So, I am in the middle of a 2 week swim focus and #2 daughter, who is known as the Elliptical/Stairmaster Queen, decides she wants to go swim with me. To set the facts here: 1) she has a normal nose; 2) just graduated from a really good University so she can follow directions; and 3) both she and her mother both hold their noses when diving in water because they claim water goes up their noses. As the only living thing in the house with XY chromosomes, I have decided never to challenge this statement.
So I am doing a 400 meter warm up and she is doing kick sets and I decide to see if she can swim – I do remember paying for swimming lessons back there somewhere. Off the wall she goes and comes up spewing water everywhere – water up her nose. Okay, I say hold your breath and do a couple strokes and she comes up spewing water everywhere – water up her nose. Okay, breath out and do a few strokes - everything is okay.
What is going on? Face down, looking at the black line, moving forward – how does water go up a nose – seems to defy physics – I don’t have a clue. My only thought is a nose plug. She does, however, have a great kick. Help! What is wrong?
you always have to blow bubbles out your nose. period. if nothing is coming out the nose (air or mucous) then water is going in. It’s a law of physics… or something
She is a nose breather…We get alot of those trying out for dive school…Makes life hell for them…She needs to break that habit…The way we have the newbies do it is fill a dive mask (one that covers the nose) with water and have them do flutter kicks on the pool deck…They learn quickly…I wouldnt make my daughter do that though!
Yeah, I’m a nose breather… and I’m that dork that often is seen swimming with a nose plug…
So until I can convince myself to take the previous guys advice and fill the mask w/ water and do flutter kicks I think I’ll be wearing that plug… and look like a loser…hmmm… yeah that doesn’t seem that bad…
good advice on the mask idea… thanks
Maxtrichic is right. Whenever your daughter’s face is IN the water she HAS to gently exhale through her nose. Smooth, steady exhalation for the duration until she rotates to breathe in (through her mouth). You should have her practice this while kicking holding on to the wall.
Look on the bright side; she went swimming with you! Great!
I taught myself to swim about 7-8 years ago, in my early thirties. I had been in the water all my life, but could never go under without holding my nose, or wearing clips.
I actually had to spend several of my first practice sessions holding on to the deck, putting my face in the water, gently breathing out of my nose, and then turning my head to take in a breath.
If you live near an ocean , throw her in the shallow surf 2-4 feet for 15-20 minutes she will teach herself. An old scuba diving trick was to hold your tongue tip against the back of your top teeth . This acts as a water separator while breathing ,you never get a slug of water straight down the pipe… It has saved me more than once .
Blow bubbles is right - however…you can blow them out of your mouth and get the same result. And I think it is easier to think about doing. If you are blowing out of your mouth, the bubbly will not go up your nose.
Okay, we need to take this down to the 3rd grade level – I read the words but am not sure what they mean and I can’t help her until I get it in my brain first. A nose breather means: 1) that she is breathing in through her nose under the water; 2) she is breathing through her nose to the side and sucking water in; or 3) something else? I know I am being dense but I can’t visualize how water goes up the nose when she is holding her breath and she is face down. Thanks for your help.
It is physics, but the other way around. As long as your mouth is closed, air can only enter your nose underwater if the water pressure exceeds the internal air pressure. There is no need to slowly release air thru the nose. I hold my breath until just before rotation and there is no air enetering my nose.
