Of all the skills that cause the most problems and panic underwater, removing and replacing a mask is top of the list. Here’s why it does, and how to prevent that from happening.
It’s fair to say that many divers do not realise (and perhaps many instructors do not teach) that the most important practical use of removing, replacing and clearing a mask underwater is not to adjust the strap or fix a snorkel into place – it is to be able to exist underwater, breathing from a regulator, without wearing a mask, and not panic.
That panic is a natural response to an unnatural experience. It is caused by the last vestiges of the mammalian diving reflex present in humans. In aquatic mammals, this reflex causes them to close their nostrils (or blowholes) and slow their metabolism to conserve oxygen so they can stay underwater for longer.
Similarly, our natural, human, reaction to being underwater is to hold our breath, removing the fear of aspirating water and drowning – but we can’t automatically close our nostrils. Ordinarily, we can pinch them shut, and in doing so, most people will quite happily submerge themselves in water – be that ocean, pool or bathtub – without panicking.
We can’t, and don’t, hold our breath when scuba diving, however, so should our mask come off underwater while we are – through our regulators – still breathing, our brain goes into panic mode because ‘breathing underwater’ means drowning.
Keeping our eyes open as we perform mask skills increases the level of discomfort, and the urge to panic is compounded by the bubbles from our regulator, clouding our already compromised vision and fizzing around under our nostrils.
I doubt that many divers, regardless of experience, ever come to enjoy taking off their masks underwater. But it does become easier with repetition – and the fight-or-flight response caused by removing a mask underwater can be mitigated with a little practice.
More scuba diving skills articles
Start by going back to underwater basics
I have encountered many individuals – both novices and, I hate to say it, certified dive professionals – who were unable to take their masks off underwater. The best way to deal with the problem, like many others, is with practice and repetition in a safe environment, becoming familiar with the unfamiliar sensation of breathing while your unprotected nasal airway is underwater.
Start in shallow water, at a depth in which you can comfortably kneel or stand without your head submerged, and, without wearing a mask or snorkel, hold your breath and dunk your head underwater.
Start with your eyes closed and pinch your nose if you have to, but as you get more comfortable, you’ll need to open your eyes and let go of your nose while your face is still in the water. It helps if you exhale through your nose a little while doing so.
Do one thing at a time – the aim is to be submerged with both your eyes and nose open to the water. Take as long as you need – you can always lift your face from the water if you feel uncomfortable.
Once you are comfortable, repeat the exercise while breathing through a snorkel – but without wearing a mask – until you are, effectively, breathing underwater, but with your eyes and nose open to the aquatic environment.
Now repeat the scenario wearing a mask. Start by flooding it, while keeping your eyes open, and becoming accustomed to the sensation of having a face full of water while still breathing through the snorkel. Finally, once you’re ready, remove the mask while keeping your head underwater and maintaining your breathing.
Removing, replacing and clearing a mask on scuba
Practising the above will get you accustomed to the sensation of being bare-faced underwater while continuing to breathe, but the final challenge is obviously being able to do this while wearing scuba gear.
As an entry-level student, this should only be done under the supervision of a certified dive professional, and the courses tend to progress through partially and completely flooding a mask before removing, replacing and clearing it.
Even if you’ve practised in the pool beforehand, it can still feel a little awkward and often takes several attempts to get right – so don’t be afraid to ask for more time to get used to the new sensations if you need it.
Once we remove the mask underwater wearing scuba, the bubbles from our regulator exhaust force water up our nostrils, which can add to the sense of panic. The simplest solution is to tilt your head to one side so the bubbles from the regulator’s exhaust don’t pass across your face; exhaling through your nose will also help.
Before replacing the mask, take a moment to locate the nose pocket and make sure the strap is not twisted, before placing it on your face as you would out of the water. Once it’s in place, all you need to do is lightly hold the top part of the mask’s frame against your forehead, look up, and exhale through your nose.
That’s it. Don’t push the mask too firmly against your forehead nor pull it away from your face, as it will leak. Light pressure at the top is all you need.
As a tip, it’s easier to start exhaling through your nose by looking down. This won’t clear your mask though, so you need to bring your head up and look towards the surface while you continue to exhale, but don’t tilt your head at too steep an angle – or the mask will leak.
Remediation is not a sign of failure
Diving purists are by now probably screaming about how skills should be performed mid-water, not kneeling down on the bottom and this, correctly, should be the ultimate aim of all scuba diving skills.
Beginner-level driving lessons, however, do not start with negotiating rush-hour roundabouts. That may be one of the aims of learning, but driving lessons usually start in empty car parks with no other traffic. Task-loading does not lend itself well to entry-level training.
Entry-level courses have required for some years that mask removal skills are performed in the water column prior to certification, and also require that divers swim a set distance underwater without wearing a mask before replacing it.
Maintaining mid-water buoyancy while struggling with mask skills, however, is virtually impossible, and, in deeper water, potentially dangerous. Taking some time to become familiar with the sensations of breathing underwater while not wearing a mask will greatly assist in the mitigation of mid-water panic, and any time spent in the water practising such skills, even if that’s only kneeling down in the hotel pool, will help.
Overcoming our fear of the unnatural is part and parcel of diving. Overcoming our fear of the natural world, however, is another matter altogether!
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