Breathing problems

[DukeAMO]

There are some people who are just not cut out for diving. A good friend of mine married an avid diver and tried sitting in their backyard pool in his gear many times, but could never get over feeling like she wasn't getting enough air, or feeling like the regulator didn't fit or wasn't working. She eventually gave up, and I respect her decision.

On the other hand, I was anxious for many of my early dives, especially the OW checkout dives, and I still get tense before dives (but not as much as I used to). That's just my personality, I think. I feel the same way before diving as I do before running a race or getting on a roller coaster. I'm also stubborn and persistent, so I kept working at it. Once I get 15 feet under, get my ears cleared, get neutrally buoyant, and get my gear adjusted comfortably, then I relax and I'm happy. By the end of the dive I usually don't want to get out!

My point is, you can overcome anxiety by getting training to do the right thing, and doing it over and over, so you are confident in your ability to handle the situation. However, if you give diving a couple of tries and still don't like it, it's ok to just walk away. You could get good at snorkeling or freediving first. You can always try diving again someday, if you want.

 

[azmodan50]

Now that you are going from the beach, go slow and get to waist deep water. Put the regulator in your mouth and put your face in the water and stare at your fins. It's OK if you have to pick your head up. Just relax and try again until you are comfortable breathing. Let's face it, breathing underwater is not natural. Some people just adjust faster then others. You can even practice at home in your bathtub if you have gear to use. I wouldn't even bother going under until you are comfortable with this.

There is a chance that any protection gear you were wearing was too tight, but it sounds more like a panic attack then anything else. Just take it slow and know that you don't have to do anything you are not comfortable with.

 

[TatianaSilva]

hi,

i personally felt the same in my open water course ... we were learning some skills and in two of them i just panicked and had to rush to surface , also stopped breathing while going up AND MY REGULATOR WAS STILL IN MY MOUTH !

all of this is just because i felt trapped underwater. like i could not escape . In those moment where you feel like panicking and leaving , just keep breathing. stop , stay still and focus on your own breathing , feeling air coming inside mouth, chest and belly ... after a few seconds you will be relaxed again. I used to close my eyes and just think of the air coming inside . really helps.

Also, knowing exactly how all the equipment works helps a lot ! i think there was a bit of a lack of knowledge before getting in the water.

 

[Nasser]

It's unfortunate that you had an unpleasant experience, but sometimes "try dives" are not the best way to be introduced to scuba diving. Individuals have different levels of comfort and experience in the water and may need much more time to develop skills, knowledge, and confidence... something that by definition a try dive may not allow.

But first of all ask yourself... is this something YOU really want to learn or are you being pressured into this? Either directly by family and friends or by yourself in an effort to please others. If this is the case, then that is not a good reason to take up diving. If on the other hand it's something you really want to learn then I suggest learning gradually with an instructor who is sensitive and understanding of your needs and can help you develop at a pace that is appropriate to your circumstances and temperament.

A "nice" instructor is not necessarily the right instructor... or even a good instructor, so keep this in mind and don't blame yourself for this unfortunate start.

Most of all, be honest and communicate. If you find the the instructor is not responding and taking the necessary time needed to help you develop gradually and confidently, get a different instructor. Don't be discouraged, sometimes these things take time, but be honest about your reasons for getting into diving, and also be honest with your partner... and especially your instructor.

Best of luck.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Sounds like this was a Discover Scuba experience e or "resort course. My suggestion is take a full certification course, learn the equipment the theory, and the skills in proper order though a certified program, starting in a pool or pool like ocean conditions, and then proceeding to the open water dives. Too often this experience programs or resort courses are rushed and there is not proper preparation time, which is the best anxiety reducer there is- preparation and knowledge.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Becca65]

Hi Sandie - felt I should tell you a bit about my "learn to dive" experience. When I was a little girl my parents put me in the water and I cried - so they took me out and never put me back again - it never would have occurred to them to pay someone to teach me to swim. Anyway - fast forward many years later - I was always uncomfortable with putting my face in the water - I know sounds weird to many here - but I was always worried I would forget to not breathe. Anyway, we got a little above ground pool for our yard just to play and cool off in and bought some cheap snorkel masks to play with - I found I didn't mind being underwater with the mask on - as long as my nose is covered I was pretty comfortable. So, Christmas of 2012 my husband bought the Padi books for he and I and we started studying. I was really, really nervous to start classes - our first time with the scuba gear was in the pool (the dive shop here offers a "discover scuba" class that is what you describe - but it is done in the shallow end of the pool not in open water). So, I did use too much air the first few times we dove in class - but my main fear was of taking my mask off underwater - in fact the time I had to do that in open water I panicked and headed for the surface - twice - just like you explained. I had exactly the attitude you do - didn't want that fear to "beat" me. Something that helped me get through it was a book called Conquer your fear of water by Melon Dash - you may not have a fear of water, my fear was not as great as some people's fear of the water and not as great as some of the author's students that she talks about in the book. Doesn't matter what your fear is of - fear is fear and it has the same grasp on us no matter what our fear is - this is what helped me get through the class (along with the patience of my husband and our instructor) - in the book she talks about how every human being has two parts - a physical self and a spiritual self - and when those two "selves" are not connected you go into panic mode and nothing anyone says or does can actually get through to you - this is why when you ask someone after something like this happens "what happened" they often say "I don't know" - because they truly don't know. She gives an example of a woman who is at home, safe, in her own kitchen making a salad - but she is thinking about her children who are diving home through a terrible storm - so her physical self is there in her kitchen, but her spiritual self is in the car with her children so she ends up cutting herself because her two "selves" are not "together". There is an illustration in the book that I kept in my head - first there is a stick figure inside a bubble - that represents your physical self (the stick figure) and your spiritual self (the bubble) as you get into a fearful situation the bubble starts to rise - when it finally gets above your head you are in full blown panic mode. So, I kept that picture in my head - the stick figure inside the bubble - and reminded myself to stay that way. She talks about making sure you fully experience a situation - in the case of a fear of water she says to feel the water pressing on every part of your body - feel it holding you up and supporting you etc. End of the story is that at age 48 - on my 31st wedding anniversary I was 30' under the water taking my mask off and putting it back on - without panicking. You can do this.
There is a lot of good information here from divers with WAY more experience diving than me - but I don't think your main problem is learning how the regulator works I think it is fear plain and simple and everyone has some kind of fear that they have to overcome. I applaud you for working hard to overcome yours - you will feel a sense of accomplishment when you do - but in the mean time don't beat yourself up - remember you tried something new and so many people go their whole lives without doing that! I hope some of this helps you, please let us know how it goes when you go back in the water.

