Did NOT complete OW certification

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

You might try this to get used to mask clearing even before you go back to the pool.

1 Fill you bath tub up with water at a nice comfortable temperature.
2 Place a folded thick towel for padding on the edge of the tub.
3 Put on mask and snorkel
4 Kneel next to tub
5 Bend over the side of the tub and place hands on bottom of tub in the water
You should look like a dog standing with front paws in the water back paws out!
6 Lower your face in the water and breath through snorkel for a moment.
7 Add a little water and clear
8 Add more water and clear
9 Rinse and repeat many times
10 Take mast off and just use snorkel. You can use a hair head band to hold snorkel in place since the mask strap will be gone. Place face in tub water and breath. Set a goal of how many seconds or minutes to breath or so many breaths. Have someone time you and tap shoulder when the goal is reached.
11 Set a new goal of breathing with snorkel without mask and do again
12 After you get the above down. Repeat with cooler water.
13 After you get the above down. Repeat with cold water.
14 For the sadistic folks, repeat with water and ice cubes in the tub!

With the above method you can at anytime just pop up and breath since you will be on solid ground.

When I started swimming to get in shape using a mask fins and snorkel, I had a cheap mask that leaked. I had to clear it a couple of times each lap. I got pretty used to clearing while still swimming. At first I had to stop to clear it and it freaked me out. One you get the above suggestion down, you might try snorkeling in a pool and letting a couple of chunks of hair break the mask seal. That will let a steady trickle of water in and you can get used to clearing while swimming on top of the water. If you hair is short, get a couple of pieces of yarn to break the seal instead of hair and place near the top of mask so it won't wash out when you clear.

Once you get used to clearing then you can work on total removal and replacement while breathing through a regulator.

Sounds like you have a good instructor. You must be able to clear your mask. You will need to do this all the time while diving in open water.

Remember the old saying about eating an elephant. How do you do it? One bite at a time and you freeze the rest until you can stomach another bite! That applies to diving too. Do a little and then when YOU are ready and you alone, do the next little bite. It is better to go slow and get down permanently and correctly than to go fast and not retain what you have learned.

Welcome to the board and to diving. Keep us posted on how you are coming along.
Leah

 

[laivindil]

Is it possible to scrunch up your nose so you can't breath or can barely breath through it? I generally do that when I have to take the mask off completely. It leaves your hands free and you can still breath through the reg but water doesn't go much past the opening of your nose. You might also try holding the mask with one hand when you take it off underwater, then using your other hand hold your nose closed. This has also worked for me. Then your nose is only exposed to water for the short time when you're removing your mask and when you go to replace it. When you're doing that you can either blow air through your nose or use the first method.

 

[jshreck]

I can’t really say anything everyone else hasn’t already said -- Being comfortable in the water is what is most important - Its something that takes time and something you can practice doing on your own. Keep at it and Good luck! The only other piece of advice i can give you is that if you are still uncomfortable breathing with your mask and snorkel with your face in the water - try a mask with a nose purge - they are amazing and being able to exhale through your nose makes breathing as close to natrual as you're giong to get underwater.

 

[EvilSlumLord]

EvilSlumLord excellent post. You will have to change your name to BenevolentSlumLord. I

In diving maybe but my tenants might not agree with you. I subscribe to the methods used in "The Super" for property management: "It worked until you broke it!" and "Just pay me the RENT!" :11:

But I digress...

 

[Mike126]

Edith - I got certifiedin 86. The one thing I dreaded the most was the mask clearing. I always sucked a little water up my nose.

After diving for about 5 years I stopped due to work, marriage and kids. This week I was back in the ater for the first time in 15 years. I took a refresher course. My instructor told me after the session that he felt that I was very comfortable in the water. I said the one issue I always had was the breathing without a mask. So he said "try it". I was on the surface and took off my mask and just took some very deep and relaxing breaths through the regulator. I closed my eyes and descended a couple of inches until my nose was underwater. The whole time I just focused on my breathing. It worked! No water. Later I went to the bottom of the pool and flooded my mask and then took it off. Still no problem.

As everyone has said - PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Walter's excercise is a very good one to try with a snorkle.

If you really love the sport then stick with it. If not then there is no shame is saying it's not for you.

Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

Mike

 

[SparticleBrane]

I personally believe that your college isn't going about scuba training perhaps the best way. At NCSU we spend a MONTH working on skin diving skills before we even touch scuba equipment. We spend an entire class period of two hours working on mask clears, snorkel clears, and then a combined mask/snorkel clear. We promote having our students be able to complete at least 5 mask clears and a perfect displacement snorkel clear (on a single breath)...although we have people who can do upwards of 10-15 mask clears and then a perfect snorkel clear. Personally I've done 11... but the record I know of is 19.
I really just think that having students start breathing off a regulator first thing is not the best way to go about teaching scuba. IMHO they should be completely comfortable in the water before ever getting around scuba equipment, and one of the best ways to find out if they are is doing a lot of skin-diving work. If the student isn't comfortable at first, the skin-diving work will help increase their comfort level. The transition of going from a mask/snorkel clear to an underwater mask removal drill while on a regulator will at that point be seamless.



