Adaptive Equipment

Face masks with purge valves are very useful for divers with upper extremity impairments who may have difficulty clearing their mask. With this type of mask, the diver merely needs to exhale through his nose to clear the mask of water. Arm and hand mobility is not required. There are models with the purges built into the lens of the mask and others built into a pliable nose compartment. Both models are typically designed to enable the divers to perform a Valsalva maneuver by pinching the nose.