This post is more aimed at instructors who sometimes find some difficulties in teaching a technique, mask clearing, on which many students have problems.
Remember that being a good instructor takes patience and that we can say someone is a good when he has to teach students with issues on learning some techniques. Good students are easy to teach but it is with students who have problems that we see the true value of a diving instructor. Below you will find some tips that you can put into practice to be able to teach, in the most effective way, a fundamental diving skill.
1 Try to understand initially what the real obstacle is for your student. Learn to separate technical from psychological obstacles. If the problems are psychological, try to investigate their true origin. Talk to your student and let him know that he is in the hands of a professional. If the stress level is too high enough try to move on to another easier exercise, if allowed by the standards. When you see the first troubles do not insist too much, do not be too demanding because you would get the opposite effect: you would completely block the student and preclude any successful strategy. Give it time and remember that patience must be seen by your student as one of your greatest virtues at that very moment.
2 If you think the problem is technical, there are various exercises you could try with your student so that he can immediately gain confidence. For example, you could invite him to take off the mask on the surface and breathe with his nose plugged and with the regulator in his mouth for a few minutes then he could practice this technique in water, first on the surface then just below the surface of the water, possibly with the eyes. closed until he is able to pick his nose out. This exercise helps the student to understand that a little water in the nose does not lead to any other major problems.
3 Another very useful technique in these cases turns out to be the one in which he practices out of the water. There is no need to introduce water into the mask at this step, he only needs to understand how to breathe and how to separate his airways. With the regulator in place and the mask in place, he should try to clear his mask by simulating an exhalation from the nostril and an inhalation from the regulator through the mouth. Through this exercise the student is learning to actually control his airways. He has to repeat it until the technique comes spontaneously.
4 Another little trick that could be very significant to try in these cases is to replace his mask with another one. In fact, even if this might not be the main problem, only changing his mask for another one could reassure him from a psychological point of view and convince him that the problem could habe been the mask more than himself. When we teach this technique, as regards the execution of the technique itself, it is also important that we teach the easier method. The water must be introduced from the top. They should also be taught that it is not recommended, especially the first few times, to lift the lower part of the mask as the pressure exerted by our breath is enough to empty it without having to do anything else. The first few times the instructor himself could introduce water into his mask to have a better control of the exercise. Don’t load the student with useless pressure.
5 Try to understand when it is time to take a break because insisting too much as already mentioned can be counterproductive. Rassure him whenever he takes a step forward. Do not forget about the positive reinforcements that must be always present during the training. Try to make him understand that it is not a technique that he will use hundreds of times during a dive. The eyes can also remain closed to avoid the discomfort that a little salt or chlorine can cause in his eyes.
Last note
always ask yourself a question during your courses. Are you having fun? remember that if you are teaching this exercise, like many others, without having fun without feeling any enthusiasm, probably not even your student is having fun right now and honestly nobody would be surprised that he could walk away from the course itself . Remember that an instructor must have passion to teach and that his lack of enthusiasm is the worst that can happen to be see during your diving course/activities.
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