Needed: Words of encouragement

[Kunk35]

My wife had a bad night at her OW class. She is having a very difficult time with the sensations of mask removal/replacement. Water in the nose type stuff. She's determined to overcome, but it's going to take some time and practice.

Please join me in letting her know it's okay to take your time in learning this stuff. Just because the "other" people in the class can do it, doesn't mean a thing. I had the urge to panic during that segment as well. If you aren't used to it, it can be overwhelming. But it doesn't mean you can't be a diver. Some things just come a bit harder for some people.

She isn't back yet from class, so I was hoping to get some encouraging replies for her to read after she gets home. It's about an hour drive back from the dive shop, so by the time she gets here, she will have had plenty of time to beat herself up for having troubles.

Rhonda, Just hang in there. We've got plenty of time to get you into diving! The important thing is to not push things quicker than you should for you. I'd much rather have you learn slowly and be safe, than the alternative.

 

[Brettg]

Hey Rhonda

Just remember that it is not a natural thing for any person to have water up their nose so don't beat yourself up about it. Just take your time, relax and enjoy the ride and you will sort it out in no time.

Just do what you can in the time that you want to and forget about anyone else. Everyone is different and I am sure there are plenty things you can do faster and better than people who can clear masks with no problems

Take it slow and you will enjoy your diving a lot more.

 

[spectrum]

Talk about Deja vu!

Rhonda,

I took OW with my wife and the adaptation did not come easy for her. The first drive home was a very teary affair to say the least. My point is that you are not he first person that this did not come easy to.

Diving is an adaptation. This means that some very deeply conditioned responses need to be reprogrammed.

Breathe with my face underwater? you gotta be kidding!
Breathe while my mask is off and my entire face is submerged? Mom said I'd drown!

Diving involves doing some key functions that you have spent your life to date avoiding for your well being. Fortunately with scuba gear and training these all become safe and surmountable.

I hereby give you permission to take as much time as you need. To demand the patience and space needed from your instructor. With a little perseverance I consider it highly likely that you will enjoy a summer followed by a lifetime of diving.

We just got back from Bonaire and my wife (the one who cried all the way home) had a grand time and is now scheming for a return visit. She is also an active local diver here in Maine.

I hope you will post with what gave you trouble and I promise that the board will offer a boat load of helpful coaching. If you'd rather sort it out for your self I can assure you that your difficulty can be found with the search function.

Trust me when I say that the effort will be worthwhile. Then you can be the gal in your hubby's avatar, or was that on a discover dive?

Pete

 

[Noviz]

I feel for her. Really. It's hard to overcome instinctive reactions... it takes courage, trust, and many, many repetitions. But the cool thing about slaying the boogie monster is that it's really good for the ego Keep going!!

 

[djanni]

Rhonda:

Not to worry. You'll get it and then you'll wonder why it was so hard in the first place. It has nothing to do with being female either. For my wife and dive buddy, all the skills came naturally. She made them all seem easy. She's a better diver than I am.

A lot of people at my office know we dive and far more men get squeamish when talking about being underwater than women.

Don

 

[jbd]

Definitely let her know that all people learn in their own good time. Some are very quick, some are very slow at acquiring new skills. Being comfortable with mask skills is an important aspect of safe diving. The skills themselves are quite straight forward and simple. The difficult part for some people is dealing with the feeling of water on their face and maybe in their nose when they are trying to breathe. There is no point in trying to rush the acceptance of this. With appropriate practice she can develope the ability to accept these sensations.

First, I would find Walters recommedations for learning mask skills. He has posted it numerous times. Take the time to practice the techniques he uses and in due time she will be just fine with all this.

Second ask for some one on one time with a patient, compassionate instructor to practice on these skills at a much slower pace. You might be surprised what 30 to 60 minutes of such time might do for her.

Third, Rhonda--lots of people before you, and lots of people after you, had or will have this very same issue. Its all part of learning to get around in an alien environment for us humans. Just take your time, relax, and know that this something you can and will do when you are ready.

