Yep, scuba can't be done without a mask that encloses the nose, though not because the water gets in your nose (though, for comfort, that's a big reason too!) Actually, we will have to swim a ways without our masks in a later lesson. I'm hoping to practice mask removal a bit before then and learn how to keep the bubbles out of my nose!
But the reason for needing the nose inside the mask actually has to do with equalization, or keeping the pressure the same inside and outside. As you go deeper and the pressure increases, the mask will press into your face. Small capillaries around the nose burst and fill the mask with blood. Yuck.
To keep this from happening, we equalize every few feet, holding our noses and blowing to keep our ears equalized and also blowing through our noses into our masks to keep from experiencing "mask squeeze." With just goggles covering the eyes, there's no way to equalize and you end up coming up looking like Little Mack in that old Punch-Out Nintendo game. :^P
There's your diving lesson for the day. Quiz next week. ;)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rosecarmine
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-20 09:53 pm (UTC)But the reason for needing the nose inside the mask actually has to do with equalization, or keeping the pressure the same inside and outside. As you go deeper and the pressure increases, the mask will press into your face. Small capillaries around the nose burst and fill the mask with blood. Yuck.
To keep this from happening, we equalize every few feet, holding our noses and blowing to keep our ears equalized and also blowing through our noses into our masks to keep from experiencing "mask squeeze." With just goggles covering the eyes, there's no way to equalize and you end up coming up looking like Little Mack in that old Punch-Out Nintendo game. :^P
There's your diving lesson for the day. Quiz next week. ;)