| When you've spent money on scuba equipment, the | | | | and gently tilt your head back. Press the top of the |
| costs of doing a scuba dive and perhaps transport | | | | mask tightly against your forehead with one hand. |
| and accommodation, the last thing you want to do is | | | | Take a deep breath through your regulator or |
| get under the water and find you can't see anything | | | | snorkel, and then exhale as hard as you can through |
| because of your mask being full of water. If you've | | | | your nose. The sudden rush of air will force the |
| bought a good quality mask that fits snugly, it may | | | | water out of the mask. |
| not happen very often, but there are times when | | | | Once all the water is removed, place your mask back |
| water will find its way into your mask and obscure | | | | against your face so that it's snug again, and you can |
| your vision. Apart from the frustration of missing out | | | | continue on with your scuba dive. If you find that |
| on the scenery, this can be dangerous, and part of | | | | your mask still contains water, have another go. It |
| scuba diving certification involves learning how to | | | | could be that you were a little panicked first time |
| clear your mask of water. | | | | through and missed a step, or perhaps just didn't |
| The good news is that clearing your mask is simple, | | | | exhale enough air quickly enough to do it properly. |
| and only takes seconds if you know what to do. The | | | | If your mask still contains water, check for |
| first step is to completely submerse yourself in the | | | | interferences that could be causing it to fill with |
| water. Then pull the mask away from your face until | | | | water. If you still can't find a solution, it may be best |
| it's full of water. This can seem a little scary, but stay | | | | to terminate your dive and head for the surface. It's |
| calm and don't panic. All that happens then is you | | | | always a good idea to practice this skill extensively in |
| make the situation much worse and you don't need | | | | a pool or shallow water before you try to dive in |
| anything else to go wrong when you're deep under | | | | deeper water. This means you'll feel confident of |
| the water. | | | | what you need to do if you need to apply this skill |
| Continue to breath through your snorkel or your | | | | later on. |
| regulator. Now, replace the mask against your face | | | | |