Hello,

Just yesterday I finally decided to stop waiting and sign up to get my certification. Class are starting in less than a week and was wondering if anyone had any tips? I read the first chapter of the course book as instructed and really the only parts that worries me are those involving taking off the mask. I have a bit of a problem NOT holding my nose underwater and I'm scared I will just freak out and get my nose full of water and choke.. Does anyone have tips to overcome that problem?

Thanks!

if you breath out slowly through your nose you will not get water comming in. I hated the mask removal too (I think most people do), but it's only a small part and over quickly.

best advice I can give you is relax and have fun. The more tense and panicy you get the harder you will find it. Remeber if you need to cough just cough into your reg, you may need to put a hand on it to prevent you accidently spitting it out.

Where are you doing you open water dives?

Good luck, let us know how you go

aliikai wrote:
Hello,

Just yesterday I finally decided to stop waiting and sign up to get my certification. Class are starting in less than a week and was wondering if anyone had any tips? I read the first chapter of the course book as instructed and really the only parts that worries me are those involving taking off the mask. I have a bit of a problem NOT holding my nose underwater and I'm scared I will just freak out and get my nose full of water and choke.. Does anyone have tips to overcome that problem?

Thanks!

My girlfriend had exactly the same problem. Here's a few tips:

1) If water does go up your nose, it's no big deal. It will end up in your mouth and you can spit it out into your regulator - they're hardy like that, you can even vomit into them

2) Practise in the sea, just dunk ya head under and open your eyes. It will sting for about 3-5 seconds and then you'll realise it's actually not that bad at all!

3) It can take some practise to breath in via your mouth and not nose. The absolute key here is to be relaxed, as previously mentioned. If you breath in hard, you're going to take water in your nose - so just chill With instructor you're in absolutely no danger and there's about a billion people within arms reach that can help!

4) If you take your mask off for the alloted time, the most likely time to get water up there is when you breath out - again breathing out hard will send bubbles up there. Just relaxed breath - I don't think they'll particularly mind you holding your nose, but try and do it without. I can do it easily but I force my girlfriend to do this everytime before we dive even though she hates it. Why? Because if you lose your mask for real, you want to be 100% fine and cool as gravy.

Number 1 rule (except don't ever hold your breath) when diving, is just stay relaxed!

Thanks. I will try to remember that. Hopefully I won't have any problems and just enjoy myself!

Well, just wanted to say that I just got back from my first class. Filling up mask then emptying was a breeze. I was worrying too much Only thing I wasn't able to do well was equalizing.. Breezed through the rest of the things we did though, 'cept for maybe keeping neutrally buoyant.. Either I was at the bottom of the pool, or slowly starting to float up.. oh and getting my regulator back using that technique where you reach back, feeling for it starting at the tank.

It was really fun, though not sure ears agree on that but practice makes perfect (or close to it anyways) and can't wait for my second dive!

PS: They should make tanks with wheels at the bottom. Easier to carry around that way.

Sounds like you did really well and it's good to hear you are enjoying yourself .

Don't worry about your bouyancy as it will improve the more you dive. I'm sure you will get a chance to do plenty fin pivets and hovers to help too .

Equalistion can be pain, sometimes you just can't do it and it happens to everyone at somepoint. Just remeber if it starts hurting don't go any deeper unless it clears even if this means you have to call off the dive.

you can get things to wheel your tanks around on if you are really struggling, but think of it as good exercise

Well tonight is my final class. Kinda sad that it's coming to an end. Not sure when I will be able to do my open water dives though. Hopefully I will be able to stay in the area over the summer and do them with the same group.

I've had lots of fun, a few times the instructors came to me after the pool dive and said they were impressed. The only part where I really had trouble was with clearing the mask underwater and putting it back on. Took me 4 or 5 tries but I finally got it. I was hoping we wouldn't have to do it again but we then had to do a swim around the pool without mask, then put it back on all while underwater. I have a problem with my nose underwater, but it went incredibly well. Unlike the last time, I didn't even hold my nose! We then swam around the pool for a bit and I didn't freak out like I had done the last time either. Then when came the time to put the mask back on and clear it, did it on my first try too!

Other than that I haven't really had any problems. Equalizing isn't much of a problem anymore in the pool. Still have to work on my neutral buoyancy a bit cause I have a bit of trouble with breathing, which keeps sending me up and down but no biggy.

Looking forward to lots more dives!