DUH!
Somehow I succeded in responding to this thread - in a completely unrelated thread...
That's what I get for having too many windows open.
Here goes try #2:
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It may sound silly, but practice breathing with water on your face can help with the no-mask exercise...
Stand in the shower facing the showerhead. Don't set the temp to high... Open your mouth as wide as you can while still touching the roof of the mouth with the tip of the tongue. This prevents splashing water from going down the throat just like while snorkeling or SCUBA with a partialy flooded reg.
Step into the spray so it's in your face. Look down a little bit as needed and breath like your scuba diving. Let any splasing water just fall back out of your mouth. Take slow, full breaths through the mouth only. Breath out through the nose a little if water starts to come in.
Practice holding the nose closed at the back of the throat. If your not sure how to intentionaly move those muscles, try closing your throat to stop breathing in/out for a moment while keeping your mouth open. Then let your throat back open just a little bit and you should now only be breathing in/out through the mouth. Relax the throat and the nose passage opens again.
It may take a few tries to figure it all out and get the feel of it. Eventualy you should be able to open the nose and close it at will (without really even thinking about it).
While practicing in the shower, all you need to do is take 1 step back and your in clear air if you don't feel comfortable at any time. This may be easier than trying to master the skill while fully under water in a pool.
When you/your wife are OK with this exercise, breating underwater with the mask off is EXACTLY the same thing except the mouth is on the regulator instead of wide open.
This also works WONDERFULLY with very hot water to reduce congestion when you have a cold in the sinuses... If I stay under really hot water for too long I tend to get a bit dizzy though so be carefull. I assume it's similar to having a high feaver so I get out as soon as I feen anything out of the ordinary.
Let me know if this works. I've never tried to describe it to someone who wasn't right in front of me before. It's odd not being able to demonstrate what I'm talking about.
Good luck with the class.
Somehow I succeded in responding to this thread - in a completely unrelated thread...
That's what I get for having too many windows open.
Here goes try #2:
----------
It may sound silly, but practice breathing with water on your face can help with the no-mask exercise...
Stand in the shower facing the showerhead. Don't set the temp to high... Open your mouth as wide as you can while still touching the roof of the mouth with the tip of the tongue. This prevents splashing water from going down the throat just like while snorkeling or SCUBA with a partialy flooded reg.
Step into the spray so it's in your face. Look down a little bit as needed and breath like your scuba diving. Let any splasing water just fall back out of your mouth. Take slow, full breaths through the mouth only. Breath out through the nose a little if water starts to come in.
Practice holding the nose closed at the back of the throat. If your not sure how to intentionaly move those muscles, try closing your throat to stop breathing in/out for a moment while keeping your mouth open. Then let your throat back open just a little bit and you should now only be breathing in/out through the mouth. Relax the throat and the nose passage opens again.
It may take a few tries to figure it all out and get the feel of it. Eventualy you should be able to open the nose and close it at will (without really even thinking about it).
While practicing in the shower, all you need to do is take 1 step back and your in clear air if you don't feel comfortable at any time. This may be easier than trying to master the skill while fully under water in a pool.
When you/your wife are OK with this exercise, breating underwater with the mask off is EXACTLY the same thing except the mouth is on the regulator instead of wide open.
This also works WONDERFULLY with very hot water to reduce congestion when you have a cold in the sinuses... If I stay under really hot water for too long I tend to get a bit dizzy though so be carefull. I assume it's similar to having a high feaver so I get out as soon as I feen anything out of the ordinary.
Let me know if this works. I've never tried to describe it to someone who wasn't right in front of me before. It's odd not being able to demonstrate what I'm talking about.
Good luck with the class.