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MASK SKILLS There are a number of ways that water can get in your mask during your dive. For example: • Your mask fogs while under water. The easiest way to remove the fog is to let water into your mask and swish it around. • You laugh or smile under water, which causes the muscles of your face to create channels that will let water into your mask. • Your mask gets knocked to the side by the careless movement of another diver. In any of these situations, you need to know how to get the water out of your mask and feel comfortable doing it. If you are skin diving and water gets into your mask, you can wait to get back to the surface to pour the water out. You can also easily clear your mask under water while skin or scuba diving. Clearing Water from Your Mask To clear water from your mask or replace your mask underwater, you must replace the water in the mask with air. When you exhale air into the mask, the air rises to the top and the water flows out the bottom (figure 3-36). Replacing the mask underwater is the same process as on land. The steps to clearing water from your mask are: 1. Point your chin toward the bottom whenever you have water in your mask to prevent water from getting up your nose. 2. If you are on scuba, inhale a breath of air if your lungs are empty. 3. Put your finger tips on top of the mask frame and push in to maintain the seal at the top of the mask. 4. Start exhaling through your nose. As you exhale, tip your head back slowly. The air will force the water out of the bottom of the mask. 5. If you have a purge valve in your mask, do not tip your head back, look toward the bottom, and simply exhale into the mask. When you are breathing from scuba, you must perform the steps to clearing your mask deliberately and slowly (figure 3-37). You must consciously think about Chapter 3- Diving Skills A B C D E F what you are doing and you must concentrate on inhaling through your mouth and exhaling through your nose. This pattern is different from normal breathing Diving Skills 67 FIGURE 3-36. THE AIR YOU BREATHE OUT YOUR NOSE REPLACES THE WATER IN YOUR MASK. FIGURE 3-37. CLEARING WATER FROM A MASK IS SOMETHING EVERY DIVER MUST BE ABLE TO DO.


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