Water up nose

[sean coe]

I've recently been accepted on my sheriffs office dive rescue team and am going through training. First thing we did in the pool was the taking the mask off and replacing it underwater. The first time I did it, water shot up my nose and I surfaced (only in about 3 feet of water so I just stood up). I tried it again and was able to stumble through it but was very rushed. I have another pool day coming up and am going to be training with a full face mask. I imagine I'm going to have to remove and replace that as well. Due to my first experience, I'm having a lot of anxiety about doing this at depth. At home I've been filling my tub with water, bending over and placing my face in the water while breathing through a snorkle. I think I've gotten used to water on my face but am worried as soon as I take off my mask. Water will shoot back up my nose. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[saxman242]

Do you have access to a lap pool where you can go and swim laps without a mask/wearing goggles?

 

[sean coe]

I don't but I live on a lake.

 

[tbone1004]

I don't but I live on a lake.

spend a lot of time breathing through the snorkel with the mask on your head. Focus on inhaling through your mouth but exhaling thru your nose. Once you have that comfortably, do one exhale through your mouth then the next through your nose. Once comfortable with that, exhale half through your nose then half through your mouth. Shorten the duration of exhale and go mouth-nose-mouth-nose-mouth-nose etc. as you get more comfortable. That will get you control over your exhalation. Once super comfortable with that, get in chest deep water where you can sit on the bottom and the water is just over your head, ideally where you can breathe thru your snorkel. If not, just do it one breath at a time. Put a weight belt on your lap or if you have someone who is willing to help, have them stand behind you and hold you down by your shoulders. Partially flood your mask, then clear. Repeat filling up your mask more and more until you are comfortable with full mask floods. If you can't breathe from the snorkel, then come up when you have to breathe. You should be able to flood and clear your mask 5-6x minimum on a single breath once you get comfortable.
Another good exercise that I have stolen from @The Chairman is to fill your mask with water, put it on your face, and start talking. Keep refilling until you can hold a conversation without water coming out of your mask.

Lots of work, but well worth it

 

[M-Cameron]

whenever i take my mask off under water, i simply breath continuously out my nose. typically after that first few seconds,water doesnt seem to want to rush up my nose any longer, and i can take my time putting my mask back on.

 

[The Chairman]

Yeah, just put on your mask underwater so it's full of water, stand up and start talking. Lose the snorkel so you're just dealing with ONE THING: your nose surrounded by water.

 

[TMHeimer]

Practice closing off your nose passages while on land-- throat too. So nothing gets through (water will always go in the nostrils of course, but that won't hurt you).
SB member Angelo Farina is very well versed in this area. His research says that one in 10 (I think) are not capable of breathing through the mouth with the nose exposed. But there are ways to somewhat make it work.

 

[sean coe]

spend a lot of time breathing through the snorkel with the mask on your head. Focus on inhaling through your mouth but exhaling thru your nose. Once you have that comfortably, do one exhale through your mouth then the next through your nose. Once comfortable with that, exhale half through your nose then half through your mouth. Shorten the duration of exhale and go mouth-nose-mouth-nose-mouth-nose etc. as you get more comfortable. That will get you control over your exhalation. Once super comfortable with that, get in chest deep water where you can sit on the bottom and the water is just over your head, ideally where you can breathe thru your snorkel. If not, just do it one breath at a time. Put a weight belt on your lap or if you have someone who is willing to help, have them stand behind you and hold you down by your shoulders. Partially flood your mask, then clear. Repeat filling up your mask more and more until you are comfortable with full mask floods. If you can't breathe from the snorkel, then come up when you have to breathe. You should be able to flood and clear your mask 5-6x minimum on a single breath once you get comfortable.
Another good exercise that I have stolen from @The Chairman is to fill your mask with water, put it on your face, and start talking. Keep refilling until you can hold a conversation without water coming out of your mask.

Lots of work, but well worth it

 

[sean coe]

Great advice! I think I just have to mentally wrap my head around the fact that, as long as I have air, I'm fine regardless of the conditions.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Water doesn’t want to go up your nose. It goes up your nose because you tried to breath through your nose. I can say to you - close your mouth - and you can physically do that. But you can’t physically close your nose. You need to mentally close your nose. Sit down at home and close your mouth and breath through your nose. Now take a super small breath through your nose. Feel that small sensation of the air passing across your nostrils. Remember that. Now open your mouth and breath only from your mouth. Once you understand how to mentally shut off your nose it will become easy to do. You will do that without thinking.