Any SCUBA masks that let you breathe through your nose?

[Betta132]

I'm planning to get scuba certified fairly soon, but there's one issue that I'm aware of; if I can't breathe through my nose, I feel like I'm going to smother. It's not a physical issue, I won't actually suffocate, it just drives me nuts. Even a stuffed-up nose makes me feel like I'm going to suffocate the entire time... Drives me insane.
About five years ago, I did this thing at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where you get to wear an air tank and go swim in this massive tidal pool to see crabs and stuff. Everybody stayed right up at the surface, no real diving, and it was AWESOME, but half the time I felt like I was gonna smother.
Are there any masks that let you breathe through your nose as well as your mouth? I'm pretty sure I've seen pictures of masks like that...

 

[billsreef]

There are full face masks. Expensive and require additional training. The alternate in case of failure is still going to be the old fashion stick the regulator in your mouth, so it is still worth adapting to that breathing through the mouth bit.

 

[savethereef]

Seems weird at first but you get used to it. plus you will need to pinch your nose to Equalize every 8-10 feet. And always remember dont hold your breath.

 

[Cu455]

Go to a dive shop and rent a spare air can, its a mini air tank. Then go to the pool with a mask and practice, 5 years is a long time. You were probably just nervous. Comtrol yiur breathing. Count the time you inhale and exhale. Inhake for 5 seconds and exhale for 7 seconds,

 

[tkeracer619]

You need to equalize every foot or so for noobies because if you let it build up you may have to ascend a bit to get it to clear. If you wait for the pain its usually too late.

I've learned how to actively vent my air passages... I get in the water, put the fins in the air, and kick to the bottom. I can drop like a rock no issues . Adds a couple minutes to bottom time.

You do really need to get used to mouth breathing or you could look into a dry suit. Maybe even a rebreather setup down the road so you can dive for extended periods.

Most important thing about a mask... Fits comfortably and doesn't leak.

 

[Cu455]

I can drop like a rock no issues . Adds a couple minutes to bottom time.

I hope you don't drop to far to fast. If you are free diving you can just lift your legs up and change you center of gravity. You will drop a lot quicker . If you are using scuba you deflate your vest and the weights on your waist will make you drop like a rock.

You need to equalize every foot or so

No you don't.

I've learned how to actively vent my air passages...

What does this mean?

You do really need to get used to mouth breathing or you could look into a dry suit.

a dry suit and a regulator have nothing to do with each other.

 

[chaaban]

http://uncrate.com/stuff/easybreath-snorkeling-mask/

 

[tkeracer619]

I hope you don't drop to far to fast. If you are free diving you can just lift your legs up and change you center of gravity. You will drop a lot quicker . If you are using scuba you deflate your vest and the weights on your waist will make you drop like a rock.

You should be neutrally buoyant. If your weights are pulling you down you aren't setup right. Shouldn't be using air in the BCD to compensate for over weighting. You can drop as fast as you want within reason.


No you don't.

Maybe you don't but a lot of people do.

What does this mean?

It means I never have to clear my ears, they do it realtime.


a dry suit and a regulator have nothing to do with each other.
He asked about breathing through his nose. Full face masks do this. Dry suits often have full face masks.

 

[Cu455]

1)The whole point of the weights is to pull you down. The air brings you up. If you want to conserve air and snorkel to a spot you fill you BCD to hold you at the surface which makes you positively buoyant. If the OP is speak with his instructor he will be floating which will make him positively buoyant. When you jump in the water from a boat with air in you vest and you float when you land you are positively buoyant.

2)Then you deflate you vest until you are neutrally buoyant. Sometimes you want to be negatively buoyant. If I am on a boat or kayak near a reef I will descend with the anchor and plant it so I don't destroy anything.

2) If you equalize every foot you will have to equalize 8 times to touch the bottom of a pool.

3) You are like aqua man. Real time equalization.

4) A dry suit still has nothing to do with wearing a full mask. He can wear it without a dry suit. The guy never dove before and you are telling him to use a dry suit and re breather.

