I'm not comfortable in the water..?

Question

I learned how to swim when I was around ten or eleven and I have never really been comfortable in the water. I am comfortable swimming underwater and almost everything else but I can never dive/jump in. I either have to lower myself in slowly or use a ladder. Every time I have ever jumped in, I have breathed in underwater and choked which has led to my fear of diving. I have to swim in gym class next week and I already know that I will have to dive in (a fried of mine took the class last year). Is there any way to prepare myself mentally without access to a pool? I really need a way to make sure that I don't breathe in or embarrass myself..my self esteem is already near rock bottom >_<

Thank you so much :)

Answer 1

I&#039;m not sure what is causing you to need to inhale while underwater after you dive in, but I would practice this several times:

Take a deep breath and hold it.  Now imagine yourself diving into the water and as soon as you imagine entering the water start releasing the breath in a normal exhalation through your nose (keep your mouth shut).  Then imagine calmly swimming to the surface without inhaling again until you get there.  

If you were to do that exhalation while you were actually diving into the water, the exhaled breath would prevent water from getting into your nose and then the last bubbles produced would stay in your nose and prevent water from getting in until you came to the surface and inhaled again.

Hope that helps some.  It&#039;s hard to give a definitive answer.

Answer 2

well, u could hold your nose and jump or u can just hold your breath. when you jump in, you&#039;ll sink so flap your arms up and down while kicking your legs. hope that helps!

Answer 3

You&#039;re comfortable in the water.

Repeat in your mind, there&#039;s

nothing to fear.  Take a deep

breath, and dive.

Practice in your mind how

you&#039;ll take the dive.  You can

do it.

Answer 4

Gee, Darlin&#039;.  I grew up on a lake and in a pool.  I have taught my children to swim, and now their children.

Practice holding your breath.  Before you dive, you must breathe and hold it.  You don&#039;t have to hold it for more than 30 seconds to dive. ( I smoke, and can still make it back and forth in daddy&#039;s pool.-I&#039;m 41)  Work on that...take deep breaths, then hold it.  Hold your nose while you do this and imagine your body under water.

Now, for the diving.  Stand on the floor with your feet slightly together.  Bend over at the waist like you would touch your toes. The first part of learning to dive is learning to fall in.  Imagine the pool in front of you, then move your arms away from you towards the pool.  (Belly flops are always fun to watch, and don&#039;t hurt too bad.)  Learn to put your arms close to your ears for a good dive.

To do a real dive, you have to jump (either a little or a lot) and straighten your back when you hit the water.  So, now when you fall in, arch your back and DON&quot;T make a circle and keep your hands above your head when you hit the water.  Your arms (keeping your hands cupped-fingers together) will provide you with enough force to bring you back to the surface.

Hard to write about this, but it was a good question....made me think of what comes naturally to me.

Answer 5

when you dive in blow out of your nose hard when you hit the water