4 Responses to “Scuba Diving-Breathing Without Mask?”

1. tony620052 says:

   August 9, 2010 at 2:35 am

   Using the second stage regulator, works the same way with or without a mask, just don’t breath through the nose, only the mouth

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2. BlazerDiver says:

   August 9, 2010 at 3:33 am

   During certification class, you’ll learn how to put your mask back on your face if you loose it underwater. While you’re finding your mask, you simply continue to breathe through your regulator.

   Once you get your mask back on your face, you can purge the water out of your mask by exhaling through your nose. It helps to hold the top of your mask to your forehead while slowly lifting your head and exhaling through your nose.

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3. stew575 says:

   August 9, 2010 at 4:27 am

   When breathing without a mask, it might help to let the air out of your nose, this may help you with your breathing problem.

   When I was training for my PADI certification, we were taught to do bail outs. First on the arm was your mask, fins, then weights; the reverse order that you would put on your gear after jumping into the water. You mask is the least important piece of equipment for diving. You need air, weights and fins. We were taught to swim in the pool and the ocean without our masks for a period of time to get use to this condition.

   You should practice swimming and breathing without your mask until become comfortable with this condition. This will help you on future dives.

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4. Katie says:

   August 9, 2010 at 4:54 am

   It may seem scary at first, but once you get used to breathing without a mask, there’s nothing to it!

   It’s best to practice in shallow water (like kneeling in waist-deep water or in the shallow end of a swimming pool), since you might get the urge to bolt up to the surface if you panic.

   When you first take your mask off, it’s best to do it slowly and let it flood first rather than just taking it off all at once. Part of the shock is simply feeling cold water against your unprotected face, so letting your mask fill gradually will help if you’re a little uneasy about it.

   You can also hold your nose for a few seconds if you need to, but during your open water certification, you’re required to breathe through your regulator without holding your nose at all.

   To keep from accidentally breathing through your nose, it helps to take long, slow, deep breaths from your diaphragm (concentrate on really pushing your belly out) and breathe out through your nose.

   Knowing how to do it is important, but what it really comes down to is practice. The more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll be!

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