added any advice specific to improving your dive skills, so I thought I would add a few today. Well, it is my third day off in a row, and I seriously ought to do something constructive with the time.
So... to the least popular skill of all mask clearing and removal.
This was my much hated skill, and I was guilty of bolting to the surface, reg out, mask off spitting water out of my mouth!!! I could not get my head around the concept of being able to breathe through my mouth even when there was water over my nose.
The first time I ever tried it was in a pool in St Lucia, and I could not even get my head around a tiny bit of water being in the mask. And I do recall the instructor (who I don't even think was in the water with me!!!) sat by the side of the pool, saying that maybe diving wasn't for everyone!
Still undeterred I went for a try dive a few years later(hmmm with hindsight I am not sure about the sensibility of going deep whilst not knowing whether I could cope with water in my mask!
Anyway, I loved it, we were taken down and dragged around a bit of reef in true teabagging style (dunking divers as we call it here). I loved it so much that I did three more intros during that holiday. I did even have the opportunity to clear my mask for real when I tried to adjust something and flooded the thing completely.. doh! At least now I knew I could clear my mask!!! Nothing like jumping in at the deep end.
So, I came to Sharm to learn to dive... and loved it. I was sooo confident for the first confined session, gracefully retrieving my regulator, gently blowing bubbles, clearing my mask of water quite happily. (I had finally got my head around the whole process so felt like a bit of a pro... ha!).
Feeling confident, when it came to removing my mask, I whipped the thing of and bolted!!! This I repeated on more than one occasion... oops! I ended up being the one that had to be taken to one side, calmed down and taken through it step by step.
Eventually whilst I still hated the skill, I mastered it, and was able to complete the course, and as you know, go on to become an instructor a few years later. As you can imagine, in order to achieve this, I had to repeat this skill again and again, until I really felt confident and comfortable. And, during this process, I worked out a few core tips that I always teach my students:
First, look down initially... this creates an inverted "u-bend" in your nose, preventing any sneaky drops of water from dribbling in.
Then, break the seal of your mask gently, at the bottom so it gradually fills with water, none of it slooshing up your nose.
I make a really good seal around my mouthpiece to ensure that when I breathe in, I am just getting air from my mouth.
I advise students to close their eyes if that feels more comfy (obviously as instructors we have to learn to keep them open, and some prefer to open their eyes) It doesn't actually sting while your eyes are covered with water, it is when the air hits them once you have cleared, that you get a bit of a sting. Blink and it goes after a few seconds.
Tilt the head, so bubbles go up the side rather than up your nose or eyes.
When you clear your mask, keep your whole tongue against the roof of your mouth to ensure that all your breath goes out through your nose. Press on the mask frame or make a tiny tilt to allow water to escape through the bottom, and look up whilst you are still breathing out, to ensure the last puddles of water are removed from the bottom of your mask.
Things to avoid:
And lastly, if this does happen to be your least favourite skill, practice it! There is nothing worse than spending a dive stressed out because you are afraid to clear it. And there is nothing worse than having a mask flood and realising you can't remember how to clear it.
Good luck!
So... to the least popular skill of all mask clearing and removal.
This was my much hated skill, and I was guilty of bolting to the surface, reg out, mask off spitting water out of my mouth!!! I could not get my head around the concept of being able to breathe through my mouth even when there was water over my nose.
The first time I ever tried it was in a pool in St Lucia, and I could not even get my head around a tiny bit of water being in the mask. And I do recall the instructor (who I don't even think was in the water with me!!!) sat by the side of the pool, saying that maybe diving wasn't for everyone!
Still undeterred I went for a try dive a few years later(hmmm with hindsight I am not sure about the sensibility of going deep whilst not knowing whether I could cope with water in my mask!
Anyway, I loved it, we were taken down and dragged around a bit of reef in true teabagging style (dunking divers as we call it here). I loved it so much that I did three more intros during that holiday. I did even have the opportunity to clear my mask for real when I tried to adjust something and flooded the thing completely.. doh! At least now I knew I could clear my mask!!! Nothing like jumping in at the deep end.
So, I came to Sharm to learn to dive... and loved it. I was sooo confident for the first confined session, gracefully retrieving my regulator, gently blowing bubbles, clearing my mask of water quite happily. (I had finally got my head around the whole process so felt like a bit of a pro... ha!).
Feeling confident, when it came to removing my mask, I whipped the thing of and bolted!!! This I repeated on more than one occasion... oops! I ended up being the one that had to be taken to one side, calmed down and taken through it step by step.
Eventually whilst I still hated the skill, I mastered it, and was able to complete the course, and as you know, go on to become an instructor a few years later. As you can imagine, in order to achieve this, I had to repeat this skill again and again, until I really felt confident and comfortable. And, during this process, I worked out a few core tips that I always teach my students:
First, look down initially... this creates an inverted "u-bend" in your nose, preventing any sneaky drops of water from dribbling in.
Then, break the seal of your mask gently, at the bottom so it gradually fills with water, none of it slooshing up your nose.
I make a really good seal around my mouthpiece to ensure that when I breathe in, I am just getting air from my mouth.
I advise students to close their eyes if that feels more comfy (obviously as instructors we have to learn to keep them open, and some prefer to open their eyes) It doesn't actually sting while your eyes are covered with water, it is when the air hits them once you have cleared, that you get a bit of a sting. Blink and it goes after a few seconds.
Tilt the head, so bubbles go up the side rather than up your nose or eyes.
When you clear your mask, keep your whole tongue against the roof of your mouth to ensure that all your breath goes out through your nose. Press on the mask frame or make a tiny tilt to allow water to escape through the bottom, and look up whilst you are still breathing out, to ensure the last puddles of water are removed from the bottom of your mask.
Things to avoid:
- Looking up with your mask off (unless you breathe out whilst doing this)
- Tilting the mask too far, causing you to allow water back in once cleared
- Pushing the mask up whilst clearing, allowing it to slip upwards on your face.
And lastly, if this does happen to be your least favourite skill, practice it! There is nothing worse than spending a dive stressed out because you are afraid to clear it. And there is nothing worse than having a mask flood and realising you can't remember how to clear it.
Good luck!
