Is it just me?

[tedj01]

I thought it was about newbies since OP was talking about not wanting to dive with class members during class.

 

[aubie85]

This is kind of funny. On the way to my 1st OW training course, my fiancee was cut off on the way to class. He was really pissed b/c this person cut him off on the right. Guess what? That person was in our class!!! We had that person figured out from the beginning. They were always trying to make sure that they were the first one in/out of the water, heck, they even cheated on the 4 laps we had to swim in our pool training! My advice is to focus on yourself and your buddy.

 

[aubie85]

While we are on the subject of class. Can anyone give me any tips on getting over my fear of taking off my mask and clearing it? I did it several times fo my ow certification sucessfully, but I still am nervous doing it. I know this is a common problem, but there has got to be a way of getting rid of that fear...

 

[Pseudocyber]

Diving is like everything else - in that a person brings their mental and emotional baggage with them. IMHO, people should strive to be considerate, humble, polite, gratious, and thankful. Unfortunately, there are "rotten apples" everywhere - even under water.

Diving is different in that you may be paired with someone who you might have to rely on to save your life - I think it would be wise to be extra nice to them ...

 

[Colliam7]

While we are on the subject of class. Can anyone give me any tips on getting over my fear of taking off my mask and clearing it? I did it several times fo my ow certification sucessfully, but I still am nervous doing it. I know this is a common problem, but there has got to be a way of getting rid of that fear...

Quick hijack - do you have the problem only in cold water, or in warm and cold water? Do you flood your mask slowly before removing it, or 'rip it off'? I have no problem breathing without my mask in warmer water - shallow, deep, light, dark. I can slowly flood it or 'rip it off'. But, cold water is a real challenge, and I have to continually practice, even to the point of gearing up at the quarry, then doing a U/W swiiming descent without the mask, until I am in cold water (45 - 50 F). For me it is the initial shock of cold, and I haven't found a unique way around that, other than slowly flooding to allow my face to acclimate, and even then it is challenging. If your issue is breathing U/W without a mask, all I can suggest is repetition and practice to increase your comfort level, e.g. go for extended swims in shallow, warm water, breathing from the regulator.

 

[StevenN]

"While we are on the subject of class. Can anyone give me any tips on getting over my fear of taking off my mask and clearing it? I did it several times fo my ow certification sucessfully, but I still am nervous doing it. I know this is a common problem, but there has got to be a way of getting rid of that fear..."
I had the same fear in my first OW class. I really had a problem with taking my mask off. Now if I forget to put the defogging solution in my mask I just pull it and clear it. Its a comfort level that you will get used to with experience.

On the dive buddy subject when I did my OW cert there were three of us one of which was a 14 year old girl who was pushed to do it by her father. She had that pissed off teenage attitude (That many people have had at that age including me) throughout the class.
When we did our final dive I lost a fin and she recovered it and gave me the "Are you okay" sign.
I thought it was pretty cool that she did so well once we were in the water.

 

[agilulfo]

I guess the question doesn't apply to me since it was only me and my buddy in my OW class. But I've taken other classes, namely the PADI Nitrox specialty course, where there was one person, obviously already certified, that seemed to have no clue not only about the Nitrox material, but about OW basic knowledge as well. I am not sure if he passed the test but at some point I felt that if I were an instructor, for the safety of the person in question, I would have torn his OW certification. I am not an instructor and I don't pretend to be an authority but that's just how I felt. Maybe I am too apprehensive, but not only I would not want to be this person's buddy, I felt the person was just an accident waiting to happen.

So, I guess I am trying to steer the discussion a little to find out if there is anyone, instructors especially, who felt this way about a student and what they did about it, if anything. Other than flunking a student in their own class, can an instructor take some kind of action if they sense that a student was not taught properly? Do training agencies have policies or guidelines in this regard? Probably this topic has been addressed already in some other thread, but it's not something so simple to search for.

 

[aubie85]

Quick hijack - do you have the problem only in cold water, or in warm and cold water? Do you flood your mask slowly before removing it, or 'rip it off'? I have no problem breathing without my mask in warmer water - shallow, deep, light, dark. I can slowly flood it or 'rip it off'. But, cold water is a real challenge, and I have to continually practice, even to the point of gearing up at the quarry, then doing a U/W swiiming descent without the mask, until I am in cold water (45 - 50 F). For me it is the initial shock of cold, and I haven't found a unique way around that, other than slowly flooding to allow my face to acclimate, and even then it is challenging. If your issue is breathing U/W without a mask, all I can suggest is repetition and practice to increase your comfort level, e.g. go for extended swims in shallow, warm water, breathing from the regulator.

Yeah it's not the water (except that in class the chlorine of the pool got to me, but that is over ) I think my problem is the breathing. I try to think about it this way: when you are sick and your nose is clogged, you usually just breathe in/out through your mouth. That part is okay with me when I take the mask off. I think it is the fear that instead of 'inhaling through my mouth/exhaling through my nose' when I try to clear, that I will screw up and try to inhale through my nose. Yeah, this is going to take a lot of practice Someone(I think my instructor) told me to practice in the dark, breathing in through the mouth and out through the nose. I am just afraid that when water is added, all that practice will go out the window.

Thanks I shall try swimming with just the reguator, sounds like a good strategy

 

[boulderjohn]

Yeah it's not the water (except that in class the chlorine of the pool got to me, but that is over ) I think my problem is the breathing. I try to think about it this way: when you are sick and your nose is clogged, you usually just breathe in/out through your mouth. That part is okay with me when I take the mask off. I think it is the fear that instead of 'inhaling through my mouth/exhaling through my nose' when I try to clear, that I will screw up and try to inhale through my nose. Yeah, this is going to take a lot of practice Someone(I think my instructor) told me to practice in the dark, breathing in through the mouth and out through the nose. I am just afraid that when water is added, all that practice will go out the window.

First of all, you don't have to exhale through the nose. Just breathe through your regulator. You do not want to exhale through the nose while wearing the mask, so don't do it without the mask, either.

Next, start out without the mask at all. Slowly lower your face into the water and just breathe through your regulator for a while that way. I usually find that that process clears up problems like this.

 

[Bobyjimmie]

First of all, you don't have to exhale through the nose. Just breathe through your regulator. You do not want to exhale through the nose while wearing the mask, so don't do it without the mask, either.

Next, start out without the mask at all. Slowly lower your face into the water and just breathe through your regulator for a while that way. I usually find that that process clears up problems like this.

I had zero issues doing this but had issues taking it off and swimming around with it. I could only breath in but couldnt breath out to save my life. I finally did it but still super uncomfortable doing it, I need to go hijack my brother in laws pool to practice I guess. What do you think my association would say if I showed up to the community pool in my dive gear and scared all the lil kiddies away?

The story about the 14 year old girl is great. Kids excell at things once they realize they actually like it and its not because someone else is there pushing them to do it. Was their parent in the class too or no? I am guessing no.