FROM PART ONE :
There was another big change in the circumstances between 2007 snorkelling and 2015 scuba diving . Now I was fitted with full dentures . As current dentures were fitted about 4 years back the gums had wornout a bit and the dentures were a bit loose . They were almost ejected out couple of times when I had coughed or sneezed suddenly :-) . So I had to be extra careful while pressing down the teeth on oxygen tube.
The dive master with you adjusts the goggles , mouthpiece etc.He keeps repeating that you have to remember to breath through the mouth as normal breathing through the nose is not possible under water,
When my goggle was being put , I was holding my breath , As soon as Dive Master (DM) had finished putting on the goggles I needed to breath , as nose was blocked by goggle bridge I just could not breath . For a second I did not understand what was happening and jerked out the goggles . DM understood and kept repeating that I should breath only through the mouth . Next time when goggles were put I remembered to breath through the mouth .
Then came the turn of regulator and the mouth piece . Gripping the oxygen tube between the dentures and maintaining cheeks & lips pressure on the mouthpiece flenge also proved a bit tricky and sea water was entering the mouth chocking and drowning me .
In those moments I felt that we do not fear death itself . What we fear is the choking , the gasping , the pain and the suffering that finally leads to death .
Before proceeding to the dive we were supposed to demonstrate for a minium of two minutes that we could breath under water without any problem.
Iinitially with Goggles and regulator mouthpiece combination I just could not get hang of breathing ( inhaleing & exaling ) through the MOUTH , As one can imagine I was either getting asphyxiated as I could not breath through the nose or getting choked by swollowing sea water when breathing through the mouth with mask & regulator . Leave alone two minutes I could not manage under water breathing through mouth for even 30 seconds.
I gave up after three attempts . I told the DM , as I was not able to breath under water and I had decided against the Dive.It is to the credit of my handler who persuaded & cajoled me & Ajeet who really tried every thing to keep my morale up , to encourage me in every which way .
When all this was going on my brain was over active , My intro to the group about myself being fighter pilot and all , flashed through my mind . WHAT WILL THE GROUP PEOPLE THINK ? When ten people from our group had done it yesterday and except me , other nine were doing it now . When ninteen from the group including children , ladies and gents of all shapes and sizes could do it , what was happening to this fighter pilot How could he not do it ?. I was bringing shame to myself and the IAF community just because I could not breath through mouth .
When all others could do it why not I.
Will I be able to look myself in the mirror next day ? Will I loose confidence in myself for the rest of my days ? Thoughts and thoughts , hundreds of them thousands of them on similar lines were flashing through my mind . It is said that human brain works faster than the fastest computers . At that moment I believed it to be so :-)
By now all from our group had proceeded for the actual dive . Only one more person was still around being given final instructions . He was a witness to all that was happening . I could see his face mirrorring various emotions in quick succession
Surprise - that I could not do it ,
Astonishment - that I could not do it ,
Disbelief - that I could not do it ,
Pity - that I could not do it ,
He was witness to my predicment and I was witness to his emotions .
I could handle - Surprise .
I could handle - Astonishment .
I could handle - Disbelief .
I COULD NOT HANDLE LOOK OF PITY ON HIS FACE.
I turned to DM took the goggles , the regulator , mouthpiece . Put them on and ducked my head under water. It was as if magic had happened . I was breathing through mouth !!!!!
For the first 30 to 40 seconds the airbubbles escaping through regulator exhaust valve were erratic but in the later one minute the escaping air bubbles were smooth and at regular intervals.My DM was surprised and happy and so was I .
Any way I had decided that during the dive I will keep the mouthpiece firmly in place not by lips & cheek pressure alone but also hold it in place with my hand.
Having got the hag of it I did dive and was taken all of 10 meters deep , where they take everyone doing diving.
Visibility under water was too good and we could see almost 20 to 30 feet . The corals , the varities of them the colours the shapes the sizes most amazing and captivating sights . The fishes again the varities the colours the whole experience was out of this world . Just can not find words for it .
It was here , when told to practice breathing under water, that, so far as I was concerned the whole project and my scuba dive went totally bust and almost did not happen ..............................
Before I go any further a bit about the diving goggles and the mouthpiece .
Having done snorkelling in 2007 I had some idea about the goggles and the mouth piece and their use. But there was a bit of difference between those used for snorkelling and scuba diving .
Goggles.
Once the goggles are on , the goggle bridge fits snuggly and presses the nosestrills so that breathing through the nose is not possible.
Mouthpiece
Oxygen tube to be firmly gripped between the teeth . Fleng is to be kept firmly in place by exerting pressure by cheeks & lips . If both of these are not done properly sea water will enter mouth . Emergency action of purging will have to be done.