 

[Cu455]

OP just take a course and they will teach you everything you need to know. You are going to love it. If you're that concerned about the breathing get a mask, snorkel and swim with it a little bit. It isnt bad at all. I am sure you will be fine.

 

[billsreef]

1)The whole point of the weights is to pull you down. The air brings you up.

Um, no. The point of the weights is to achieve neutral buoyancy, which is necessary to have any sort of decent buoyancy control. Shouldn't need to be adding air to go up, if anything you generally you need to be dumping air on the way up to avoid an out of control ascent. Once at the surface you can add air to increase buoyancy if needed.

2)Sometimes you want to be negatively buoyant.

Rarely. Only times I've found negative buoyancy a plus is when doing work in strong currents when sitting on the bottom is desirable. Otherwise, neutral is the place to be for good control and not banging into the bottom.

2) If you equalize every foot you will have to equalize 8 times to touch the bottom of a pool.

Yes. Sometimes that is needed. In fact I've known divers with equalization issues (likely narrow Eustachian tubes) that need to equalize even more frequently. The shallows of the first 30' is also the greatest rate pressure change, making equalizing frequently even more important.

 

[albano]

Count the time you inhale and exhale. Inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 7 seconds,

Sounds like a long time!

 

[Cu455]

Weights are to make your overall composition more dense then the water. Neutral buoyancy is achieved by the balance between all your equipment and environment (temp, depth, salinity,altitude). Even though you might rarely go negatively buoyant people do and the reason why it is possible is because of the weight belt.

I never said you should inflate when you ascend. If you want to stay at the surface you could inflate your vest and make life easier. If you are snorkeling to a spot you can also inflate your vest and save energy. You don't have to and work a little harder.

Like you said you might need to deflate a little when you ascend. This is because there is less pressure are you are in shallower waters which makes your body less compressed and you more buoyant. You need less air in your vest to counter the downward force caused by the weights. You still have the same amount of weight on you but your buoyancy is changing.

In short weights will help you maintain neutral buoyancy their main purpose is to make your over composition more dense increasing the downward force. If you deflate your vest all the way you will go negatively buoyant. Weights don't magically make you neutrally buoyant but help you control your buoyancy.

I am sure there are people that need to equalize every 12 inches but I will assume it is less common then going negatively buoyant. You said you dive with people who need to equalize more frequently. How often do they equalize?

 

[Cu455]

Sounds like a long time!

Not really give it a try. It's a good way to destress. Give it a try next time you read one of sharkbaits posts. In yoga I do 10 second inhales and 15 second exhales. I am a pretty heavy smoker.

 

[tkeracer619]

4) A dry suit still has nothing to do with wearing a full mask. He can wear it without a dry suit. The guy never dove before and you are telling him to use a dry suit and re breather.

I never said that. I said down the road look into it so he can be more comfortable. You are putting words in my mouth. It might also be a good idea to take some of your own advice and take a refresher course. You sound fuzzy with some of the basics.

 

[billsreef]

Weights don't magically make you neutrally buoyant but help you control your buoyancy.

You are correct that weights do not magically make you neutrally buoyant. One has to put a bit of thought and effort into getting properly weighted. The way to do it is to get into the water with all your gear on. Play around with different amounts of weight until you find the correct amount to make yourself neutrally buoyant. Keep in mind, if your using the common aluminum 80, it becomes about 4lbs positively buoyant at the end of the dive when it is close to empty. You should really try it sometime. When correctly weighted for neutral you'll use less air and put less effort into the dive. You'll also look like a better dive to others. Really, the only reason for negative weighting is for specific applications that involve making oneself very stationary on the bottom or applying leverage to get a job done. Outside of some specific collection or research activities in current swept areas, I've never being negatively weighted by more than a pound to be anything other than a hindrance...in over 30 years of diving in variety of climates and water conditions.

I am sure there are people that need to equalize every 12 inches but I will assume it is less common then going negatively buoyant. You said you dive with people who need to equalize more frequently. How often do they equalize?

Only reason going negatively buoyant might be common is the lack of buoyancy skills that is all too common in the average recreational diving public. Frequency of equalization can vary from one diver to the next. One student I worked with last semester needed to equalize almost continuously for the first 30 feet or so. Before I got her equalizing so frequently, she couldn't make the first 10 feet without having issues and needing to return to the surface.

