Breathing issues.

[Shurr]

Hello! I have just started obtaining my open water diver cert. Last night I had my first in-pool dive/training. While I have bought somethings(gloves, booties, mask, snorkel, and fins) I had(like most people probably) wanted to wait to make sure I liked diving/dont freak out before buying the more exspensive things. The place I am doing my certification has rental equipment obviously. The instructor described it as the "ford pinto" of equipment. And really, who can blame them? people dropping things breaking stuff. I wouldn't want them to use top of the line equipment either. This(I think) bring my to my problem. I had trouble breathing with the regulator. not im not getting oxygen breathing, but to me if felt like...I think the best analogy would be breathing through a straw. I never felt like I was completely filling my lungs with oxygen. The instructor tested it, and to him it was fine. No matter if I tried slow steady breaths, or deep inhales. I never felt like I had filled myself with oxygen.

Has anyone had this issue before? Is it something I will learn to do? Or do I just need to go ahead and break down and get a good regulator for myself?

I dont know if it matters, but I am 6'7" and about 310 pounds. I was given an extra large tank (3000PSI, vs everyone elses 2200PSI) After class the instructor commented I did well with my breathing and didnt use as much air as he thought I would. I think this goes back to that's because I wasnt really breathing completely.

While I never felt like I was going to drown or anything, it was most certainly not comfortable or pleasureable to be breathing like that.

Any help and advice is very appreciated.

 

[Keith.M]

It could certainly be a tuning issue with the regulator. Are there other sets available or it this set assigned to you?

While standing in the pool, take your regulator and turn it upside down with the mouthpiece facing up. Then slowly lower it in to the water. It should start free flowing before the mouthpiece goes under water. If not, then the cracking pressure is set too high.

The other thing it could be is simply anxiety. It is not natural for us to breath under water and many people have an issue with it and it could seem like it is hard to breath.

 

[TMHeimer]

I guess a simple solution would to set up a different regulator (maybe borrow one at the pool) and see if it breathes the same or better. If the same then it might be you're just not used to breathing from one. There should be no issues, especially at pool depths. I don't recall any difference in mine at depths of 100', etc., where it is recommended you breath slower.

 

[Shurr]

Thanks for the prompt replies. My instructor said he was going to give me a different one next class. So I will see if there is a difference. It could be anxiety, although I had none before or was in pool. I generally never experience anxiety in anything, ever. Although I am not saying that that is not the case!

 

[Bubbales]

Exhale, when I first tried breathing off a regulator, I felt the same way. I found out that if I would exhale fully, more than I thought possible, I could get a full breath. After about 2-3 conscious tries I never had another problem. I hope this helps.

 

[chavala]

I too think its anxiety. Realize breathing through a reg is never going to feel the same as breathing real air. You just get used to it. And when you start seeing all these really cool things underwater you'll completely forget about it ; )

 

[BRT]

You may learn to love it! Picture this...I woke up after 9 hours of surgery, eyes still closed, nobody knew I was conscious. I had this thing in my mouth. Kind of paniced me. Then I realized that when I started to breath in, the pressurized gas just flowed, ever so nicely. I thought, just like a scuba regulator! And I was fine.

 

[Shurr]

after doing some more reading and research today, I think I may just need to adjust to it alot. More than normal people, since breathing through my mouth is not a normal thing for me, I only ever breathe through my mouth when I have a congested nose, or and exerting myself very heavily. This brings me to another question, would a full face mask help? Since i seem to prefer breathing through my nose so much?

 

[sphyrnidus]

@Shurr: While eventually a full face mask may the thing you want, it has issues too (like being very exspensive). As a lot of divers have gone before you, it is most certainly doable. Just try to relax. Most people have trouble breathing under water in the beginning. It is not natural, so anxiety has to be overcome. It will get better, even with a Pinto

btw breathing through the nose is normal, almost every one does it the way you describe.

 

[Learn It]

I agree with the others. A regulator, especially a rental that will not be dialed in to your liking will often initially make breathing feel laborious.