No Mask Breathing at the Surface

Do you struggle with Mask Clearing? Then try No Mask Breathing at the surface first! No Mask Breathing is an amazing trick that can help you later perform any scuba mask clearing skills more easier.

This is an old school trick that many diving instructors use and it works fantastically. At the very beginning of the confined open water or scuba diving pool session, have student divers wear their diving masks around their necks and breathe in shallow water from their regulators with just their faces in the water. This is best to do before you start the confined dive briefing so students don’t see it as a difficult skill, but just a fun activity.

Tip for No Mask Breathing at the Surface

My tip is to not relate this No Mask Breathing on the Surface to the mask removal and replacement skill or any other another mask skills that you will be teaching soon. Just say it’s to get comfortable breathing through the regulator. Using the No Mask Breathing on the Surface technique it is very easy to recognise if someone is breathing through their nose as they will instantly stand up. If you already used my first tip then you already have selected the potential problem students, I advise you to stay close to them as that lowers their fear-levels significantly.

Check out the No Mask Breathing Video here:

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If someone does stand up after breathing some water up the nose, then wave it off with a friendly laugh and get them to repeat it. Do this quickly, as waiting too long or talking too much about it will only put the fear into their minds. Once the brain records something as scary it will be much harder to overcome.

If a diving student keeps having a hard time just breathing through their mouths instead of their nose, then I recommend you hold their shoulders gently and close their nose for them for around 45 seconds and then slowly let go of the nose while still holding their shoulder to reassure them. It is very important that your scuba diving student keeps their ears above the water to be able to listen to your advice. Giving advice with a gentle and calming voice while performing No Mask Breathing on the Surface will work fantastically as it helps relax the student.

Best Scuba Mask to have

Many dive shops will include a free scuba mask in your scuba diving package, but we highly recommend you to get your own scuba mask as it can create a much better seal. Here we made a selection for you for the best scuba mask own: