silicone grease and fetal position questions

[madburns]

I am a bearded man who is just starting in the sport. I have a good mask (cressi focus), but it leaks around my mustach despite a good fit. Does vasoline work as well as silicone grease? If not, is there a common source where I can purchase silicone grease at a normal price? My dive shop sells it for $3 a tablespoon.

Question #2. The relaxed fetal position

I got a copy of Terry Maas' freediving video which, among many things instructs divers to learn the relaxed fetal position on the surface of the water for resting and observing. I have tried this in a wetsuit and out, with various weighting options. I always seem to sink when I exhale, and float when I inhale. Is this the key, that I have to time my breaths to stay afloat? Possibliity number two is that I am just doing it wrong. Help?

 

[Erik]

Fetal Position

Hello my friend; I can't tell you about the lube, but IMHO, you may be wearing just a touch too much weight. The way I'm weighted, I will just start to sink as I start to inhale. If I exhale and hold it out just a little too long, I will sink, so If this happens, I give the slightest little frog kick from the ankle. In fresh water, with a 2pc 5mm suit, I'm wearing 9lbs. This makes me neautral at around 12 metres. If you are weighted for shallower diving, then you would probably need more weight, which would make you a little heavy at the surface I suppose. Also, when I worked at a dive shop a few years back, we had a big 2 litre container of silicone grease, so somebody must sell it. Cheers, Erik

 

[madburns]

That helps with the fetal position question, but is there anyone with any imput about silicone grease vs. vasoline for mustache sealant?

thanks

 

[freediver48]

Hi,

I don't know about the mask seal problem either, but I bet a good razor would solve your problems. If you want to relax in the water your need to float, not worry about sinking on the exhale, drop some weight and work on your technique.

Good luch with the grease,

Freediver48

 

[mark aronoff]

you CAN dive WITH a moustache. It takes a bit of trimming. What seems to work is to trim back the TOP ie UPPER portion of the moustche,the part that normally is hairy right up to your nose. What that does is leave a bit of skin for a non-leaky seal. It looks a bit weird if you look really close; on the other hand, most of your moustache stays intact. The person I learned this from , and myself, and I presume most other moustached folks would find it a workable solution. The mask typically seals right under the nose ie UPPER part of the upper lip, so just leaving a thin line of clear skin here really helps the sealing. Trim with scissors or clippers, and if you're really fussy about it,a razor afterwards. The res of the moustache can stay pretty long.
Cheap silicon lube: try regular hardware store, like Home Depot. It comes in big fat toothpaste-size tube for a fraction of the cost of the over-priced dab you mentioned from the dive shops. I don't know if there's a quality difference, but it's thick and works. Maybe there's a reason the dive shops are charging so much more (other than $$$??? Maybe they'll reply here. Meanwhile...try the other stuff.
Unfortunately, neither of these comments lead to a 3 min. UW time.

 

[madburns]

silicon grease

Mark,

blessings upon you for answering my plaguing question. I will try both of your suggestions. #2 was especially helpful

thanks again

 

[mark aronoff]

moustache, part II. I seem to recall using for moustache-mask sealing a product called Cramer Skin Lube. First found it and used it for original purpose---chafe protection (thighs, arms) for running, and arms for long swims. Cramer makes athletic stuff ie balms, tapes, etc. for athletes, but I don't know if they're still around , or if SkinLube is still around. It came in tube like toothpaste, and looked like light green vasaline, but is MUCH MUCH stickier and stiffer and stays on longer in moisture. But I remember using it. only downside---can get kind of smeary if you use too much and get it on lenses. don't think it's petroleum based so don't think it harms mask materials. Sporting good stores had it.