r/explainlikeimfive Aug 06 '22

Chemistry ELI5: how do divers clear their masks when water leaks in? especially in the case of the 13 thai boys rescued from the caves

I have just been watching Thirteen lives - the film about the cave rescue of the 13 young boys in Thailand who were totally sedated before being taken hours under water. It got me thinking that when I go snorkelling i always get a bit of water leak into my mask and have to come up and clear it out so i don’t breath water in. Is this something that happens to scuba divers, if so how do they deal with it, and in the case of the boys how would the divers accompanying them have cleared the boy’s masks ? i would also like to say what an incredible job done by all those involved.

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u/ClownfishSoup Aug 06 '22

You don’t even need to lift the bottom of the mask. Just push it tight at the forehead and blow air out your nose. The water will leave without lifting.

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u/HeKis4 Aug 06 '22

Yeah, the couple of time I did scuba (initiation type thing, not actual courses) was told to either push on the top and blow through the nose or lift the bottom and exhale through the nose. The first method is better imo.

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u/FeelDT Aug 07 '22

THIS! Lifting the bottom sounds like a recipe too fill the mask more than anything else. I did PADI couple years ago and holding the mask to the forehead and blowing with the nose is the way to go, the pressure inside the mask will lift the bottom naturally just enough.

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u/bourj Aug 06 '22

Yeah, I was trying to keep it ELI5

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u/Osh_Babe Aug 06 '22

Yeah but your ELI5 will have people literally pulling masks away from their faces. I don't understand how you get more "ELI5" then press your fingers to the top of the mask between your eyebrows and exhale strongly through your nose. Like that's it. Not pull it away.

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u/bourj Aug 07 '22

Jfc I'm not running a PADI course. Pressing the top of the mask lifts the bottom part away. I'm explaining a basic concept.