 

[ffestpirate]

My wife had a bad night at her OW class. She is having a very difficult time with the sensations of mask removal/replacement. Water in the nose type stuff. She's determined to overcome, but it's going to take some time and practice.

Please join me in letting her know it's okay to take your time in learning this stuff. Just because the "other" people in the class can do it, doesn't mean a thing. I had the urge to panic during that segment as well. If you aren't used to it, it can be overwhelming. But it doesn't mean you can't be a diver. Some things just come a bit harder for some people.

She isn't back yet from class, so I was hoping to get some encouraging replies for her to read after she gets home. It's about an hour drive back from the dive shop, so by the time she gets here, she will have had plenty of time to beat herself up for having troubles.

Rhonda, Just hang in there. We've got plenty of time to get you into diving! The important thing is to not push things quicker than you should for you. I'd much rather have you learn slowly and be safe, than the alternative.

Everyone learns at their own pace. You do not have to be as quick as others in your class. Diving is fun. It should never be stressful.
A good instructor will take as many classroom, pool, or open water sessions as you require. The class is about you, not what everyone else can do. You need to be comfortable to be safe. Don't get me wrong, somethings you learn will be uncomfortable. Some more than others . That's because they are new to you. You will have to work at some things and breeze through others. As you progress and practice, they too will become easy. One day you'll be surprised that they ever bothered you. For now, be patient. If you don't go as quickly as everyone else, it's okay. Don't try and "keep up with the Jones'". Let them go and sit in on the next class. DIVING IS ABOUT YOUR ENJOYMENT, AND YOUR SAFETY. Don't let anyone push you or convince you otherwise.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Keep at it Rhonda. I have a friend that experienced a similar situation in his OW class. I am trying to keep him going back. It's very common.

 

[Firefyter]

Here's Walter's post that jbd referred to, and I agree, it's an excellent method to help her learn this skill. Give this a read, and Good Luck!! Walter's Mask Clearing Method

 

[MaconBubbles]

Yes Rhonda--hang in there. I was the worst student in my class. I got behind in the beginning flailing around just trying to kneel in the shallow end, and it was down-hill from there. I panicked at the bottom of the deep end during the mask flooding and clearing. I fought my instructor to get to the top but he wouldn't let me go. He calmed me down and got me to breathing normally again. I feel quite certain that his actions that day will probably save my life sometime in the future, because I learned how to handle a panick situation. Most people don't ever get to learn that because they haven't panicked and worked through it...so feel priviledged. I did make it through certification (barely), but I wouldn't say I was comfortable with a flooded mask and I really, really thought that was one of the most important skills to learn. So, I found some really good buddies and practiced, practiced, and practiced some more. I also practiced in the pool by myself using Walter's techniques so definitely look those up. Just last week (and I was OW certified in September of last year), I took my mask off and put it back on with my eyes open for the first time. I took it off and put it back on many times that day, and also did the flooding and clearing many times. I still have a little problem getting a tiny bit of water in my nose after a few breaths without a mask or with a flooded mask. I've worked out a way to deal with that in an emergency situation--I just immediately pinch my nose and breath through my regulator while I go through the steps in my mind. While this may mean that I have not completely mastered this skill, it's enough to save my life and has given me total confidence in diving without constantly worrying, "What if someone kicks off my mask?" Meanwhile, I will keep practicing. Yes, we have a little problem, but I wonder what most people would do if something ever forced them to breath in water through their nose like we experience. The difference is that we are preparing for it and they have not. Even when you finally get comfortable doing this, it would be a good idea to do it before every dive. This is what I do and it helps a lot. Even after certification, don't be afraid to tell people that you are uncomfortable with a skill and you want to practice it for a few minutes. All the people I've dove with have been very helpful and patient. Another thing I do is while I'm diving, I will clear my mask ever so often even though I don't need to. I'm sure you can overcome this if you keep at it. Hang in there!