Air exhaling out of nose during inhalation

[WarmWaterDiver]

I've had this happen too, and I have switched to a nice Aqualung Pacifica purge mask - keeps the skirt from bouncing around like my old Mares Lirica did. I've had allergies to pollens, cats, etc. about as long as I can remember, and I currently take Zyrtec-D. I just "go with the flow". Like you, it doesn't always happen, but I've never observed a depth correlation. I'll have to keep a lookout for the depth on my next trip.

 

[spectrum]

I get the same sort of interactions when snorkeling, usually after about 1/2 hour. My mask will suck in and I get other indescribable whacky air flows. If I pinch my nostrils one at a time and blow them clear it goes away for about 10 minutes. I also have summer allergies and this varries directly with those worst days. If I'm lucky I'll have a few weeks in the water after the allergens clear out for the year. Ragweed seems to the irritant DuJour.

Pete

 

[opiniongirl]

This has happened to me - but more to do with the regulator (I don't have allergies)

When my reg is too fine tuned, it turns into almost positive pressure (terribly slight freeflow). The air that I'm not inhaling into my lungs bypasses and goes up through the nasal cavity, and out... feels real weird.

Maybe it's your reg? Did you have it serviced recently?

 

[ChickenBone]

not meaning to hijack the thread, but i'm curious:

is it called circular breathing when a person inhales through their nose while exhaling through their mouth? definitely handy for didgeridoos and trumpet/trombone/woodwind players

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

Not sure - my symptoms are a bit of air leakage out my nose when inhaling through the mouth (occasionally). Found no relation with depth on my most recent trip - more of a relation to paying attention to whether this is happening or not and conciously "stopping" any air flow through the nasal passages instead of "relax and breathe naturally through the regulator while enjoying the underwater world".

I haven't had an experience with inhaling through the nose while exhaling from the mouth.

 

[rossjc]

I hear ya...this happened to me on a dive in So. Cal. I couldn't control it and it basically drove me crazy!

 

[base615]

not meaning to hijack the thread, but i'm curious:

is it called circular breathing when a person inhales through their nose while exhaling through their mouth? definitely handy for didgeridoos and trumpet/trombone/woodwind players

It is indeed, pretty essential for playing the didgeridoo properly. Easiest way to learn it is to blow continuous bubbles into a glass of water with a straw and breath through the nose at the same time. It's actually a lot easier than most people think.

Craig