Tightness & eventual nausea when breathing vertically at surface

[2018diver]

I'm currently in my OW certification class and have noticed something strange. When I am geared up, in a wetsuit, and floating or standing vertically in the pool, with water up to my chest/neck, I feel an uncomfortable tightness in my chest with breathing. After long enough, it progresses to mild nausea.

If I am horizontal, the feeling goes away. I have no problem when I'm underwater with the regulator swimming around, or floating on my stomach breathing through a snorkel, or floating on my back breathing air. It seems to be only when I'm vertical.

I don't have this problem when I'm just wearing swim trunks in a pool with no scuba gear. My theory is that the restrictiveness of the wetsuit, combined with the pressure differential of my submerged lungs and my head out of the water, are making it uncomfortable to breathe in this position. But it concerns me that it feels so uncomfortable and eventually leads to nausea. It makes me worry about my upcoming checkout dives where there will certainly be lots of time floating vertically at the surface while other students demonstrate their skills.

I am not otherwise prone to nausea and never get carsick or seasick. I'm a moderately active 35 year old male, not overweight.

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[rsingler]

Your self-assessment is correct, re: neoprene and the pressure differential due to position. Not to worry - it will pass as you spend more time in the water. And you'll learn to love those moments just resting back on the surface.
Some of it is stress related, esp. the nausea. That too will not be a persistent problem.

Diving Doc

 

[Bubblesong]

I have felt the breath restriction with an overly tight Fusion drysuit, and also with a too small, poodle style bcd. The trilam drysuit, that is looser fitting, and the backplate and wing style bcd’s Have eliminated this construction for me.
Please describe your type of exposure suit (what mm neoprene, jacket and overall style or one piece?) and bcd? Also, when inflating your bcd in order to float, is it to get your head as far out of the water as possible, or just enough to lean back and not have face submerged?
I would not wait on it, because open water you want to be as comfortable as possible, before tackling next level of dealing with wave action.

 

[Carlos Danger]

I occasionally have similar issues at the end of dives.

Remembering to keep focused on breathing fully and deeply when the symptoms first arrive seems to help me get through it. Sometimes there also seems to be a correlation between the severity and what I've had to eat prior...., as well as maybe how much fun I had the night before.

I have always been prone to nausea and motion sickness, so usually have to take a Dramamine when I am doing anything scuba or boating related. Staying hydrated is important too.

Good luck!

 

[2018diver]

I have felt the breath restriction with an overly tight Fusion drysuit, and also with a too small, poodle style bcd. The trilam drysuit, that is looser fitting, and the backplate and wing style bcd’s Have eliminated this construction for me.
Please describe your type of exposure suit (what mm neoprene, jacket and overall style or one piece?) and bcd? Also, when inflating your bcd in order to float, is it to get your head as far out of the water as possible, or just enough to lean back and not have face submerged?
I would not wait on it, because open water you want to be as comfortable as possible, before tackling next level of dealing with wave action.

For the pool sessions I've been in a 7mm farmer john (borrowed from the shop) plus my own 1.5mm top. Kind of a haphazard combo that I'd never use in open water, but it keeps me warm enough for 2 hrs in the pool. BCD is an older jacket-style, again from the shop. Definitely interested in trying out a BP/W after I'm certified.

We've been instructed to get in the habit of inflating the BCD fully when at the surface, so that's what I do. I find myself often loosening the cummerbund waist strap when it's fully inflated. I've assumed that the higher out of the water I get myself when floating, the better, as my lungs will be at a shallower depth working against less water pressure.

I don't it's related to motion sickness or nervousness. I'm an experienced & confident snorkeler and comfortable snorkeling long distances with some swell/chop on the water, so floating in scuba gear in the pool is not anxiety-inducing.

 

[Jonny Wishbone]

Holy chest squeeze batman...did you say a 7 mm plus a 1.5 on top of that? Plus a fully inflated BC? No wonder...sounds like normal results to me....

 

[Dan]

Tight wetsuit & BCD would do that to me while bobbing on the surface. I resolved it by:
1. Weighting correctly (just barely enough weight to sink at 500 psi in the tank). With 3mm wetsuit I use 12lb lead (I’m 5’ 9”, 155 lbs). I add 1lb for every additional 1mm thickness. So, for 7mm wetsuit, I use 16lb lead.
2. Distributing the weight correctly. I put 1/4-3/7 of the lead on the back around the shoulder blade area. For example, with 3mm wetsuit, I put 2lbs lead on each shoulder blades, 4lb lead on each integrated BCD waist pockets.
3. Positioning my tank low relative to BCD, i.e., strap the BCD upper cam band near the top of the tank before the tangent line of the tank where the cylinder part turn into hemisphere dome. So when I stay still on the surface with a little bit of air in the BCD, my face will naturally facing the sky, like wearing a life jacket, instead of facing down & keep finning to stay vertical like those guys who wear BP/W. My fear is if I were to pass out at the surface, with BP/W, I’d end up with face down & drown. Basically when the tank (I use mainly AL80) is empty, the lower positioning of the tank, relative to the BCD, will act like a cork & push my chest up to the surface with a bit of air in the BCD.
4. Just put enough air in the BCD to keep my chin above the surface to avoid chest squeeze by over inflating BCD when you try to stay up too high above water, up to the chest. As long as my mouth above water, I’m fine. I can float vertically still without finning like this for a long time.
5. Wear loose wetsuit.
6. Relax

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Hi 2018diver,

There's also some evidence that the pressure differential when vertical in the water can lead to reflux, so it may be worth adding that to the mix of things you've already mentioned.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Chilly_Diver]

For the pool sessions I've been in a 7mm farmer john (borrowed from the shop) plus my own 1.5mm top. Kind of a haphazard combo that I'd never use in open water, but it keeps me warm enough for 2 hrs in the pool. BCD is an older jacket-style, again from the shop. Definitely interested in trying out a BP/W after I'm certified.

We've been instructed to get in the habit of inflating the BCD fully when at the surface, so that's what I do. I find myself often loosening the cummerbund waist strap when it's fully inflated. I've assumed that the higher out of the water I get myself when floating, the better, as my lungs will be at a shallower depth working against less water pressure.

I don't it's related to motion sickness or nervousness. I'm an experienced & confident snorkeler and comfortable snorkeling long distances with some swell/chop on the water, so floating in scuba gear in the pool is not anxiety-inducing.

Wow, I can’t even imagine that kind of exposure protection in a pool. Must be incredibly uncomfortable. Why not board shorts or a 3mm. Also, fully inflating your bc on the surface by default does not fall within any agency’s teaching standards.

 

[anchochile]

There's also some evidence that the pressure differential when vertical in the water can lead to reflux, so it may be worth adding that to the mix of things you've already mentioned.

Hmm, I've never experienced reflux, but just googled the symptoms and I think I often experience this when vertical in the water. Would taking an antacid before diving be a reasonable solution to try?