| If you've ever considered taking scuba diving | | | | chest deep. Wear eye goggles instead of a mask |
| classes but are being held back by a fear of | | | | so that your nose is exposed to the water |
| water, rest assured that this is normal. Man | | | | (alternatively, since you are not going to swim, |
| wasn't made to live in water, and that's precisely | | | | you can forego the goggles and just hold the |
| why we need all that scuba equipment just to | | | | snorkel tube to the side of your head where it will |
| stay submerged for anything longer than a few | | | | normally be attached to the mask strap). |
| minutes. It is healthy to be afraid because it will | | | | Submerge your face in the water and breathe |
| make you a careful scuba diver, but it shouldn't | | | | through the snorkel without pinching your nose |
| hold you back from enjoying one of the most | | | | with your fingers. |
| enjoyable and fulfilling activities you can | | | | Another exercise involving your snorkel, as well as |
| experience. This article should start you off with a | | | | a mask and a pair of fins, will build confidence in |
| few simple exercises designed to temper that | | | | your ability to perform important and potentially |
| fear and make you more comfortable out there | | | | life-preserving maneuvers underwater. Note that |
| in your newfound underwater world. | | | | this exercise is potentially dangerous so make |
| We spend our lives breathing through our noses, | | | | sure that all safeguards are in place before |
| so it should come as no surprise that many | | | | attempting this. Do it in a pool with a buddy and a |
| people find it difficult or unnatural to breathe | | | | lifeguard present. In a part of the pool where the |
| completely through the mouth, at least at first. A | | | | water is about a foot or two deeper than you |
| good dive mask will prevent you from breathing | | | | are tall, throw in your mask, snorkel and fins. Hold |
| through your nose most of the time, but a | | | | your breath, jump in, and recover the items, |
| flooded mask is a common occurrence in normal | | | | putting on the mask and clearing it, putting the |
| diving and you should be able to breathe through | | | | fins properly on your feet, and then clearing the |
| the mouth (shutting off nasal breathing | | | | snorkel as you ascend slowly, looking up and |
| completely) without undue effort. A good way to | | | | making sure that there are no obstructions above |
| improve this skill is by swimming "freestyle." This | | | | you. It might take a few tries before you are |
| common style of swimming makes use of mouth | | | | able to complete it, but with perseverance, you |
| breathing, inhaling when the face is barely out of | | | | will. The trick is to relax and take it slowly so that |
| the water and exhaling a split second later when | | | | the air in your lungs will last longer. Beginners will |
| the face is submerged. Vigorous freestyle | | | | usually try to hurry up, making them fumble and |
| swimming also makes you familiar with the | | | | panic when they start running out of air. |
| sensation of getting a little water in your nose | | | | These are just some of the things you can do to |
| without panicking, and of course it's very good | | | | make yourself comfortable in the water, an |
| all-around physical exercise. | | | | invaluable skill to take with you as you start your |
| An alternate mouth-breathing exercise is breathing | | | | scuba diving classes and start on your wonderful |
| through a snorkel with your face underwater. | | | | new hobby! |
| Stand in an area of the pool where the water is | | | | |