Taking Mask off

[BabyAnnaRe]

Help.....I am having a hard time taking my mask off under water. I finally did it, but it took alot of concentration to exhale through my nose every time. The problem comes into when we had to trun off our air and swim to our buddy with our masks off. I cant see anything and with no air, I panicked. The second time I got to his reg and put it in my mouth but breathed water up my nose in the process so I ended up choking and shooting up to the surface. I need to get this down. Any tips out there on how to not breathe through my nose. I have one more pool class and then over Easter weekend go for my OW in California. I want to learn this before next pool class on Wednesday. Any tips would be great.

Just a note: I am just learning how to like water. Snorkeling scared me in Hawaii last year so really I had to start over from new.

Thanks for any info

 

[Lightning Fish]

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=171

Read the third post by Walter. The key is practicing in a safe environment that you can control.

Also look at this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/t35936.html

Good luck.

Bill.

 

[SDAnderson]

The best advice I can give you is to slow down and take it one step at a time. Lots of people have a hard time getting used to having their face in the water, so that's a good place to start. Rather than try to run the whole drill, start by getting used to having your face in the water. No mask, no regulator, just kneeling in the pool and slowly lower your face into the water. If you aren't comfortable, lift your face out of the water. Keep repeating until you can do this without feeling like you're going to climb out of your skin. Then add another layer - put the regulator in your mouth and get comfortable with the idea of breathing with your face in the water. The idea is to break the task down into discreet parts and learn each one before moving to the next layer. Move slowly and gently and do lots of repetitions of each step. Back up and repeat the steps from time to time. Relax. Then really relax.

Here's another caveat that wanna-be divers sometimes forget: there isn't anything that says you must do this. Scuba is supposed to be recreational - in other words, fun. The learning process can be uncomfortable at times for anybody but if it stops being fun, stop doing it. Everybody who has worked with students has seen a "drag-along" buddy, the student not interested in diving but who is there because their parent/spouse/? has cajoled them into it. If your partner is pushing too hard, tell them to ease up a little bit and then talk to the instructor about your options - the instructor can help.

You can do this if you want to, even though it might be harder for you than some others. Some of us are half fish and took to this like, well, fish in water. Others struggle a bit to get through the learning process and need a little extra time and patience. There's no shame in that and no one will remember which group you were in past the first few dives. Good luck!

 

[Kimmer]

I had the same issue in the pool. Choked and shot to the surface as well. I think, for me, the issue was that I am a nose breather on land, so it is so natural for me to breathe through my nose and sometimes, well I forget, especially when concentrating on other things. Even in my mask, I have tried to breathe through my nose (and had to pry the mask off my face after...) It has never been about being uncomfortable, or afraid of the water for me, it's just about my mechanics of breathing. So take what you will from this advice.

The thing that worked for me, and has continually worked for me to remind my automatic reflexes, is what we call in the therapist industry "self-talk". I say to myself over and over "Breathe like you have a cold" When I am sick, my nose is always stuffed to the extreme, and my speech sounds like, "I'b nob feeling well" (You get the idea...)
Anyways, this little phrase keeps it conscious for me. Also, I am one of those people that can't separate the inhale through the reg, exhale through the nose thing. It's no nose all the way for me. In fact, I had to plug it with my hand at first.
Anyway, just a suggestion. It really helped both me and my buddy.

 

[RICHinNC]

While I can understand it is a good skill to master.....

If such a situation really occurred what would be the sin in taking a hand
you arent using to swim with anyway and just pinch your nose shut?

 

[Walter]

Thanks for the referral, Bill. People get pushed too fast. Like Steven said, "slow down and take it one step at a time." My earlier post guides you through those steps. Kimmer, interesting was to think of it, breathing like you have a cold. I usually tell people to think about drinking through a straw. With my techninques, you never hold your nose, you simply stand up if you become uncomfortable. Good tips, everyone.

 

[padiscubapro]

Help.....I am having a hard time taking my mask off under water. I finally did it, but it took alot of concentration to exhale through my nose every time. The problem comes into when we had to trun off our air and swim to our buddy with our masks off. I cant see anything and with no air, I panicked. The second time I got to his reg and put it in my mouth but breathed water up my nose in the process so I ended up choking and shooting up to the surface. I need to get this down. Any tips out there on how to not breathe through my nose. I have one more pool class and then over Easter weekend go for my OW in California. I want to learn this before next pool class on Wednesday. Any tips would be great.

Just a note: I am just learning how to like water. Snorkeling scared me in Hawaii last year so really I had to start over from new.

Thanks for any info

The method I find works best for many people is to start this way..

forget about the mask.. stand up in the water with reg in the mouth, lean over and put face in the water.. practice inhaling in through the mouth exhaling through the nose.. do this for 5 minutes or until you are totally confortable, next now try inhaling through the mouth and exhaling through the mouth, if you feel a little bit of water in the nose learn to control it by exhaling slightly out the nose when necessary.. with patience it will become a non issue..
also try and keep your eyes closed to build up the confort level.. if you are in a pool you can start with your eyes open, but its best to learn to close your eyes as soon as its confortable.

 

[Bluefish]

Practice, as everyone has already mentioned. Try visualizing what you need to do. Really think through every step as if you're doing it. Sounds like new age hooey, but I've learned a lot of different skills by doing this.

 

[H2Andy]

BabyAnnRe, you are having a very common problem. Lots of people go through
that, but with a little practice, they do just fine!

dont' give up!

 

[crpntr133]

I just went through my OW cert and I had the same problem especially after my sinus surgery. If I was holding my breath I was ok but we all know that we aren't suppose to do that underwater. The air bubbles would go right up my nose when I exhaled. My instructor told me to tilt my head sideways and the bubbles wouldn't go up my nose, it worked. Don't know if this is part of your problem or not. Another thing that I learned on my own was to cough with the reg in my mouth. It really isn't as hard as it sounds and may be really helpful with your situation

I have to TOTALLY back reefraff. My DB for the pool was going through this class for the 4th time. Come to find out his aunt was paying for it and wasn't going to let him out of it. It was no fun for either of us. He will probably never use his c-card. Don't force yourself into doing this. It is meant to be fun and if it isn't then don't do it. IMHO, you are looking to hurt yourself or others if you are afraid of it. I am not saying that YOU should not dive, just keep it in mind. If you have gone to the extent to post here and try to get help then you will probably make it and have fun after a few dives.