Got told my mask clearing technique was gonna get me in trouble on a 90 foot wreck dive

An old timer I was paired with in Pensacola last month watched me clear my mask and said I was wasting too much air doing it slow and deliberate. He showed me a quicker purge method using the nose purge instead of tilting my head back every time. Has anyone else had to completely rework a basic habit after someone called them out on it?

2 comments

2 Comments

parkerk563d ago

Man, I feel you on this one! Back when I was doing my advanced cert, my instructor called me out for the same thing. I used to take forever clearing my mask because I was too careful, waste a ton of air, and get anxious about flooding again. He had me do a quick hard exhale through my nose instead of tilting my head way back. Took me a solid dozen dives to retrain my muscle memory, but now it's second nature. Honestly, that old timer might have saved you from running low on gas in a spot where you really need it. Just hit a shallow pool or a quarry and drill it ten times in a row till it feels weird not to do it fast.

walker.robert3d ago

Haha yeah that old timer probably saved you from a real bad situation. I remember my first deep dive after getting certified, I was so paranoid about my mask I must have cleared it like 15 times in 15 minutes. My buddy finally grabbed my fin and pointed at my SPG and I was already at like 800 psi. Nothing like watching your gas disappear cause you're scared of a little water in your nose. That hard exhale trick works though. Now I flood my mask on purpose just to practice the quick clear. Feels weird when I dont have to do it.