Scuba Mask Clearing - Eyes Open or Closed?
During the scuba mask clearing skills should you keep your eyes open or closed? This is a question I get a lot on my YouTube channel and from my PADI Open Water Diver students. In this article, I will explain if you need to keep your eyes open or closed while performing scuba mask clearing skills.
In this article we will explain:
In this article we will explain:
- Why do we need to practice scuba mask clearing skills
- Is it a standard to keep eyes open or closed
- More realistic to keep your eyes open
- Why can’t we see well underwater with our eyes open
- Getting used to dealing with water in your eyes
- Having your eyes open feels more comfortable for some people
- Keeping your eyes closed helps when you wear contact lenses
- Some people don’t like water in their eyes
- You can’t see that much underwater without a mask
- Some people feel more comfortable keeping their eyes closed underwater
Why do we need to practice scuba mask clearing skills?
We (almost) always get a bit of water leaking into our mask while scuba diving. This could be because you didn’t shave, have a mask that doesn't fit well, or just because you might smile or perform other facial expressions. This is not a problem as we can easily clear our scuba mask underwater by blowing out of our nose.
Learn more about How to Clear Your Scuba Mask Underwater
Learn more about How to Clear Your Scuba Mask Underwater
In very rare cases you might want to fully remove your scuba mask (maybe to adjust your strap) or when you lose it. Then when you replace it you need to clear it the same way by breathing out through your nose. Again this is extremely rare.
Learn more about how to remove, replace and clear your mask
Because we need to clear our mask often while scuba diving it is essential that we practice it a lot during our PADI Open Water Diver Course.
During the PADI Open Water Course you will practice the partially flooded mask skill, fully flooded mask skill, and the mask removal and replacement (normal, for 1 minute and swimming) skill.
Learn more about how to remove, replace and clear your mask
Because we need to clear our mask often while scuba diving it is essential that we practice it a lot during our PADI Open Water Diver Course.
During the PADI Open Water Course you will practice the partially flooded mask skill, fully flooded mask skill, and the mask removal and replacement (normal, for 1 minute and swimming) skill.
Is it a standard to keep your eyes open or closed during the scuba mask clearing skills?
No, it is not a dive industry standard to keep your eyes open or closed during the scuba mask clearing skills. It is a preference or like we like to call it: “Style”.
Not everyone in the dive industry knows this as they have been taught only one way during their scuba courses and careers, but you can choose whatever style you and/or your diving students prefer.
I like to give my Open Water Diver students the option to choose if they like to keep their eyes open or closed during the scuba mask clearing skills and in my PADI Divemaster and PADI IDC Course, I like to teach both styles so my future diving professionals know how to teach both.
There are pros and cons to keeping your eyes open or closed. I will explain both.
Not everyone in the dive industry knows this as they have been taught only one way during their scuba courses and careers, but you can choose whatever style you and/or your diving students prefer.
I like to give my Open Water Diver students the option to choose if they like to keep their eyes open or closed during the scuba mask clearing skills and in my PADI Divemaster and PADI IDC Course, I like to teach both styles so my future diving professionals know how to teach both.
There are pros and cons to keeping your eyes open or closed. I will explain both.
Pros keeping your eyes open during the scuba mask clearing skills
1. it is more realistic to keep your eyes open during the scuba mask clearing skills.
Practicing to keep your eyes open during the scuba mask clearing skills is more realistic as in real life you might have to look for your missing mask underwater. This might be a bit easier with your eyes open, but I can tell you that it is very hard to see anything without a mask underwater. Still, it might help and you can also see reef and rock formations that might guide you back to the reef or pinnacle if you are lost.
Practicing to keep your eyes open during the scuba mask clearing skills is more realistic as in real life you might have to look for your missing mask underwater. This might be a bit easier with your eyes open, but I can tell you that it is very hard to see anything without a mask underwater. Still, it might help and you can also see reef and rock formations that might guide you back to the reef or pinnacle if you are lost.
Why can’t we see well underwater with our eyes open?
This is because our lens can’t focus in the water as the front part of the eye lens does not have different refractive indices anymore. Our lens is like a curved drop of water and another curved drop of water will cancel the focussing effect.
To solve this we wear a scuba mask to allow air between the window of the scuba mask and the lens of your eye. Because that water touches the scuba mask window it doesn’t form a curved drop and we can see through it.
To solve this we wear a scuba mask to allow air between the window of the scuba mask and the lens of your eye. Because that water touches the scuba mask window it doesn’t form a curved drop and we can see through it.
2. You get used to dealing with water in your eyes, especially saltwater.
You will practice the scuba mask clearing skills in the swimming pool (chlorine water), confined open water in the ocean (saltwater), or confined open water in a lake or river (freshwater).
You will practice the scuba mask clearing skills in the swimming pool (chlorine water), confined open water in the ocean (saltwater), or confined open water in a lake or river (freshwater).
If you never practiced having your eyes open underwater, it might come as a shock feeling the saltwater (can sting a bit), the chlorine water (can irritate a bit), or the freshwater (might be cold) first time. This might lead to panic, so a lot of people like to practice the scuba mask clearing skills with open eyes while they are still under the supervision of a PADI Diving Instructor.
