Learning to be a fish

[victorzamora]

Well if you have access to a pool, then let me give you another piece of advice that might help you GREATLY. If you have your own Mask/snorkel/fins.....then I have two exercises that are the hardest things for some people to get over.

Stand in the pool in an area that you can comfortably get your head back OUT of the water (the key)....but preferably not so shallow you really have to crouch. In that area, breath through your snorkel. Then, pull your snorkel out of your mouth, sit for a second, and then put it back in your mouth before you clear and do it again. The feeling of being underwater and NOT having an air source is something that freaks a lot of people out really quickly. The other one is a mask skill. I'd try to let a little pool of water in your mask and just keep breathing. If it goes well, then try holding your face underwater with your mask off, breathing through the snorkel.

Failure to be comfortable with the above tasks is the most common problems I see with new Scuba divers.

 

[TSandM]

I know only one of the Aurora Sports instructors, and I'm pretty sure he isn't teaching this next class. But if you have particular worries, let your instructor know about them ahead of time, so they know to give you a little extra time or support to get through the issue. You do have to meet the standards, but sometimes they can really help you get there.

 

[Azel]

Stand in the pool in an area that you can comfortably get your head back OUT of the water (the key)....but preferably not so shallow you really have to crouch. In that area, breath through your snorkel. Then, pull your snorkel out of your mouth, sit for a second, and then put it back in your mouth before you clear and do it again. The feeling of being underwater and NOT having an air source is something that freaks a lot of people out really quickly. The other one is a mask skill. I'd try to let a little pool of water in your mask and just keep breathing. If it goes well, then try holding your face underwater with your mask off, breathing through the snorkel.

Failure to be comfortable with the above tasks is the most common problems I see with new Scuba divers.

I will definitely try this tomorrow. Thank you for the suggestion.

:fish:

 

[elmer fudd]

Not being a good swimmer won't necessarily stop you from diving. A buoyancy compensator, (BC), will float you like a life jacket or enable you to hover effortlessly, (eventually), but learning how to swim well is still one of the best things you can do if you intend on pursuing any variety of water sports.

As far as the treading water goes, one good technique is to take a deep breath, float with your face submerged for 12 seconds or so, exhale while still floating with your head submerged then raise your head and take another deep breath and repeat. It takes most of the physical effort out of treading water. You don't have to kick or paddle or anything while you are just resting there. Simply float with the top inch or two of your head at water level.

 

[Azel]

As far as the treading water goes, one good technique is to take a deep breath, float with your face submerged for 12 seconds or so, exhale while still floating with your head submerged then raise your head and take another deep breath and repeat. It takes most of the physical effort out of treading water. You don't have to kick or paddle or anything while you are just resting there. Simply float with the top inch or two of your head at water level.

Thank you for the suggestion. I was able to maintain an upright posture while actively treading water for 10 min last night. The only thing was my neck was aching quite a bit. I think I was working too hard to keep part of my neck out of the water. I am going to try to keep part of my mouth submerge next time. I also practice donning and doffing my mask underwater and it was very unnerving. I have to remind myself to relax and open my eyes.

Three more days to go.... I can't wait.

 

[elmer fudd]

The technique is called drown proofing. You can read more about it here. It really is a handy trick to be aware of.

Drownproofing

Cold water shock is one of the other main drowning hazards in this area. Basically if you ever find yourself suddenly submerged in very cold water you may discover that you can't breathe. Don't panic though. It's completely natural and it will pass within a minute.

 

[Azel]

Today is the second day of my confined water class. I was able to follow through with the training and manage to keep a level head. My instructors and DMs were encouraging and patient. Despite their effort I was having trouble replacing my mask and clearing the water. I was able to breath for 30 seconds and swim without my mask (and other tasks) but donning my mask underwater then clearing it was quite a challenge. And the more I practice the more I get anxious. My brain doesn't seem to agree to breath-in through my mouth only and breath-out through my nose.

So, I have decided to stick to snorkeling and just enjoy the scenery from above and will continue supporting my wonderful hubby with his crazy SCUBA diving addiction.

:snorkel2:

 

[victorzamora]

Let me say I'm sorry that's what got you. I've seen it get a LOT of people. It's one of two things I'm always afraid of with new divers. It nearly got my fiancee when she got certified. I've worked on it with her nearly every dive since and she's gotten completely comfortable donning/doffing her mask now. Now that you know what the problem is, try practicing with a snorkel a few times and see if you can work through it. Just be VERY conscious and purposeful when you breathe, in AND out.

 

[Azel]

I spoke with my instructors the day after my last post and told them about my plan to quit. They were very understanding and they also encourage me to give it a little more time. They let me practice a little bit more and I was able to finish all the pool skills Tuesday night.

Unfortunately during my open water dive yesterday I got very cold when we were in the shallow water of Cove 2 when they were checking the weights we needed prior to the dive. When I got under the water the vis was very poor and could only see about 5 ft. So, I requested to postpone my final OW dive. I am going to go back in the pool and practice some of the skills and learn a dry suit as well. This should help me keep warm when it comes time to do the check dives.

The dive at the Edmond water park today (day 2 of the OW class) was canceled due to poor vis.

I am still hoping to finish my certification in the near future. I still have anxiety with the mask but not as bad as the first day after having completed it several times.

:fish:

 

[TSandM]

Azel, I'm SO glad you talked to your instructors, and they gave you more time, and you stuck with it.

The visibility locally, which has been really pretty lovely since last September, has recently tanked. This is quite typical in the spring, as the days get longer and we get huge blooms of algae in the water. It ruins our viz, but the algae and other plankton are what feed many of the filter-feeding species that make up a large part of our Puget Sound critters that we love to watch.

In a week or so, this will begin to resolve, and we'll have a few really nice viz days before the next one. I commend you for deciding to postpone, because our very low viz days aren't much fun even for comfortable divers, let alone students. And Kudos to your instructors for canceling today's dives. Not all instructors are that considerate of their students!