HELP!!! Newbie cant get used to the breathing

[Joanne Hughes]

Thank you everyone for your supportive replies, Im feeling much more confident about next Monday's session - suppose Im bound to be sitting at my computer - I shall focus on being calm and will try not to get into a bad habit of sufacing often as Im sure this could be a very bad habit which gets difficult to break. I asked if I could pay and have a few sessions on my own as if I could mess around in the water without the pressure of keeping to a schedule I would gain confidence. This isnt an option as the pool is hired by the dive school for just an hour which i think adds to the pressure for the students and instructors especially who are trying to do a PADI module and finish it at each session.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Hope you get a chance to continue your class. Might want to wait until you are feeling better though.

 

[Chris Red]

Hello Joanne,
This may sound a bit silly at first, but it worked for me.

Try your bathtub or kitchen sink.

Seriously, put water in your sink, then lean over with your mask and snorkle on. You can try breathing underwater in the comfort of home.

Then be really daring and just use the snorkle, hold it upright with your hand, and try breathing through the snorkle with your face in the water, just deep enough for your face to be submerged.

The trick is airway control, breathe in with your mouth - and exhale from your nose. Of course it's not natural, but in time, with a little practice you'll be able to master it

The best part is you can do it anytime, as often as you want, all in the privacy of your own home!

Have Fun - I'm Certain you're going to Love Diving!

 

[Lisa0825]

Hang in there! I am sure your health issue was the biggest factor for you. When everything is perfect, it still takes practice to get used to doing something that feels unnatural (breathing underwater), but when you have other stuff going on, like having a bad cold or flu, or in my case, equipment issues and choppy water, it can be too much to deal with. I had a bad experience on my first post-cert dive, while my checkout dieves went like clockwork. So, I am determined to just keep working at it, and I am positive I will do better next time.

Your instructor should not have allowed you to dive while sick. When you feel better, I'd bet money you'll do just fine!

 

[spectrum]

Thank you everyone for your supportive replies, Im feeling much more confident about next Monday's session - suppose Im bound to be sitting at my computer - I shall focus on being calm and will try not to get into a bad habit of sufacing often as Im sure this could be a very bad habit which gets difficult to break. I asked if I could pay and have a few sessions on my own as if I could mess around in the water without the pressure of keeping to a schedule I would gain confidence. This isnt an option as the pool is hired by the dive school for just an hour which i think adds to the pressure for the students and instructors especially who are trying to do a PADI module and finish it at each session.

They probably need to keep pace with this class lesson. However it may very possible to postpone your checkout dives and come in with the next class should you feel the need. My wife was in that situation. Since we were split up while she got comfortable it gave us a good chance to become a good buddy pair. They just let us go on our own and we had a rough plan of the basic drills and a few other things we did to pass the time. When she got to the ocean she passed with flying colors. Many will not even charge for this, they should accept that not all students will be comfortable at the rate they run through the class.

Not everyone adapts on a PADI timetable.

Pete

 

[freediver]

Hi Guys,

Im a newbie and my first confined 'dive' on my PADI OW course has been a disaster. I was ill on the day with a flu virus/heavy cold/temperature which I dont suppose helped much. I couldnt relax with the breathing at all, as soon as I was under water for more than a few minutes I felt the urge to surface. A lovely kind dive assistant reassured and helped give me confidence and by the end I had mastered taking the reg out of my mouth underwater and blasting it. Is it usual to feel aware of every breath you take - I did breathe deeply and slowly, possibly too deeply. Also, the air was undearable dry, not helped by having a sore throat. I obviously would never have gone in open water while not well, it was in a confined pool, shallow end. Is there any hope for me as Im determined to carry on and master this, im sure if it was in a tropical sea somewhere, the sights of the fish would take my mind off my breathing technique. My son who started the course with me flew through the session.

Hey Joanne, based on this 1st post, it looks like you finished up really well! The illness may very well have detracted from your comfort. As far as the comfort is concerned, as humans we spend 9 months in fluid, a very natural state. Then, after birth, immersion is still natural until the world around us continues to tell us hao unnatural this really is. What you have to do is make it natural again. There have been some great suggestions on the board, esp the ones about starting at home in sink or bath. Every opportunity you get to "immerse yourself" will lead you toward that natural feeling once again. Heck, I've even had someone place a warm wet wash cloth over their face and breathe through it to simulate facial immersion (also helps with the sinuses!). I also like the idea of visualizing yourself immersing.
Yes, there is tremendous hope for you in making this event a natural and pleasant occurrence.

 

[Diveral]

Joanne, even experiened divers with colds have some of the same issues that you did. It is not a good idea to dive with any upper respiratory illness. Try again when you are well.