We received a call from a male customer to who had purchased a mask in our brick and mortar location about four months prior to his vacation. Most of the masks that we sell had fit his face quite well and he used his new mask at a pool to verify the fit and was pleased with his purchase. His phone call came about a week before his vacation in which he stated that his mask no longer fit. After going through some troubleshooting and not being able to determine the cause, we asked him to come back in. As soon as he walked in, we immediately determined the reason, he had been cultivating a rather bushy mustache since he used his mask. The mask covers portions of the face which is inclusive of the area located between the nostrils of the nose and the upper lip as well as portions of the cheekbone area on both sides of the face. The sealing surface of the mask skirt is to conform to those areas in a way that keeps it air tight. If it can not conform to these areas then it can not create an airtight seal thereby allowing water to enter into the viewing area. Having facial hair may have an adverse effect on the sealing capability of a mask in that the hair is breaking the seal that the skirt is trying to offer. Between a mustache and a beard, it is the mustache that would have the greater affect with regard to being the culprit for leakage as most beards are not often grown high enough up the cheek bone areas to interfere with the skirt. (read our article, Anatomy of the Mask).
MASK SEALING TIPS
Most snorkelers with a leaky mask will think that tightening the mask strap will alleviate this problem but in reality this may make the leakage problem worse. The material used in the skirt and sealing surface which (in quality masks) is a soft and pliable silicone, which will end up being stretched so it will not conform to the face. In this instance the simple act of smiling or even removal of the snorkel will cause the mask to leak, you should try loosening the strap to create a better seal. It may take a few tries to find the correct tension needed for the correct seal. The way the strap in positioned on the back of the head may play a role in achieving the perfect seal by moving it to the crown of the head will create a tighter seal around the lower portion of the skirt without compromising the flexibility of the silicone.
6 TIPS TO SEAL YOUR MASK
Try thinning out the mustache. A mustache that is too thick will definitely not provide the proper seal.
Trim the mustache area below the nostrils and the lip area to try to create a bare area on which the mask may seal.
Shorten the length of your mustache like the pencil thin mustache, doing this may allow enough of the seal to actually do it.
Make sure that your mask has a silicone skirt as it remains pliable in a wider temperature range than other materials. Masks using PVC will stiffen up in cooler temperatures which will affect their sealing capabilities.
You may have heard people talk about putting petroleum jelly on the mustache, this is something that you do not want to do as it will interact with the silicone of the skirt and cause it to deteriorate. A product called Mask Seal is a food grade silicone that when applied to the mustache will help to create a better sealing surface for the skirt.
If you have tried all of the above without success, your choices would be limited to dealing with water in your mask or just shave off your mustache.
These are just a few tips for you to try with the last two being the one's with the best success rates. With regard to the gentleman who came in the store.....he ended up shaving his off, but before you hate us, just a reminder that after his adventure in the water he grew his mustache back.
By TSJ
As far as gaining some perspective on the man vs. fish trend that's permeating the waterman culture as of late, there's no shortage of reasons to pickup The Evolution of Freediving and History of Spearfishing in Hawai'i by Sonny Tanabe. Included in the 200-page book are the story of Dr. Terry Maas' record-setting 398-pound Bluefin speared off of Guadalupe Island in 1982 (which served as the cover photo for his seminal Blue Water Hunters), the story of the first purge valve masks, and all of the other deep water exploits that 100 years underwater have brought us.
Also included is a short, one-page story about the relatively obscure Del Wren, which both captivates and inspires. Born in Rochester, New York, in 1925, Wren ran away from home at 13. By the time World War II rolled around, he found himself serving in the Pacific theater. After the war he spent a brief stint in Oregon as a logger, where an accident took his left leg in 1946. Undeterred, shortly thereafter he moved to California and began diving. By 1958 he won his first U.S. National Spearfishing title, and the following year Wren and the U.S. team would finish third at the World Spearfishing Championships in Malta.