Learn more about becoming a PADI Diving Instructor
Learn more about becoming a PADI Diving Instructor
3. Having your eyes open feels more comfortable for some people.
Some people just don’t like the dark, especially in a new environment. Therefore they like to keep their eyes open during the scuba mask clearing skills, even if they don’t see much without a mask.
Some people just don’t like the dark, especially in a new environment. Therefore they like to keep their eyes open during the scuba mask clearing skills, even if they don’t see much without a mask.
Cons keeping your eyes open during the scuba mask clearing skills
1. Some people wear contact lenses.
I get this question a lot: Can I scuba dive with contact lenses? Yes, you can! A lot of people think you cannot scuba dive with contact lenses, but this is not true. You can easily scuba dive with contact lenses as the mask protects you from the water.
By keeping your eyes closed during the scuba mask clearing skills you make sure you don’t lose your contact lenses. Your diving instructor can squeeze your arm letting you know when you have cleared all the water from the mask.
Hard lenses are easier to lose than soft lenses. But even if you keep your eyes closed you might still lose them, so it is at your own risk. We recommend a scuba mask with prescriptive glasses if you want to make sure 100% that you don't lose your contact lenses. I also wear contact lenses and I prefer to dive with them over prescription masks as I would like to see things on the surface.
I get this question a lot: Can I scuba dive with contact lenses? Yes, you can! A lot of people think you cannot scuba dive with contact lenses, but this is not true. You can easily scuba dive with contact lenses as the mask protects you from the water.
By keeping your eyes closed during the scuba mask clearing skills you make sure you don’t lose your contact lenses. Your diving instructor can squeeze your arm letting you know when you have cleared all the water from the mask.
Hard lenses are easier to lose than soft lenses. But even if you keep your eyes closed you might still lose them, so it is at your own risk. We recommend a scuba mask with prescriptive glasses if you want to make sure 100% that you don't lose your contact lenses. I also wear contact lenses and I prefer to dive with them over prescription masks as I would like to see things on the surface.
2. Some people don’t like water in their eyes.
I recommend you keep your eyes closed while performing the scuba mask clearing skills if you don’t like the feeling of water in your eyes. Especially chlorine and saltwater can be a bit irritating, so keeping your eyes closed will prevent that.
I recommend you keep your eyes closed while performing the scuba mask clearing skills if you don’t like the feeling of water in your eyes. Especially chlorine and saltwater can be a bit irritating, so keeping your eyes closed will prevent that.
3. Can’t see that much without a scuba mask.
Like I mentioned before, you can’t see that much anyway underwater without a scuba mask. Keeping your eyes open doesn’t have a lot of benefits, so if you prefer to keep them closed then that is up to you.
Like I mentioned before, you can’t see that much anyway underwater without a scuba mask. Keeping your eyes open doesn’t have a lot of benefits, so if you prefer to keep them closed then that is up to you.
4. Some people feel more comfortable keeping their eyes closed underwater.
This might sound strange but a lot of people feel more comfortable keeping their eyes closed during the scuba mask clearing skills.
This is because they are used to knowing how it feels to have their eyes closed. It is something we do when we relax, sleep, meditate, take a massage, etc. so keeping the eyes closed can make you feel more relaxed when you are practicing an already bit more stressful skill.
Also, most people know how it feels to have water surrounding their eyes when they keep them closed underwater, as they normally close them when they are putting water on their faces while taking a shower, bath, swimming, etc.
This might sound strange but a lot of people feel more comfortable keeping their eyes closed during the scuba mask clearing skills.
This is because they are used to knowing how it feels to have their eyes closed. It is something we do when we relax, sleep, meditate, take a massage, etc. so keeping the eyes closed can make you feel more relaxed when you are practicing an already bit more stressful skill.
Also, most people know how it feels to have water surrounding their eyes when they keep them closed underwater, as they normally close them when they are putting water on their faces while taking a shower, bath, swimming, etc.
Final word
There might be more reasons that I don't know about why someone likes to keep their eyes open or closed during the scuba mask clearing skill.
In the end, it is important to know that you can choose whatever you prefer as a diving student, fun diver, or how to teach the scuba mask clearing skills as a PADI Divemaster or Diving Instructor. Even on the PADI Instructor Exam, you can choose to keep your eyes open or closed during the scuba mask clearing skills. It is all up to you.
In the end, it is important to know that you can choose whatever you prefer as a diving student, fun diver, or how to teach the scuba mask clearing skills as a PADI Divemaster or Diving Instructor. Even on the PADI Instructor Exam, you can choose to keep your eyes open or closed during the scuba mask clearing skills. It is all up to you.
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Marcel van den Berg
PADI Platinum Course Director
PADI Platinum Course Director
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Copyright 2017 - 2022 | All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
All content on this website and URL are owned by Sairee Cottage Diving PADI 5-Star IDC Center S-36452
Copyright 2017 - 2022 | All Rights Reserved