 

[Aguablanco1]

My wife and I did a DSD, or something close, many years ago in St Thomas. She loved I hated it. I was uncomfortable, under weighted and most certainly under trained, even for a quick try out dive. Fast forward several years and I needed to find her a birthday present. She loved the diving and so I bought us both OW classes. Funny thing, once I had a better understanding of how things work, the gear, equalization, buoyancy, I began to love diving. Don't give up yet! Insist that the instructor answer all of your questions and concerns before getting in the water. The more you know and understand, the more relaxed you will be.
RichH

 

[Sandie7]

[FONT=&amp]Thank so much for to everyone who took the time to answer me, with exceptional advice and encouragement.[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]I can tell you that in some way I feel a little better ! I have been thinking about each one of your replies, and certainly learned much.[/FONT]

This diving experience was doomed before you got in the water. You were already short of breath from nervousness, before you ever got there, and it's clear that either your instructor did not realize that, or did not care. You are clearly not someone who can be put through a short, superficial briefing, and have any fun at all in the water. .

But first of all ask yourself... is this something YOU really want to learn or are you being pressured into this? (...) If this is the case, then that is not a good reason to take up diving. If on the other hand it's something you really want to learn then I suggest learning gradually with an instructor who is sensitive and understanding of your needs and can help you develop at a pace that is appropriate to your circumstances and temperament.

A "nice" instructor is not necessarily the right instructor... or even a good instructor, so keep this in mind and don't blame yourself for this unfortunate start.

Yes, I am definitely being pressed by my husband. He is a certified diver, but hasn’t been practicing for 12 years. Now he wants to go back, but with me. Indeed, I would never try this on my own – but then I have spent hours watching the sea life in the tide pools since I was a child. That’s what I like to do when I go to the beach, so … I may (or may not) end up liking to view the same things under the water. Anyway, I will certainly not do something I can’t deal with just to please others …

As far as my instructor, I have to say that he probably didn’t realize that I was so nervous, at least to that point. He had been diving before with another group, and didn’t spend time with us. The man who did the briefing is his DiveMaster, and I didn’t like him – besides, he made a series of mistakes and I had a feeling my instructor (who is the owner of ths school) was mad at him. I understand that a nice instructor does not have to be the right one for me, one that understands my needs, or even a good professional. A few years ago when learning Aikido I had to go to another Dojo to find the right instructor – someone who could actually understand how my mind worked. However, I have a good feeling about this instructor – it may sound not logical considering I panicked, but I felt safe with him, and felt that he knew what he was doing. So, I will stay with him, at least for this next time.

Inside of the regulator is a rubber diaphragm that is a one way valve … (…)
Now, this isn't something to be scared about, it is just a realization that you have to learn to conquer that fear and keep your self slow and relaxed with good technique. Nothing about diving should ever be rushed, you have all the time in the world, so just relax and everything will be ok.

My very special thanks to you, tbone1004, for explaining this. I has already made a BIG difference – I like to study and understand things.

Just a thought - were you wearing a wet suit? Was it too tight? That can create a hard to breathe sensation.

Yes, I was wearing a wet suit. The suit felt wonderful, just perfect – actually I was surprised how much it helped me not to feel so cold in the water.

***********
To all the others … who shared their experiences and thoughts, I can only say that I will go again on Sunday – and will come back here to tell how it went …

THANK YOU. [FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[tbone1004]

As promised.
This is the inside of an Apeks XTX200 regulator. This uses the same basic design principles of most second stages on the market. In the first picture you can clearly see the one way exhaust diaphragm. This is a mushroom valve and the plastic bits keep the diaphragm from coming inside the regulator when you inhale due to vacuum pressure.

In both pictures you can see the lever which actuates the valve mechanism. When you inhale, you create vacuum inside of the chamber which pulls a similar diaphragm that covers the front of the regulator and presses on the lever. This can be manually depressed by the "purge button" which in some regulators is just the diaphragm itself. On this one it is a button which controls how far you can push that diaphragm in.

If the chamber is full of water, just exhaling will push the water through that exhalation diaphragm and fill it with air from your lungs and as soon as you inhale you will get fresh air from the tank. Like I mentioned, sometimes that first exhalation isn't enough to clear all of the water out, quite often due to orientation of the regulator. If you are vertical for example, there will still be some water in the bottom of the chamber, but it certainly won't drown you, just be cautious and don't gasp, the next exhalation will get the rest of it out.

Hope this helps

 

[OlafB]

Get a proper instructor from a PADI 5 star or SSI centre.
You should had been given proper instruction on how everything functions and what to expect. And you were way too deep under for a first dive.