Is Scuba just not meant for me?

[James79]

You’re totally right. I honestly lost motivation and just thought I couldn’t do it. It’s going to take a lot more than 2-3 pool dives and a lot of patience but I’m really going to have to take baby steps in order to do this. Thank you so much

One other thing on the anxiety piece.... When you get comfortable with some of the exercises suggested here, remember that depth doesn't matter for this. Keeping your nose closed from your throat at 6 inches under the water is the same as doing it at 100 ft.... So the depth isn't actually a factor!

 

[rmssetc]

It was time for the “flooding the mask” skill. That was the one skill I was concerned about and not confident in. I somehow managed to partially flood my mask and quickly clear it all in one breath before I even had time to panic about water up my nose. But later on it was time to fully flood the mask and clear it. I couldn’t do it. I tried a few times but I would either get water through the regulator or up my nose, which would cause me to panic and immediately surface. I don’t know how to breathe continuously from the regulator underwater without getting water up my nose. I would have to hold my breath so that way the water doesn’t get inhaled.

1. This is a normal, common, physiological response.
2. Practice, practice, practice. I've got 200+ dives and I still loathe breathing from a regulator while not wearing a mask. I remove & replace my mask almost every dive to get more comfortable, but it still requires a conscious effort to take a breath (especially the first breath) when there is water on my face. You can practice in almost any body of water -- skin diving, in a sink, you can even practice in a shower.
3. You are not trying out to be a Navy SEAL -- if it's not fun, you don't need to do SCUBA.

 

[NorCalDM]

Quick answer is yes scuba is not for everybody but usually if somebody really wants to do and have a patient instructor you can overcome the issues. I don't recommend it if the person is doing it for somebody else and it really is not for them. The mask skills and just breathing under water are the two thinks that I see students have a hard time with. Breathing underwater is not natural for us and what you read and many instructors say use long deep breathes or versions of this, I tell students just breathe normal how you would breathe on land nothing special. Breathing for helping buoyancy control will come later after diving for awhile. Now water around your nose and breathing it in, I think you just figured out that you are a nose breather as many are. My wife had this issue with getting water up her nose and she would come home from class in tears now 20+ years later she is an AI and has worked with hundreds of students helping them with these same issue. My wife's instructor had her wear her mask around the house doing chores, watching TV and so on. This forces you to breathe out of your mouth and not your nose, your whole life you have been able to use your nose to breathe, underwater you can't. You have to retrain your brain to breathe out of your mouth only underwater. My son had a student that took almost a year to get through her issue and get certified. She kept coming back because she wanted to do it and he wanted to get her through and she now dives almost every weekend. Don't give up if you really want to do it as it is worth it!

 

[arew+4]

Stay with snorkeling, once you are really comfortable with that, do it without your mask.

 

[Alekseolsen]

Have you tried filling a mask half full with water and wearing it out if water? Seems to me you have a small issue struggling with not pulling in water through your nose, which then is overanalysed etc. (Typical anxiety-attacks?)
You'll get more "nose in water" time in an evening in front of the TV with a mask halvfull of water than in several pool sessions

 

[ontdiver]

I think most of us have met someone who has had difficulty mastering different skills and mask clearing is certainly one of them. It is not natural and requires quite a bit of concentration. Even experienced divers have moments in the water where they experience panic and this is simply the nature of the beast.

If the offer still stands, think again about doing some practice in the pool with the instructor. This may allow you to work through the mask clearing skill by eliminating some of the pressure that can occur during a structured class. Things like breathing exercises might also help you get more comfortable in the water in general.

Good luck.

 

[rx7diver]

@jcyran,

Your instructor's approach can make all the difference. Sometimes simply finding another instructor whose approach is different can produce results for you.

I introduced scuba to my then-young daughters the same way it was introduced to me: They learned to swim first. Then I stepped in and taught them to snorkel (using mask and snorkel).

Then I had them strap on a plastic backpack to which was attached my old Scubapro reg mounted on an Al63 cylinder. I had them begin breathing on the 2nd stage while they were standing in the shallow end of the pool with one hand holding onto the edge of the pool, mask and snorkel on (but no fins). Then, once they were comfortable breathing from the 2nd stage, I directed them to slowly scooch down in the pool enough for the water to cover the reg, and then enough for the water to cover their mask (i.e., cover their eyes), and then enough so that they were kneeling, completely submerged (but still holding onto the edge of the pool).

Voila! They were breathing off of scuba!

Next steps were just as slow and deliberate.

rx7diver

 

[lowwall]

I'm going to echo everyone else's posts. The easiest way to do this is to get used to everything with a mask and snorkel outside of the class where there is no time pressure. Once you are really comfortable with all of the following you'll be ready to take on the class again and I think you'll be surprised how well it goes:

- breathing with a snorkel and no mask
- breathing with a snorkel and a completely flooded mask
- swimming with a snorkel and a flooded mask
- clearing a mask while using a snorkel

BTW, for the first decades of scuba training, all of this was done as part of the class before students even got to touch a regulator. This was dropped in an effort to make the training shorter and cheaper once technology (basically the BCD, SPG and extra second stage) evolved enough that people with marginal water skills could now dive with reasonable safety.

 

[formernuke]

I haven't read all the replies.

It is normal to be nervous when first starting. We are land mammals and not supposes to be breathing underwater.

Book some time with your instructor. Do a basic starter drill with him/her. Put on the gear (fins not needed for this) once everything is on but on mask and put reg in your mouth and just lean over putting you face in the water and breath for a little while.

Once comfortable with that put fins on. Next step is to just kneel in the shallow end while breathing. Nothing else just breath. Normally I'm not a fan of kneeling but the idea is just to get you comfortable breathing.

If you absolutely can't do it then diving isn't for you, no shame some people can't do it.

 

[eelpout]

Find another Instructor and /or find a class that is taught at a slower format. I used to teach classes that met for 2 hours in the pool and two hours in the classroom for 5-6 weeks. It is a slower paced course. I taught the courses through School District Community Education programs. It gave more flexibility is allowing the instructor/s to slow down the pace so students can get used to equipment and how it is used in the pool. Getting used to the equipment takes more time for some people. My mother in law who was in her mid 50's when she took the course had to get extra time in their own pool to get used to just putting the equipment on and taking it off.