National Diving Officer Sophie Rennie and Head of Diving Sophie Heptonstall answer two questions about mask clearing
TWOSOPHIES We can see clearly now
National Diving Officer Sophie Rennie and Head of Diving Sophie Heptonstall answer two questions about mask clearing
THE QUESTIONS:
1. I’ m doing my Ocean Diver and having a tough time with mask clearing. How do I get past that awful feeling when I get cold water in my eyes?
2. Is it true you can re-apply saliva to your mask underwater by taking it off and licking the lenses?
Sophie Rennie answers
Question 1: Mask clearing comes easily to some and not so easily to others. I think the first thing to do if worried about the first ingress of cold water is to flush the face with cold water before starting the mask clearing exercises. This will alert the brain to what is coming next. BSAC teaches mask clearing in small progressive steps. Try just putting pressure on the top of the frame, then just breathing out through the nose. Then allow a very small trickle of water in and repeat, each time adding a bit more water until you have succeeded in clearing the water out a few times. Once you have done this, any cold water shock should be gone. Happy mask clearing!
Question 2: I say no to underwater masklicking, as not only are you having to remove your mask but also your regulator under water, in order to generate some saliva! This is not a recommended practice. If your mask is constantly steaming up then you can allow small volume of water in to clear it until you get out of the water. Then, get some toothpaste and give the inside of the lens a good rub, hopefully it will then stay clear. Some masks take more than one toothpaste scrub!
Sophie Heptonstall expands
Question 1: I don’ t think mask clearing in cold water ever becomes enjoyable for any of us, but you can build confidence and reduce the initial shock. That‘ cold water in the eyes’ shock is basically your body’ s reflex reaction, not a sign you’ re doing anything wrong. The key is to desensitise and slow everything down.
Start in a shallow, controlled environment and deliberately let a small amount of water in at the top of the mask. Adding water at the top may prevent the impulse to inhale through the nose accidently. Pause. Breathe slowly through your regulator. Remind yourself: you can still breathe, I am safe, this is just uncomfortable. The more you prove that to your brain, the less dramatic the sensation becomes. This approach is now officially part of Ocean Diver training, designed to ease people into the feeling of having water enter a mask.
You could start the dive by being in standing depth and submerging your face without a mask while breathing in and out through a regulator. If cold water is the main issue, consider a slightly betterfitting mask or a neoprene hood, as both reduce flushing and discomfort. And don’ t underestimate practising on the surface: flooding and clearing in shallow water builds confidence fast.
Question 2: The risk of swallowing water in attempting this method would not promote a safe way of doing this on a dive! Removing your mask mid-dive adds task-loading, risks losing it, and can lead to buoyancy or stress issues, especially for newer divers. It’ s also not particularly hygienic, and in colder water the effect is limited.
A better approach is prevention: properly clean new masks, use a reliable defog solution( or diluted baby shampoo), and rinse lightly( not excessively) before the dive. If fogging happens underwater, often the simplest fix is to flood the mask slightly and swill the water around before clearing— much safer and very effective. If that’ s not working on the dive and you don’ t have a suitable back up mask with you, you should abort the dive and re-clean before your next dive to avoid the incident pit.
Mask skills are about confidence, not toughness. Calm repetition is what turns discomfort into routine. �
Do you have a question about dive training, kit or safety for the Two Sophies to answer? Email SCUBA Editor Simon Rogerson, simon @ scubamagazine. co. uk
21