Scuba Mama

I have found in teaching this skills, hated by a lot of students but a necessary evil of scuba diving.

One put the mask on while on the surface of the water. Put your second stage in your mouth. Now, practice breathing in from the second stage and out through your nose. Do this about four to five times. You will learn the pattern needed to clear your mask. You will also notice your mask is fogged up this is normal because your breathing into your mask. I have found most students will now understand the pattern and have an easy time clearing. There has been only two students who had to repeat above but quickly got it after-wards. If you struggle with this skills give it a try, let me know how it works for you.

ding

good trick Scuba Mama, I will try that instead of threatening them with violence....

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YBOD diver on Finstrokes

Kev Martin

Violence will do it............

We also have our students begin their mask clear by looking down at a forty five degree angle. This means that there is no chance of water actually running back up their noses and choking them! The only time we seem to have that problem is when they suck instead of blow.

Scuba Mama

I may occasionally scare them but never violence...

I'll incorporate the head lean in the above water drill. I have them do it underwater but not above. I also recommend breaking the seal from the top never the bottom. Less chance of the water pressure pushing the water up your nose.

Thanks for the tip.

simondiveintheblue

Hi,

Another tip.

When a student is panicing whilst clearing there mask on the open water dives. You can clear there mask for them by getting your alt air source and purging it underneath their mask, whilst holding the top of their mask.

It instantly stops them trying to swim to the surface.

Simon.

www.diveintheblue.com

Scuba Mama

Nice to have another instructor. Could you explain you trick a little clearer? Sounds easy enough but by the time your got there mask they would have bolted aready. I have to admit sometimes my students have had probelms with this skill. I find most of the time its a mental block not a physcial skill. If its early in the year or late in the year and the water temp is not pleasent, I have them all join me in the water. Then I have them put there second stages in remove there masks and place there face in the water. Most will say boy that was cold. Once below and they have to clear there masks most will report back "I was expecting it to be colder, it was not bad at all." I am getting them past the shock factor.

I use the same trick with myself the first dive in salt water. I dive fresh water most of the time so the salt is always a change.

Scuba Mama

simondiveintheblue

Hi Scuba Mamra

OK the process in more detail.

1. First thing to remember is that you should wear more weight on than you need. This gives you more control in a situation.

2. The student is on their knees ( which gives them less opporunity to use their legs to kick)

3. As an instructor you should always hold on some part of the BCB when a student is doing this skill as then if they do a bolt to the surface you have hold off them, and can control there ascent, or let them go if no DM present.

4. In the main you can tell by the look in the students eyes that they are not going to do this skill with confidents. So be prepared, i find the stomache strap the best place to hold has it allows you then with the aid of the extra weight to hold them on their knees.

5. Instruct the student to do the skill, they often can sort their own problems out so let them do it.

6. If the student starts to stand up whilst the mask is flooded, you can expect their next move after to be a bolt to the surface. Stop them, hold them on their knees.

7. Take out you alt air source, mouth piece face up. Move your hand from their BCD strap to the top of their mask. Put the alt air source under the masks, (next to an eye not the nose) press the purge button.

You don not have to do it for long, as the air leaving the alt air source on purge is far greater than the air leaving a nose. Make sure you hold the mask as the air will take a mask off the face if not held.

8. The student will still not be aware that the mask is clear in most cases, so tap them on the shoulder, get them to look at you, this for me results in them instantly becoming carm.

Never leave the other students. Let the Dive Master bring them back down, or bring the whole group up.

I hope this is an aid,

Simon.

www.diveintheblue.com

ding

Or you can do the skill a few times in neck deep water, resting on one knee. It gives the trainee the confidence of being able to stand up if they need to.

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YBOD diver on Finstrokes