Starting cert, have a question for other divers

[ratherbefishin]

Tonight is my first class for my NAUI certification (Christmas present from my parents) and last week I went to the dive shop to set up my class schedule and shop for fins/mask/snorkel. I ended up going with the Oceanic Shadow mask (fit my face well and I wanted to go frameless).

So in the past week I have been trying to get used to having the snorkel mouthpiece in so that I get more used to breathing in and out of my mouth, not nose. However, when I try on my mask, I have a really hard time keeping from breathing with my nose, which then kind of chokes me up.

Has anyone else had problems wearing a mask that covered their nose when they first began diving? I'm hoping that this is something I can overcome (if I have to, my insurance pays for therapy...), and I am looking for any tips that anyone else has in addition to just wearing the mask around my apt when I can. Thanks in advance

 

[J.A.S.]

for me, the feeling of breathing underwater felt weird the first time out. you've been acsustomed to doing something one way and now that you are out of your "normal" element you have to teach yourself to get accustomed to a new environment.

at the beginning, most have a hard time still not breathing from their nose which creates the fogging in the mask and broken seal.

one good way to teach youself is get in the tub/pool and practice having a mask on and breathing from snorkel.
Also follow up with filling the mask with water and breathing through snorkel. ( above water, in case you have to remove mask quickly to adjust )

hope this helps and good luck

 

[Jimmer]

leave the mask off, put your snorkel in your mouth, put your face in the water and do 5 breaths, take a short break, and do it again. After a while you won't have any problems.

 

[DandyDon]

leave the mask off, put your snorkel in your mouth, put your face in the water and do 5 breaths, take a short break, and do it again. After a while you won't have any problems.

I never had a problem with it, just felt it was part of the adventure when I started snorkeling, but that's probly the best approach. Snorkeling is great practice for scuba, dealing with mouthpiece breathing, mask, fins.

Have fun!

 

[Stu S.]

If you had a stopped-up nose, you would breathe through your mouth, right? Otherwise, you would expire. Try putting the snorkel in your mouth and pinching your nose closed. You could walk around that way. In public even. Then, you try the same thing with the mask on. Ought to work.

Have fun with it.

 

[Prostar]

Put your mask and snorkel on and wear them to work all day.

 

[ratherbefishin]

Put your mask and snorkel on and wear them to work all day.

Haha. I work at a high school for the "intellectually gifted" so I'm sure few would even find this behavior odd.

Thanks for the input everybody, I'm going to try going underwater in my bathtub.

 

[Walter]

This should help.

 

[Papa Steve]

Try putting the snorkel in your mouth and pinching your nose closed. You could walk around that way. In public even. Then, you try the same thing with the mask on. Ought to work.

Have fun with it.

And if you do, please post pictures.

 

[SCdiver2316]

When I first started diving I had problems the first time we used the equipment in the pool. It felt like I was not getting enough air and hyperventilating, not sure if it was just something new for me or a crappy rental reg. I regained my composure and did great in the class. Now I don't even think about it , its just as natural as breathing on land now. Just take it easy and you'll do just fine, I've found that most of the time when people have problems in a scuba class its entirely mental.