A more expensive regulator set (regset) doesn't necessarily mean a better breather, especially at pool depths. They all can deliver far more air than your can use, the minimum standard is to supply 2 divers working hard at 30m and pretty much any name brand can do much better than that.
But incipient panic can make it feel like even the best tuned, highest performing reg in the world isn't providing enough gas. What you need is practice. I'd use your wife's regset to do it. Start on the couch, then in the tub, then floating and swimming on the surface of the pool, finally sitting and lying on the bottom of the shallow end of the pool.
And then use that regset when you retake the course.
Big picture, the stuff that freaked you out freaks a lot of people out: the feel of breathing underwater and water in the mask issues. But they both quickly recede with familiarity. Anyone can work on mask skills prior to the course and you have the opportunity to work on getting comfortable breathing off a reg underwater.
You should also get your fin issues sorted before redoing the course. Do some swimming with them and figure out the right booties or adjustments to make them comfortable. If you can't, try a different pair. Note that you need to do the kicking mostly underwater because the forces are higher than if you are kicking on the surface.
The other big issues people have are weighting and trim. That's not so easy to work on prior to the class. But if you are comfortable with the mask and reg and fins, you'll be in a much better position to cope with this in your class.
One tip that may help depending on the water temp is that the less neoprene you wear, the easier everything is. Another is to make sure the neck isn't too tight. Restricted circulation to the head will obviously cause issues, including inducing panic. Fighter pilots will most likely have thicker necks than others of the same general body size. You can leave the suit unzipped a couple of inches if you can't find one that fits correctly. It's one of the reasons I prefer front zip suits.
But incipient panic can make it feel like even the best tuned, highest performing reg in the world isn't providing enough gas. What you need is practice. I'd use your wife's regset to do it. Start on the couch, then in the tub, then floating and swimming on the surface of the pool, finally sitting and lying on the bottom of the shallow end of the pool.
And then use that regset when you retake the course.
Big picture, the stuff that freaked you out freaks a lot of people out: the feel of breathing underwater and water in the mask issues. But they both quickly recede with familiarity. Anyone can work on mask skills prior to the course and you have the opportunity to work on getting comfortable breathing off a reg underwater.
You should also get your fin issues sorted before redoing the course. Do some swimming with them and figure out the right booties or adjustments to make them comfortable. If you can't, try a different pair. Note that you need to do the kicking mostly underwater because the forces are higher than if you are kicking on the surface.
The other big issues people have are weighting and trim. That's not so easy to work on prior to the class. But if you are comfortable with the mask and reg and fins, you'll be in a much better position to cope with this in your class.
One tip that may help depending on the water temp is that the less neoprene you wear, the easier everything is. Another is to make sure the neck isn't too tight. Restricted circulation to the head will obviously cause issues, including inducing panic. Fighter pilots will most likely have thicker necks than others of the same general body size. You can leave the suit unzipped a couple of inches if you can't find one that fits correctly. It's one of the reasons I prefer front zip suits.
