Problem Swallowing Air!

[madranch]

Hey. I'm a scuba newbie and am having a real hard time with swallowing air. I quite enjoy the sport but a few dives have been cut very short and left me quite uncomfortable and in a bit of a panic. If feels as if my stomach will explode! Fortunately I haven't been very deep yet. But I am quite concerned about taking the Advanced open water and experiencing this at 100 feet.

My first urge is of course to rush to the surface where the air bubble in my stomach is only bigger!

Anyone have any suggestions for belching underwater or maybe some breathing techniques I could practice so I don't get in this spot.

It seems to happen to me when I can't get my mask to clear.

 

[thelmuth]

I just did my O/W this weekend and I can relate to what you are describing. I found myself belching several times during the dives. Just belch thru your regulator, it's like a giant exhale.

Regarding mask clearing and swallowing air, I too had great difficulty with that. I would be gulping for air with my mask off or full of water instead of breathing naturally. The instructor advised me to try holding my nose, that worked. I was able to breathe normally with my nose plugged, gain my composure and put my mask on then hold my nose again, regain my composure and clear my mask.

After that exercise I coughed a couple times and belched then I was fine.

I plan on working on my mask clearing skills every dive until I am comfortable with it. Hope this helps.

Diving is cool!:cool2:

 

[foles1972]

My advice is don't dive any deeper than you already have until you get more comfortable in the water, and keep practicing the skills you learned in your open water class (including mask clearing).

As you gain more experience these skills will become second nature, and the things that make you uncomfortable will begin to diminish. It's all about repetition. When you start to feel more comfortable in the underwater environment then you can start to gradually dive deeper, and then consider taking an Advanced Open Water course.

 

[don Francisco]

I've had a lifelong problem with swallowing air. Not diving, but on the surface usually following an asthma attack. I've come to the conclusion that it has something to do with labored breathing, though even after 40 years still haven't figured it out entirely.

A few things to note. First you have to let swallowed air back out, by burping through the regulator, rather than accumulating it.

Secondly assuming that it is related to labored or altered breathing, it might be that your regulators "cracking pressure" is set too high and you're having to suck the air out rather than inhaling it naturally. Ask your LDS to check it.

It might also be that you're very excited, tense or nervous, and changing your breathing pattern in response, trying to suck the air down rather than slowly and naturally inhaling. If the reg checks out try to stay calm and breathe more slowly and naturally. Underwater breathing shouldn't be like you've just run a mile, but more like you're on a leisurely stroll.

I'm willing to bet that this will go away pretty soon, either with an adjustment to the regs, or as you get comfortable in the water. In any case keep your dives reasonably shallow until it does or you're able to vent (burp) the air back out of your stomach easily.

Good luck. dF

 

[tuner fish]

I think Don Francisco has given great advise. I'll add this problem sounds familiar to me, I think I was doing it early on. No sigh of it any more so the future is promising for you.

Can you do some pool time? Lots of time at 10 feet deep?

 

[PhilK]

Swallowing air occurs on the surface when you're concentrating to hard or forcing yourself to breathe. Instead of your oesophagus being closed off, both the trachea and the oesophagus is open so air moves down to your stomach.

You just have to relax and inhale normally. Exhale the full way and you'll have no choice but to inhale into your lungs, not your stomach. Holding your nose will definitely help.