Mask Clearing, Why We Do It.

We've all experienced it, waters gotten in to our nose and it’s not a pleasant feeling so why would we want to intentionally flood our mask underwater. No matter the organization, no matter the training eventually you will be asked to break the seal around your mask and let the cavity flood. Soon you will even be expected to remove the mask completely and re-position it back on your face but to do so you need to understand how it works.

The reason this skill is taught is because eventually your mask will leak, fog up or flood and you need to be able to correct the problem without having to cancel the dive to surface. The notion can be rather daunting but after you get a fill for it, learning this skill won’t be as frightening.

If you spent those extra bucks and got a purge valve on your mask then good for you, you don’t have to do as much but if you settled just for something to see out of then pay attention. It’s simple to get water into your mask but it will take some effort and understanding to get it back out.

What makes the most sense to me is that when a canoe/kayak gets overturned it doesn't sink because it has a pocket of air trapped in the hull. The same concept applies when trying to purge your mask. Take your palm and press it firmly against the top of the mask while looking up. This maintains the seal at the top of the mask. Exhale through the nose to fill the cavity where the mask will rest, the air bubbles will drift upwards into the mask displacing the water. Once done exhaling re-position the mask back in place and open your eyes, it’s as simple as that.

Although we may not enjoy having our masks flood it is important to be able to clear it and continue the dive. By being able to do this simple skill it will make your dive that much more enjoyable. Instead of sucking it up and diving with a partially flooded mask why not just clear it?

Buying a BCD, Sherwood AVID

A BCD (buoyancy control/compensator device) is a necessity. There are a few big ticket items you absolutely need when scuba diving and they can vary from person to person but a BCD, tank, regulators, and gauges/computer are the main four that come to mind.

Just like any sport there are many products/services offered through numerous companies all dedicated to providing goods to you but which one do you choose? My decision was to purchase the bulk of my gear through Sherwood and AKONA in part because the dive shop I was most associated with was a retailer of these brands.

When I first decided to purchase my own personal diving equipment I had little idea of what I would need but one thing was certain I would be investing in a BCD. The Sherwood AVID was my first large investment towards my scuba diving hobby. One way to ease the issue of picking out that perfect fit for you is by talking with various dive shops and asking fellow divers of their opinions on gear. When I was researching and prospecting for gear I ended up hopping from one dive shop to the next, probably checking out half a dozen before I finally decided.

What I've noticed is that in the three years that I've owned a Sherwood AVID it has been reliable and a worthwhile purchase. In the fifty plus dives that I've used this BCD I never had a problem with the system and with regular annual maintenance I hope that that BCD will last me ten more years.

Dive Shops in the Salisbury Area

Having been traditionally from the Salisbury area scuba dive shops are hard to come by but with this entry maybe you’ll get some ideas of where to look. To be specific I live a little outside of town so the nearest dive shops are towards Claremont, Charlotte, and Mooresville North Carolina.

Let’s begin where it all started. My first training was through a small quaint shop in the town of Claremont just a skip and a jump away from Hickory. The DiveShop provides certifications through PADI so as I’ve mentioned in the About page of my blog I was first certified through PADI. You’ll find the shop operated by Gene Monday, a delightful gentleman that won’t try to force a sale on any customer. Rather, Gene will usually try to coerce you to have a seat and enjoy an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. In terms of service they provide adequate training but sometimes it may be difficult to complete in a predetermined amount of time. It took me several extra months until I was finally able to finish my open water certification. The Dive Shop while located in the mountains of N.C. is on island time like any other dive shop and you can’t really rush through good training. Personally, the small shop still serves as my go-to place when I need a gear tune-up.

A little further away is Open Water Adventures in Charlotte N.C. (45 minutes). This shop is really state of the art with a training pool located on site. In terms of convenience this would be my preference of a dive shop mainly because there is no hassle of trying to reserve a pool. The service is excellent with all employees taking the time to learn the customer’s names. The shop is different from the dive shop because they are an SSI certifying organization. In addition Open Water Adventures has a dive blog which can be accessed by this link http://www.openwateradventures.com/dive-blog/ 

Lastly is the Lake Norman Scuba which is located in Mooresville N.C. (30 minutes). Unless you come from a wealthy area I would recommend elsewhere for your training. While I personally haven’t trained under the staff at Lake Norman I have been a regular customer for several years and still many of the employees have no idea who I am, apart from another potential customer. As opposed to the previous two shops this one relies heavily on sales and is willing to push you out the door trying to get a sale. Honestly while the people are friendly I would rather shop at another store that appreciates and is willing to take the time to get to know their customers.

While there are numerous other store in the area I felt it would be more beneficially to tell about the ones I specifically associate with. Also I cannot vouch as well for other shops that may have been excluded in this review.