helping fellow diving with not breathing through nose

[hedgehog47]

Hi, I recently got certified in OW, and advanced open water, night and wreck diving, etc.

I met someone and she expressed wanting to get certified also. So she signed up.
She's had an enormous amount of difficulty (most mental, in my opinion) with not using her nose to breathe.

It's difficult for me to understand having that problem because it wasn't an issue for me, but I'm trying to be patient about it.

She can not complete her OW course because when she takes off her mask she breathes in through her nose, chokes on water and shoots up to the surface.

Even when her mask is on I frequently see bubbles coming out of her mask. I have searched videos, had her try the snorkel with no mask on in the pool. She just can't seem to get it.

Am I / we doing something wrong or is this just something some people can't do ? Really bummed we won't get to dive together. Her dive instructor said she can come back and complete the class when she is ready.

 

[RJP]

I coach students as follows:

When you breathe in, imagine you are sipping hot soup off a spoon.
When you breathe out, imagine you are blowing out birthday candles.

Assuming your friend can eat soup without snorting it into her sinuses, and can put out birthday candles without blowing her nose all over the cake... she can manage to dive without breathing through her nose.

PS - I had one student who filled a mask with water and wore it around the house to get used to not breathing through her nose.

 

[Doomnova]

My suggesting run down to the store with swim stuff and get a nose clip and have her wear it on a day off or in the evenings for a bit and rewire the brain a bit. Likely shes like me who breaths completely through her nose (one of the reasons why when I get a sinus infection I go through hell..till I found pesudafed).

 

[hedgehog47]

I did order a nose clip and had it sent to her house lol

 

[Doomnova]

. Is all I'll say to that.
I know for my first bit the urge to breath through y nose was quite strong but now while diving I can just toss a mental switch and turn it off but it too some time to install said switch.

 

[hedgehog47]

How long exactly, DOOM nova? Also, are you a female as well ?

 

[Colliam7]

Breathing control - inhaling through the mouth, and exhaling through the mouth, or exhaling through the nose according to the needs (respiration vs mask clearing) is an essential part of diving. IF she cannot control that function, she should take up hang gliding, or some other sport.

 

[Doomnova]

Nope I'm a guy. But I know the feeling which is why I'm trying to offer suggestions. Honestly I think it took me 15 or so dives before the reflex subsided. I got though my OW mainly by sheer will power alone.

 

[hedgehog47]

thanks everyone for the tips.

 

[RJP]

She can also try breathing with a snorkel with her face (no mask) in the water.

Sometimes it's the mask removal that causes people trouble with water up the nose; starting off WITHOUT the mask might give her the chance to learn how to control her airway without the added stress of mask removal.