 

[nogascans]

You are correct that weights do not magically make you neutrally buoyant. One has to put a bit of thought and effort into getting properly weighted. The way to do it is to get into the water with all your gear on. Play around with different amounts of weight until you find the correct amount to make yourself neutrally buoyant. Keep in mind, if your using the common aluminum 80, it becomes about 4lbs positively buoyant at the end of the dive when it is close to empty. You should really try it sometime.

I can relate to that. The first time I tried Scuba (Discover Scuba Class in Grand Cayman), I ended up needing more weight that others to remain neutral in buoyancy at beginning of dive, but by the end of dive with close to empty tank, I found myself uncomfortably buoyant and fighting to stay down.

Sincerely,

David

 

[judin2117]

To the original question, yes there are options to breath with your nose, but they will require more training and cost more. Like some of the others i recommend going to the classes and trying to learn with a normal regulator as you might someday find yourself needing it. While Scuba diving is fun and relaxing you need to realize that you are wearing life support equipment not pool toys and so the better understanding and stronger skills will make for safer and more reliable diving

 

[albano]

Just saw this on another site...not scuba, but...
http://www.tribord.com/en/brand/innovation/easybreath-snorkeling-mask

 

[Cu455]

You are correct that weights do not magically make you neutrally buoyant. One has to put a bit of thought and effort into getting properly weighted. The way to do it is to get into the water with all your gear on. Play around with different amounts of weight until you find the correct amount to make yourself neutrally buoyant. Keep in mind, if your using the common aluminum 80, it becomes about 4lbs positively buoyant at the end of the dive when it is close to empty. You should really try it sometime. When correctly weighted for neutral you'll use less air and put less effort into the dive. You'll also look like a better dive to others. Really, the only reason for negative weighting is for specific applications that involve making oneself very stationary on the bottom or applying leverage to get a job done. Outside of some specific collection or research activities in current swept areas, I've never being negatively weighted by more than a pound to be anything other than a hindrance...in over 30 years of diving in variety of climates and water conditions.



Frequency of equalization can vary from one diver to the next. One student I worked with last semester needed to equalize almost continuously for the first 30 feet or so. Before I got her equalizing so frequently, she couldn't make the first 10 feet without having issues and needing to return to the surface.

Thanks I know why it is important to be neutrally buoyant. *That is not what we were discussing. *We were discussing the purpose of weights and how neutral buoyancy is achieved. **You are right about the tanks. Just another factor that weighs in to your buoyancy.

This whole stupid argument that probably scared this guy from scuba diving started when I stated that the weights are suppose to make your composition more dense and bring you down. You then stated that weights make you neutrally buoyant. Weights don't make you neutrally buoyant it is the combination of several forces that affect your buoyancy.

I don't know why you keep talking about why certain people might go negatively buoyant. This seems like a distraction from your original criticism. At least you gave up on the idea that people become positively buoyant. I don't care why people might go negatively buoyant the fact is that they have the ability to go negatively buoyant. I just did a lake clean up at Round Valley Reservoir and I was negatively buoyant as well as other people as we were cleaning fishing lines and lures of the bottom of the lake.

There is a difference between what something does and what results from it. Weights make you more dense to allow you to move down the water column. This allows you to become neutrally buoyant, its a cause and effect relationship.

Maybe you and your 30 years of experience in all climates should right a letter to PADI stating that their course work is wrong. Here is my quote that started your whole rant about this. Underneath that is PADI's definition. I think my definition accurately reflects theirs.

1)The whole point of the weights is to pull you down. air brings you up.

"Scuba weight system
Your Weight Belt and/or Weight-Integrated BCD

Most people float. In addition, wetsuits and dry suits are also substantially buoyant. Properly adjusted, your scuba weight system adds just enough weight to offset the tendency to float so you can descend. That is, it allows you to go down – it doesn’t make you sink."​

http://www.padi.com/scuba/scuba-gear/scuba-gear-descriptions-tips/scuba-weight-system/