Newbie needs help with breathing.

[ZenDiver.3D]

It's not uncommon at all.

When you do get back in the pool, try to get belly down in the shallow end. In a horizontal position the regulator will breathe more naturally. See if you can just lay down there breathing for 15 minutes watching your fingers wrinkle. Don't rush this phase because it will pay off down the road. The mask clear skill may challenge you in a similar way and there are similar ways around that if it proves to be a problem.

Pete

I start everyone standing up in teh shallow end and breathing above the surface through the reg. We even try coughing through it, so we get comfortable. Then we go to laying face down in the shallow end, bobbing on the surface, breathing...... And counting - in 1,2,3,4 and out 1,2,3,4.......


You may also check to see if your rental/school regulator has a venturi control or flow rate control knob. You amy want to open it so it releases air more easily....

 

[spectrum]

I start everyone standing up in the shallow end and breathing above the surface through the reg. We even try coughing through it, so we get comfortable. Then we go to laying face down in the shallow end, bobbing on the surface, breathing...... And counting - in 1,2,3,4 and out 1,2,3,4.......
.

I agree. In saying "try to get belly down in the shallow end" I was implying that as an intermediate goal. I agree that surface breathing, standing or kneeling with the face down in the water, floating face down and so forth are all stepping stones with skin-diving as the first step.

In a lot of things people are eager to progress. They sometimes say, "I think I got it" and move to the next step. Spending a little time at a milestone can really solidify the process.

 

[Winterpeg]

My advice is to read read read the threads in this forum. I wish I had read some of them BEFORE I struggled so much. You will find that almost every student has one or two issues with basic scuba skills, and many questions are repetitive. The support and solutions on this board are fantastic! Stick with it and try some of the advice you will read and it will be so worth it!

 

[Nilzlofgren]

Thanks to everyone for the help and suggestion so far. It was just frustrating, because everybody else was like a fish in water. Anyway, I'll try these tips Tuesday night, and report back. Also, there are other classes that are held on Sundays at another pool. I am going to start going on Sundays for more pool time. I also have been putting my mask and snorkel on in the shower, and letting the water run onto my face as I breathe.

 

[RikRaeder]

There was one woman in my OW class who couldn't even put her face in the water, so you're all ready ahead! Are you comfortable in the water, in general? Perhaps just some regular swimming to get used to things. Also, you might consider some type of Yogatic (hey, I made up a word) breathing exercises or something. Don't feel bad and compare yourself to others. Scuba is NOT a competitive sport!

 

[oreocookie]

Something we did at the very beginning of the discover scuba i did might help you out.... somehow breathing through a snorkel seems to be a bit more intuitive than breathing though a reg, so start with that, breath through your snorkel with the water up to the top of your shoulders, then lower yourself a bit so the water is at the bottom of your mask, then a bit more till the water gets to the top of your mask. stay at each step till you're comfortable then move on. Then try the same thing with the reg, but get a little deeper at the end of it so that you're completely underwater.

Whatever way you find that helps you, keep at it and good luck. It'll be worth it in the end.

 

[Atomic_Diver]

just relax it is perfectly normal it happened to me my first time, trust me you get through all of it just enjoy your diving experince. diving has so many fun things and oppertunity to do so just hang on and one day when your 130' deep looking at a huge ship wreck you will be so glad you stayed with diving...

 

[famfubar]

great tips from all. had a lady in my cert class with same probem. instructor, had her snorkel in the shallow end in full gear, not moving until sherelaxed, took about 30 minutes, then exchanged the snorkel for a reg and let her just float face down for about 30 minutes then eased her to the deep end, worked like a charm.

Good luck and RELAX!!!!!

 

[Sasquatch]

Isn't that an odd sensation? Not the underwater breathing, you'll get that. Lots of real good, tried-and-true tips in the previous posts. But the sensation that if everybody else is doing it and I'm not then I must be wrong, something is wrong, what's wrong? We lose our sense of self reliance and slip into survival mode.

As others said, relax. This will pass, and soon.

 

[Nilzlofgren]

Isn't that an odd sensation? Not the underwater breathing, you'll get that. Lots of real good, tried-and-true tips in the previous posts. But the sensation that if everybody else is doing it and I'm not then I must be wrong, something is wrong, what's wrong? We lose our sense of self reliance and slip into survival mode.

As others said, relax. This will pass, and soon.

You hit the nail on the head. Everybody in the class is new at this, but the first time they go under, they are all Jacques Cousteau.