As the story goes, Wren was sick with the flu during a competition in 1954 and had decided to stop fishing early. Laid up on the beach under a towel, when it came time to announce the winners one of his fellow divers announced that Wren's 45-pound catch was enough for the victory. That's when his old nemisis Charlie Sturgill exclaimed, "That one-legged bastard, that's who won?" Thus a nickname was born.
The above photo of Wren was taken in 1953 and features his own handwriting depicting the adaptations he made to his equipment to become a successful spear fisherman. "To stay in top diving shape Wren practiced breathing exercise, did push-ups, and swam at least four times a week," writes Tanabe. "He preferred to use a Duck Feet fin. His accomplishments in the sport are amazing."
First there was cruising above the surface of the water with the Jetlev R200, and then came the not so cool Aquaskipper, where you use human power to propel yourself across the surface of the water in a very lame looking contraption.
And now we have the Subwing, where you get to glide under water as a dolphin would. It’s basically a small wing you hold on to while being pulled along by a boat. The Subwing allows you to move sideways, twist, and even dive. Based on what I saw in the video below, one could hurt themselves if not careful. But then again, that can apply to anything.
Explore The Ocean Floor With Subwing
The recommended speed for the boat is about 2 knots. Unless you have a friend who is a complete jackass and decides to gun it, you should be okay while being pulled along. The rope should be about 15 meters in length. The longer the rope, the deeper you can dive.
The underwater toy is available in three different models. The fiberglass model costs $700, while the Carbon in matte and gloss will cost $850 and $895. I’m not a fan of the water so this product would not be for me, but perhaps some of you guys may find it interesting. For more details, check out Subwing.
We’ve all been there, that hold-down after getting nailed by a
wave and rolled round like a rag doll, that feeling that you’re not coming up
and fast running out of air.
Inevitably in this situation your movements become faster and
more desperate the longer you are under. This will use up what oxygen you have
left in your body even faster, causing you to panic even more.
Over the years there have been many suggestions on how to deal
with a major hold-down or wipeout, but the fact is there really is no perfect
way to train for it. Many surfers say they try to relax during a long hold-down,
which is what we should all do in an ideal world, but actually putting this
technique into practice can be easier said than done.
A more practical solution is to increase your lung capacity. This will enable you to
take on increased levels of oxygen and give you valuable extra seconds under
water. Specialized training in a pool can help you prepare for this unavoidable
situation and is known as hypoxic (low oxygen) swimming training. And with the
big autumn and winter swells a few months away, now is the time to start.
Before reading further,
hold your breath for twelve seconds.
Seriously. Twelve
seconds.
Easy as a mouthful of
black rice pudding, wasn’t it? (If you’re old Bali; if you’re new Bali, make
that easy as organic tofu scrambled with sun-dried tomatoes with a side dish of
wild brown rice, seasoned with natural sea salt and hand-picked jungle herbs).
One lesser known but
quite relevant fact of surfing is that most waves, even ten foot boomers, do
not hold you down for longer than twelve seconds, and of those that do, most
let you up by fifteen seconds.
I was told this fact
some twenty years ago by a heavy water man, an Alaska fisherman, North Shore
regular, blue water speargun hunter. We were out at Nusa Dua. This was the wet
season that Nusa Dua Did Not Stop, and after days and days of double overhead
surf with spring tide currents to match, that afternoon was a pleasant overhead
on a calm neap tide. I did not believe Mike when he told me. I said no way.
After all, I’d spent not an insignificant fraction of my life during the
previous week proving him wrong. Those hold downs were way longer than twelve
seconds.
But then I started
timing my hold downs, and counting others from cliff tops and channels and boat
railings. And sure enough. He was right. I did some checking around, and it
appears that Rabbit Kekai was saying the same thing way back in early North
Shore days.
When my son first
started paddling out to big surf, I told him about the 12 second rule, and I
believe he found it reassuring.
However, there are a
couple really big caveats. One is that the 12-second rule isn’t all that
comforting when you pop up in time to see the next wave of a stepladder set
ready to dump on you. You still have to get comfortable in heavy water.