There was another big change in the circumstances between 2007 snorkelling and 2015 scuba diving . Now I was fitted with full dentures . As current dentures were fitted about 4 years back the gums had wornout a bit and the dentures were a bit loose . They were almost ejected out couple of times when I had coughed or sneezed suddenly :-) . So I had to be extra careful while pressing down the teeth on oxygen tube.
The dive master with you adjusts the goggles , mouthpiece etc.He keeps repeating that you have to remember to breath through the mouth as normal breathing through the nose is not possible under water,
When my goggle was being put , I was holding my breath , As soon as Dive Master (DM) had finished putting on the goggles I needed to breath , as nose was blocked by goggle bridge I just could not breath . For a second I did not understand what was happening and jerked out the goggles . DM understood and kept repeating that I should breath only through the mouth . Next time when goggles were put I remembered to breath through the mouth .
Then came the turn of regulator and the mouth piece . Gripping the oxygen tube between the dentures and maintaining cheeks & lips pressure on the mouthpiece flenge also proved a bit tricky and sea water was entering the mouth chocking and drowning me .
In those moments I felt that we do not fear death itself . What we fear is the choking , the gasping , the pain and the suffering that finally leads to death .
Before proceeding to the dive we were supposed to demonstrate for a minium of two minutes that we could breath under water without any problem.
Iinitially with Goggles and regulator mouthpiece combination I just could not get hang of breathing ( inhaleing & exaling ) through the MOUTH , As one can imagine I was either getting asphyxiated as I could not breath through the nose or getting choked by swollowing sea water when breathing through the mouth with mask & regulator . Leave alone two minutes I could not manage under water breathing through mouth for even 30 seconds.
I gave up after three attempts . I told the DM , as I was not able to breath under water and I had decided against the Dive.It is to the credit of my handler who persuaded & cajoled me & Ajeet who really tried every thing to keep my morale up , to encourage me in every which way .
When all this was going on my brain was over active , My intro to the group about myself being fighter pilot and all , flashed through my mind . WHAT WILL THE GROUP PEOPLE THINK ? When ten people from our group had done it yesterday and except me , other nine were doing it now . When ninteen from the group including children , ladies and gents of all shapes and sizes could do it , what was happening to this fighter pilot How could he not do it ?. I was bringing shame to myself and the IAF community just because I could not breath through mouth .
When all others could do it why not I.
Will I be able to look myself in the mirror next day ? Will I loose confidence in myself for the rest of my days ? Thoughts and thoughts , hundreds of them thousands of them on similar lines were flashing through my mind . It is said that human brain works faster than the fastest computers . At that moment I believed it to be so :-)
By now all from our group had proceeded for the actual dive . Only one more person was still around being given final instructions . He was a witness to all that was happening . I could see his face mirrorring various emotions in quick succession
Surprise - that I could not do it ,
Astonishment - that I could not do it ,
Disbelief - that I could not do it ,
Pity - that I could not do it ,
He was witness to my predicment and I was witness to his emotions .
I could handle - Surprise .
I could handle - Astonishment .
I could handle - Disbelief .
I COULD NOT HANDLE LOOK OF PITY ON HIS FACE.
I turned to DM took the goggles , the regulator , mouthpiece . Put them on and ducked my head under water. It was as if magic had happened . I was breathing through mouth !!!!!
For the first 30 to 40 seconds the airbubbles escaping through regulator exhaust valve were erratic but in the later one minute the escaping air bubbles were smooth and at regular intervals.My DM was surprised and happy and so was I .
Any way I had decided that during the dive I will keep the mouthpiece firmly in place not by lips & cheek pressure alone but also hold it in place with my hand.
Having got the hag of it I did dive and was taken all of 10 meters deep , where they take everyone doing diving.
Visibility under water was too good and we could see almost 20 to 30 feet . The corals , the varities of them the colours the shapes the sizes most amazing and captivating sights . The fishes again the varities the colours the whole experience was out of this world . Just can not find words for it .
Ajeet , Thumbs up . Stone coral in back ground.
Priti enjoying her dive .
Finally yours trully . Feeling comfortable & enjoying , BUT......
still keeping mouthpiece firmly in place with right hand !!!
I do not know if we ever visit Haveloc again but if we ever do , I will go diving again because now I can breath through the MOUTH :-) :-)
ALL IS WELL THAT ENDS WELL.:-)
Dear Velusr,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post about your first scuba diving experience and was impressed by the beauty of the underwater world you described. As someone who enjoys swimming but struggles with poor vision, I understand the importance of having clear vision underwater, and I would like to suggest checking out Prescription Swimming Goggles for anyone in need of a solution for underwater vision.
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Thank you for sharing your scuba diving experience, and I hope others will benefit from learning about Prescription Swimming Goggles as well.
Best regards