I sent this in a PM to someone here on the board and I'll copy/paste it in here, I hope this will help.

If you want to increase your comfort in the water, especially in your "no mask" situation, there's something I can recommend to help.

At NCSU in the basic scuba course we are taught (within the first day or so of starting skin diving) "exhalation drills" or "cold water treatment" depending on who is teaching. They are the same thing, just a different name.

To start off, hop into a pool and hang on the side. Take a breath and slowly submerge yourself while hanging on. LEAVE YOUR EYES OPEN! Then, slowly exhale while your eyes are open. This helps to get your body used to the chill of the water, slows down your metabolism, and generally prepares you for the colder water.

While on skin diving the exhalation drills are expanded somewhat. With your eyes open and your snorkel in (it helps to have your mask on the back of your head), inhale through your snorkel and exhale through your mouth. Then inhale through your snorkel and exhale through your nose. Alternate several times.

On scuba, it's again expanded. At the beginning of class we would leave our scuba rigs on the side of the pool with our regulators dangling over the edge. Drop down, exhale to clear a reg, and start breathing. Again, no mask on--with your eyes open. First reg breathe in and out through the regulator. After 5 slow and relaxed breath cycles, switch to your other second stage. Exhale into it to clear (as always) and then inhale through the reg and exhale through your nose. As always keep your eyes open. After 5 slow and relaxed breath cycles, remove the regulator and ascend. Remember to exhale on the way up, even if it's only 3-4 feet down in the pool!!
If you're in a quarry or otherwise "open water" condition, the scuba exhalation drills can be modified somewhat. Mask on the back of your head, put your reg in, and dunk your face in the water. Perform the exhalation drill as previously stated (5 breaths with eyes open, switch regs, another 5 breaths, etc).


Note that doing this in a pool, especially at first, will feel very uncomfortable. The sensation of water around your eyes won't be great and the chlorine in the water will hurt. If you do this ever day, for the first few days your eyes will probably be slightly bloodshot and dry for a while afterwards. After a bit your eyes will get used to the chlorine. Same with salt water, it will sting!
If necessary it might benefit you to tilt your head to one side while exhaling if the bubbles interfere with your eyes.


The reason for us having to do exhalation drills every time we get in the water at NCSU is that they are one of the most basic, yet important skills that is taught. I believe in earlier posts you mentioned that you had problems underwater when your mask was not on. That is the goal of this drill--to help keep you calm in a situation such as that. If you were 100ft underwater and someone kicked off your mask and you suddenly can't breathe--that's a serious problem. You have to be able to keep your eyes open and stay calm without a mask on while underwater!


Hope this helps--happy diving!

 

[rawls]

Just don't give up Edith...Keep at it and you will get it. If you really want to SCUBA dive...and your post indicates you have a strong desire to, then simply keep going and you WILL be successful. Don't let anyone get you down. Don't let any dumb *** tell you "this may not be for you". These people don't know you and should be ignored. Only you truly know yourself. I have a feeling...in the long run...you will end up being an excellent diver. If you ever find yourself getting down them PM me...You may only need a swift kick in the butt to get going again...Remember...It is many times in our darkest hours that we see our greatest growth. Stick with it...

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Edith, the post to Walters thread is excellent.

When I first started breathing underwater it felt kind of strange and I have been submerged for greater than 2 months (on a submarine). The other day I was diving with my wife that had been out of the water for a while and I forgot to rinse the defog off of my mask, the problem was I was making sure she was ok and just forgot well we had descended to about 20 feet. I just removed my mask and rinsed it put it back on and cleared it. She just shook her head at me!! Anyway my point is the more you are in the water the more comfortable you will become.

Good luck!! and keep us posted.

 

[SNorman]

You know, recently I was messing around in a hot tub and this particular thing might help you out. I was taking a full breath, floating in the middle, then slowly exhaling through my nose. By the time I was done exhaling, I was sitting on the bottom of the tub with my head maybe a foot underwater. Then I'd stand up, inhale and do it again You could also try this in the shallow end of a pool I guess. Keep doing this over and over, and pretty soon it gets pretty relaxing! If you freak out you can always just stand up.

 

[cummings66]

My belief is a person can master anything they desire to, but you have to want it.

A diver should be the type of person who's not prone to panic and being calm is a benefit to us during emergencies. I don't believe that because you panicked in the pool the first couple times means you can't cut it, with training you'll be able to overcome this and replace panic with reasoning. Most of us have something that scares the dickens out of us, I certainly do. Those fears can be tamed but you may need training to do so.

So don't run from your problem, attack it head on and you'll win. You can do it, it's under your control. Just take your time, think it through, visualize it, then do it. You'll conquer it.