Another is that there
are bound to be Exceptions to the Rule. If the surf’s ten foot, chances are
pretty good one wave in a session or two is going to hold you under for, oh,
thirty seconds, with the heels of your foot torqued over your back and
scratching your scalp, which seems about five times longer than fifteen
seconds. Most surfers, looking at heaving ten to twelve foot surf, are probably
thinking about the exceptions to the rule, instead of reassuring themselves
that they’ll be all right mate, only a twelve second hold down.
Related to this, it
isn’t just how long you can hold your breath underwater, but how quickly you
can expel said breath and inhale a big deep one as the wave explodes in front
of you. This takes a lot of aerobic conditioning and strengthening of diaphragm
muscles.
Also, the real danger
isn’t hold-downs but knocking yourself unconscious on your board or the reef,
or your leash getting tangled up on the bottom, or a fin chopping through a
major blood vessels. Deaths by long hold-down drowning are pretty rare. Off the
top of my head, I can only think of Todd Chesser’s drowning as in giant surf as
one (it’s believed Mark Foo had his leash tangled up).
I have in the past, during
sporadic fits of discipline, worked on my breath holding at the gym. A
treadmill is convenient. Jogging at a comfortable pace, hold your breath for
twelve to fifteen seconds, exhale and inhale, and hold again. Jog for thirty
seconds of normal breathing and then repeat the cycle. This can be varied of
course. I’ve discovered that a few weeks of this really truly does help me be
less winded in big surf (since I wipe out or blow it with embarrassing
consistency, thanks in part to my lousy vision & lack of depth perception).
You’ll discover something else that’s interesting. The second breath-hold is
actually less difficult than the first. What’s causing the distress and pain
you feel isn’t lack of oxygen but the CO2 buildup, and the second time around
your body is adjusting. (Note: I am not a fitness expert. I am also not an
idiot: DO NOT DO APNEA/BREATH HOLD TRAINING IN THE WATER WITHOUT AN OBSERVANT
PARTNER—you can go unconscious via shallow water blackout and drown).
Nearly every surfer has experienced the sensation: pinned to the ocean bottom, trying to swim for the surface, desperate for a few quick gasps of air to avoid what might happen if they don't. It's a scary moment and therefore, a tough time to stay composed -- even the pros say so. According to Kurt Krack, who teaches a surf survival course around breath holding, composure is key. While on the North Shore, six Oakley surfers took part in Krack's two-day course to better prepare themselves for the type of hold-downs and life-threatening situations that come with competitive surfing and freesurfing waves like Teahupoo, Pipeline, Jaws and many of the other heavy-water breaks around the world.
During the course, the crew of guys -- which ranged from big-wave surfers Danny Fuller and Rico Jimenez to WCT vets Melling and Tommy Whitaker to upcoming pros Eric Geiselman and Thomas Woods -- learned the science of how the body is affected by a lack of CO2 and then got in the pool to put into action their live-saving education. As you'll see, learning to stay submerged for upwards of four or five minutes isn't a feat strictly for NAVY Seals -- one of the guys added almost four minutes to how long he could hold his breath based on what he learned and applied.
Surf Survival Training Camp with Maya Gabeira and Sally Fitzgibbons
17 Surfers who love Big heavy waves were looking to improve on their ability and confidence in Huge Surfing conditions where longer hold downs can be an issue.
Throughout the 2 Day program Surfers were introduced to the many benefits that Freediving has, Surfing and Freediving already have a great symbiotic relationship with breath-holds bieng the catalyst.
The Surfers embraced the 4 main points of Freediving - Conserving 02 - Flexibility -Equalization - Safety
Now Armed with Knowledge skills and experience in the realm of Breath-hold and stress management these surfers were stoked!!!
SSI Freediving Instructors Mike Wells, Tanguy Crusson, Brett Davison - Assistants Jeremy Wells, Sdnei Avelar.
