Help me talk my girlfriend into not quitting...

[MJH1280]

My girlfriend and I have started talking scuba diving classes together. She is having trouble breathing underwater. Apparently everytime she inhales water is coming into her mouth. It's enough water to freak make her panic and swim for the surface. This is strange to see because she loves the water and is an incredible swimmer. Anyway, she has used two different regulators and is having the same problem. Maybe it's the way she is holding the regulator in her mouth? Maybe she is opening her lips? Maybe it's something else?

Anyone else experience or have seen this issue before? The instructors say the equipment is fine. I need advice. She is about to give up because she is freaked out.

Thanks!

 

[ShakaZulu]

Why, this way you don't have to carry her gear....

 

[Gombessa]

Can she articulate how it's happening? She should be able to have an idea of where the water is coming in, either around her lips at some point, through the regulator, etc. Does it happen all the time when she's underwater? What if she fills the sink/tub with water and dunks her head in there with the reg in her mouth?

Though it's not a solution, is she able to use her tongue as a "shield" by putting it against the roof of her mouth, and then exhaling the collecting water through the regulator? This may help alleviate the problem if the cause is a comfort issue.

If she has a small mouth, a different mouthpiece may help. The Aqualung/Apeks comfo-bite is pretty compact and doesn't take a lot of clamping to keep secure. If the shop has regs with different mouthpieces, give those a try.

 

[MJH1280]

Excellent point. She does have a small mouth. Perhaps a smaller mouthpiece would work. Thank you.

 

[Divedoggie]

If she has a small mouth, a different mouthpiece may help. The Aqualung/Apeks comfo-bite is pretty compact and doesn't take a lot of clamping to keep secure. If the shop has regs with different mouthpieces, give those a try.

I agree completely. Its possible that she isn't getting the mouthpiece all of the way into her mouth. The comfo-bite mouthpiece makes a big difference.


Maybe you can go by the diveshop and while nice and dry and out of the water, have her show you how she takes the reg out of her mouth and then how she puts it back in her mouth, and how she purges the reg. Does she block with her tongue and control that first breath?

In the end, diving isn't for everyone, and maybe she shouldn't be pushed too hard. You may not like the consequences.

 

[TSandM]

Can she breathe through a snorkel? If she can do that, she should be able to breathe through a regulator. Somebody needs to take a good look at how she is holding the reg in -- maybe she's trying to do it with her lips, instead of biting down on the mouthpiece?

 

[lapahas]

hey man, you dont want to push her into doing that; shes never going to enjoy it. let her take it slow, step by step, maybe do a little more snorkelling and some freediving, until you're both comfortable in the water as well as UNDER water, and both of you will enjoy it more.

when you say she's an incredible swimmer, i take it she is comfortable UNDERWATER; like she'd have no problem holding her breath fully submerged under water for about 15-30 secs.
i doubt that anyone who is comfortable UNDER water would have much trouble learning scuba.

you should really ask her if this is something SHE wants to continue.(i have some couples who dive cos one partners silently suffers to keep the other one happy)

you also might want to ask the instructors opinion, they're trained for these things. there are many, many different ways an instructor can help overcome such difficulties.

while i dont think there is such a thing as a bad instructor, you can also try with a different instructor, one who SHE is more comfortable with.

hope this helps

 

[Web Monkey]

Anyone else experience or have seen this issue before? The instructors say the equipment is fine. I need advice. She is about to give up because she is freaked out.

She needs a refund and a new instructor. The proper response to "I'm getting water when I breathe" isn't "The equipment is fine".

The appropriate response is to stop and investigate the problem and figure out if the student is really getting water, and if so, where it's coming from, and if not, figure out what's really freaking out the student and discuss whether or not she should really be in a SCUBA class.

It could be broken, poorly sized or poorly configured equipment, or she might be making it up because she doesn't really want to dive. Either way, it needs to be resolved immediately.

Terry

 

[Debby Smith]

I think she may be experiencing the same thing I am. I know I must NOT breathe in through my nose underwater. I do sometimes let a bit of water in my nose by doing that, and I've got to say it does wake me up and remind me NOT to. It seems sometimes it's difficult for me not to just a wee bit when I take my mask off and clear it, and when I switch out my regulator for the secondary. I hope all it will take is practice. And not to freak out.

 

[mislav]

Practicing with snorkel as TSandM suggested is an excellent idea. Other than that, take it slowly, don't rush her into dealing with this before she feels ready and spend some time in the pool with a proper instructor. With the level of anxiety she experienced, she doesn't belong anywhere else but the pool for her first steps in Scuba.