Going underwater without having to keep your nose plugged opens up a world of new possibilities for water recreation. Whether you're trying to do a flip tack, or starting to swim competitively or maybe you're just trying to do a handstand underwater, learning how to do it without holding your nose is essential. In this article, you will find some simple techniques to learn.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Settle Under Water
Step 1. Get in the water and stand by the pool
- Clinging to the poolside will make you feel safer during the next steps.
- It is best to stay submerged up to the waist or shoulders, whichever makes you feel most comfortable.
Step 2. Slowly dip your head under water as you exhale through your nose
Exhaling is the best way to prevent water from entering. Try to exhale slowly to be able to stay underwater longer.
Step 3. Repeat this step several times, until you feel comfortable underwater without holding your nose
Method 2 of 3: Gain Confidence
Step 1. Now that you feel comfortable underwater without holding your nose, try swimming
Swim along the shorter edge of the pool. Using the shorter side and the edge as a reference will help you achieve increasingly difficult challenges.
Step 2. Start going underwater by moving away from the edges
- Give it a try before actually swimming from one end to the other.
- If you feel that water is entering your nose when you start swimming, try again from the beginning.
- Make sure you exhale through your nose as you move away from the poolside.
Step 3. Start swimming
Once you get used to walking away from the edge without holding your nose, start swimming across the pool.
- While doing freestyle strokes, breaststroke or butterfly, where you swim "horizontally", keep your head down facing the pool edge.
- As usual, be sure to exhale the air from your nose while your head is submerged.
- Emergence for air after 1-3 "strokes" or when you feel the need, then submerge your head under the water again, exhaling through your nose.
Step 4. Continue swimming along the shorter edge of the pool until you feel comfortable
Method 3 of 3: Swim Without Plugging Your Nose
Step 1. Start swimming the entire length of the pool without holding your nose
Using all of the above steps, you should now be ready to swim the full length of the pool without holding your nose!
- Trust yourself and your swimming skills, but don't forget that the feelings of safety and well-being while swimming are the most important thing. Use the poolside if you need it until you feel you can swim the full length of the pool without having to hold on to.
- By swimming longer, you will find it easier to continue without feeling the need to hold your nose. Your body will get used to this process over time.
- Also, when you start swimming faster, the water will hardly enter your nose.
Step 2. Take a bath without holding your nose
Once you can swim for an entire tank without holding your nose, you have reached your goal!
Advice
- Remember that in the beginning you will have to emerge a lot of times to get some air. Practice emerging for air at different intervals of strokes, for example after one, two or three strokes, to figure out which interval works best for you.
- Practice exhaling the air through your nose more and more slowly. Eventually, instead of producing bubbles, you will create constant pressure that will keep air from entering.
- If that doesn't work, consider buying nose plugs.
