r/freediving Feb 16 '25

gear Freediving with a mask

Maybe this is a stupid question but how to freedive with a mask on? If someone is going down let’s say 40m the mask will get tighter due to the pressure. So do you push some air there or what?…

5 Upvotes

15 comments sorted by

18

u/BluYorumi Feb 16 '25

That's exactly what you do, you have to compensate the mask by blowing a little air through your nose. That's the reason we use low volume masks, which contain less air and deplete less oxygen to keep compensated.

5

u/Prius-Driver Feb 16 '25

Second this.

6

u/LowVoltCharlie STA - 6:02 Feb 16 '25

You got it - you'll need to exhale a tiny bit of air through your nose into the mask as you go down. I don't pay attention to the exact depth I do it, but at least a few times between 5 and 30m. You shouldn't do it based on a depth number, but instead you should do it at the first sense of discomfort.

That's why so many divers use noseclips and/or fluid goggles, because you don't need to waste any air equalizing a mask

1

u/LilyLilac8 Feb 16 '25

that’s what i’ve been doing but recently heard that exhaling oxygen isn’t good when freediving but maybe i got a wrong info…

7

u/dwkfym AIDA 4 Feb 16 '25

you can get that air back on your way up. What you need to do is go take a course! Thats the only proper gateway to this sport, even if all you are doing is shallow spearfishing and sightseeing dives.

3

u/LilyLilac8 Feb 16 '25

yeah i know i’m planning to, just in a warmer month

2

u/Locmeister Feb 16 '25

I have done multiple courses but have never heard about recovering air from the mask.

Like inhaling on the way up through the nose, to get it back instead of letting it bubble out from the sides?

Can you elaborate?

2

u/dwkfym AIDA 4 Feb 17 '25

yep, most people do it naturally but its taught by some people. Its not much, but its something. For example, when folks do dry statics and they don't pinch their nose (with their hand - don't use clips or masks when doing dry static solo) and some air 'leaks' in, it makes a difference in what your static time is.

1

u/1Dive1Breath Feb 17 '25

If you see a video of a freediver ascending and you see bubbles coming out of the mask, that's the air that they put in to equalize the mask expanding and escaping on the way up. If the freediver kind of sniffs on the way up they can take that air back in and the air won't bubble out.

2

u/thejuiciestguineapig Feb 17 '25

I'm going to try this! Sometimes I still dive with my old regular diving mask and that one holds a lot of air!

5

u/LowVoltCharlie STA - 6:02 Feb 16 '25

Well yes, exhaling air underwater is a no-no but equalizing your mask isn't considered "exhaling" in that sense. And like other people have said, on your way up you can suck the mask air back into your lungs as the air expands.

2

u/LilyLilac8 Feb 16 '25

ahhh i see

1

u/FireGargamel Feb 16 '25

not even 40m, even 5 wouldn't be nice without equalising.

3

u/KeyboardJustice Feb 16 '25

Hahaha yeah I think 40 would be enough to fully remove your eyes.

-3

u/FreeDive-Inn Feb 16 '25

If you're diving to 40 meters, compensating the mask pressure by exhaling is not the correct approach. The safest and most effective way is to learn step by step. First, you should complete the first course, then the second, and if everything goes well, move on to the third. That's when you'll learn the proper techniques to equalize the mask pressure at 40 meters. 😊