Snorkling Lessons

[danadog56]

Okay all you snorkel-heads.....I am going to start snorkel lessons in July and am already a nervous wreck !!!! As excited as I am about it I am just as nervous.....I probably would be fine except that when we went Snuba-ing on the island I had to sign a waiver about being asthmatic and having high-bloodpressure....my cousin was a scuba diver for the mariners told me I would be fine, but I had a panic attack....(must be old age....) went and had a good time, but am worried the same thing will happen...so long story short....need all the re-assurance as possible from all you experienced divers.....especially you Andrea.....please tell me all will be okay !!!!!

[Arubalisa]

I would think that if you believe you will be freaked out it is because of the mask and a feeling of claustrophobia? If so, snorkeling may never be an option. I know that has been the experience for my FIL.

Your lesson is in a swimming pool? Stay at the shallow end and not much bad could happen there as long as you can pop your head above the surface and spit out the snorkel tube.

You will be fine Michelle, we are all backing you!

[Andrea J.]

michelle you will be fine

stand in shallow water and bend over.....put your face in the water just wearing the mask

come up to breathe every so often.....do not hold your breath either, exhale thru your moouth like a whistle

when you feel pretty good with that
take the mask off put the snorkel in your mouth, pinch your nose and stand around and breath thru the snorkel tube (with face OUT of the water)

then pinch your nose again, stick your face in the water and breathe thru your mouth and the snorkel tube make sure the top of the tube is OUT of the water

stay with your face in nose blocked mouth/snorkel slow deep breathing for 3 minutes and by slow i mean less than 12 breaths a minute even slower 8 breaths would be good relax

if you can do that comfortably put the mask ON slip the snorkel UP on the left side of your face and secure under the strap of mask put the snorkel so it is comfortable DO NOT CLAMP down with the jaws of death crunch

dip your face in and breath SLOWLY thru your mouth
repeat and repeat

once you are comfy let your legs float up and grasp the edge of the pool and do a prone float and continue to breathe slowly thru your MOUTH

when you have mastered this LET me know.
:-)

[cindyo]

Ah, spoken like a true aquatics director...I still couldn't do it. Michelle, good luck. We want to hear all about it.

[danadog56]

ok, my mistake...I mean scuba lessons....that is where the nervous condition is coming from...sorry...I have been snorkeling many times.....it's the scuba diving I have not done.
I am not afraid of scuba diving so much as the medical questions that were asked of me when we were in Aruba to Snuba.....
So I will let everyone know how I did....ifI go through with it.....

[danadog56]

Originally Posted by Andrea J.

michelle you will be fine

stand in shallow water and bend over.....put your face in the water just wearing the mask

come up to breathe every so often.....do not hold your breath either, exhale thru your moouth like a whistle

when you feel pretty good with that
take the mask off put the snorkel in your mouth, pinch your nose and stand around and breath thru the snorkel tube (with face OUT of the water)

then pinch your nose again, stick your face in the water and breathe thru your mouth and the snorkel tube make sure the top of the tube is OUT of the water

stay with your face in nose blocked mouth/snorkel slow deep breathing for 3 minutes and by slow i mean less than 12 breaths a minute even slower 8 breaths would be good relax

if you can do that comfortably put the mask ON slip the snorkel UP on the left side of your face and secure under the strap of mask put the snorkel so it is comfortable DO NOT CLAMP down with the jaws of death crunch

dip your face in and breath SLOWLY thru your mouth
repeat and repeat

once you are comfy let your legs float up and grasp the edge of the pool and do a prone float and continue to breathe slowly thru your MOUTH

when you have mastered this LET me know.
:-)

Okay Andrea, when I go for scuba lessons I am calling you to come with,......you calmed me already and I haven't even seen the water yet !!!!

[Arubalisa]

I was so nervous about scuba diving I wouldn't even pay for the lesson until dh asked the instructor to take me into the pool with the gear on to see how I would react to breathing through the regulator. So they geared me up and took me into the shallow end of the pool and voila, that rest is history. Would you have the opportunity to do that?

Took my open water and advanced open water certifications in 7 days in Jamaica. Not quite a vacation, but something which I will have for a lifetime.

See what others here say, but except for the bulkiness of the gear and the technical factors, scuba is much better than snorkeling.

[danadog56]

I am not sure about the going in with gear to see how I do....I do know that the lessons are in a small lake or quarry ...nephew, neighbor and cousin all went to this school and all say I will be fine...of course they are all guys so none would admit to any difficulties anyway.....2 of them have enough testosterone to supply half of the Northeast....the other is so quiet I sometimes wonder....
but thanks ArubaLisa for the info....and encouragement....I really want to do this, so I think I will be okay.....

[Chadd]

Originally Posted by danadog56

ok, my mistake...I mean scuba lessons....that is where the nervous condition is coming from...sorry...I have been snorkeling many times.....it's the scuba diving I have not done.
I am not afraid of scuba diving so much as the medical questions that were asked of me when we were in Aruba to Snuba.....
So I will let everyone know how I did....ifI go through with it.....

If you decide to do any of your lessons in Aruba, ask for Anime (Ah-neem) at Red Sail. She is an excellent instructor and I have seen her work with others that have had reservations regarding scuba diving.

[Andrea J.]

when i got my first job as the aquatics director it became a requirement that i get certified (that was in 1974) so i got my basic NAUI scuba. (under diress...i am a pool person and the ocean, especially in new england is way too cold for my liking)
then.....i had to get the next level and then the next and i was still not wild about being cold and not wild at being down 30 - 80 feet.

finally my exec gave me the news......we are letting the scuba instructor go as we think it ridiculous to pay him when YOU can do the job. so, they sent me to NAUI and then PADI instructor training. i am still a currently certified.

honestly, i could have lived my whole life without SCUBA and not regretted it.
I have sinus problems, ear problems and arthritis in my neck...........all related to or affected by diving. and i rarely SCUBA anymore due to my neck.

so michelle i am saying..........it is like this. if you cannot sleep at night due to the urge of SCUBA then take the course. if you are overly apprehensive or
could care less................do not take the course. don't waste your money or the time.

i have gone diving in Aruba, Maine, MA, NH lakes, Bonaire, Caymans, Cozumel, St Maarten and other caribbean islands. no regrets just if i could do it again, i'd snorkel and do it only in the caribbean.

take the course? not take the course?

my advice is free.

quarries huh?

and if blood pressure is a concern...........if you bp is controlled by medication it is a non issue.