Breathing without mask - problem

[prettorian]

Hi there,
I am new to scuba diving and I've just started a training course with my friends. We've been in swimming pool maybe three times so far and done a lot of different exercises - taking automatic from the mouth, emergency ascend, pivoting, clearing the mask etc.
I still have a big problem when I fill the mask with water. When water gets in my nose I always start to swallow and I drink a little bit of it )) Sorry for my explanation but it is little bit difficult in english. I tried to take off the mask and go under the water just with the automatic, but i just cannot breath, still feeling water in my nose. When I imagine i will have to take off my mask 20m under the surface, I am pretty nervous from it and I don't feel like making it..
Probably it's getting better by the time but I am not sure if to continue with the course because we should go to the sea in one month to finish it but I don't know if to go there when I cannot make this.
Did you experience same problem?
I am still uncomfortable under the water and scared little bit from bit but I guess it's just because it's all new to me..


Thanks for your advices.

 

[Imla]

Lean forward a bit so the bubbles go on the side past your cheeks and not up your nose. And breathe out through your nose.

 

[TatianaSilva]

hi, i had the same problem... i just breathe out through my nose =)

 

[Aeropilot]

I was also a bit nervous about this before my OWD class. Most people breathe normally with the opening between the nose and mouth open. When you do this underwater without the mask, you will pull water into your nose when you inhale through the regulator or snorkel.

What I did was practice breathing through my mouth with the opening to the nose closed. Try to close your mouth and breathe a vacuum. If your nose is open, this is impossible. You will suck air through your nose. But when you successfully close the nose off, you will not be able to breathe. Now when you know how to do this, practice in the pool (or even the bathtub) with a snorkel. I just stood in the pool with my snorkel in my mouth, dipped my face under water and tried to breathe. My bodys reaction when the water touched my maskless face the first times was to shut off my throat. I couldn't breathe in, or out. So I raised my head out of the water, and tried again. After a while it was no longer a problem. I could swim with my face under water, remove my mask completely and continue swimming with just the snorkel. Then when we did mask drills in OWD training, it was no big deal.

 

[prettorian]

hi, i had the same problem... i just breathe out through my nose =)

I know but even when I fill the mask just little bit with water and water touches my nose, i drank little bit of it and I had to go up )

---------- Post added August 22nd, 2014 at 01:18 PM ----------

I was also a bit nervous about this before my OWD class. Most people breathe normally with the opening between the nose and mouth open. When you do this underwater without the mask, you will pull water into your nose when you inhale through the regulator or snorkel.

What I did was practice breathing through my mouth with the opening to the nose closed. Try to close your mouth and breathe a vacuum. If your nose is open, this is impossible. You will suck air through your nose. But when you successfully close the nose off, you will not be able to breathe. Now when you know how to do this, practice in the pool (or even the bathtub) with a snorkel. I just stood in the pool with my snorkel in my mouth, dipped my face under water and tried to breathe. My bodys reaction when the water touched my maskless face the first times was to shut off my throat. I couldn't breathe in, or out. So I raised my head out of the water, and tried again. After a while it was no longer a problem. I could swim with my face under water, remove my mask completely and continue swimming with just the snorkel. Then when we did mask drills in OWD training, it was no big deal.

This sound pretty interesting, I am just not sure if I get what you mean by breath a vacuum..

 

[Aeropilot]

I tried to say that if your mouth is closed, and you correctly shut off your nose, when you try to breathe you will not get in any air. And you will suck a vacuum in your mouth/throat.

 

[prettorian]

I tried to say that if your mouth is closed, and you correctly shut off your nose, when you try to breathe you will not get in any air. And you will suck a vacuum in your mouth/throat.

Yeah but water comes to my nose even if i don't breath.. I think it's not possible to shut is off completely

 

[TatianaSilva]

ok im not exactly getting aeropilots way but i do get the " shut your nose" thing ... it does work if you try to close your nose holes ( sorry my english is not great)like trying to smell something under your nose . I know , its hard to explain these things here ! but breathing out through nose even before you let water inside your mask or try to " close" your nose ,both work.

---------- Post added August 22nd, 2014 at 01:27 PM ----------

maybe you just need to keep practising? i had the exact same problem, i panicked and had to go up too .

 

[Aeropilot]

If you keep your head level, air will be trapped in your nose cavity preventing water from entering. Of course, there will always be a feeling of water entering the nose, that is just something you get used to. And as Imla said, leaning forward a bit will keep the bubbles from your regulator from rushing past your nose. But again, if you keep the opening between throat and nose shut, and you keep your head level, there is no way water is entering to your throat. I would just practice as in my previous post, and you will get used to the feeling soon enough.

 

[TatianaSilva]

maybe this help us guys

Water Up Your Nose - Scuba Diver Life