Well, I have a little turned-up nose that lets water right in. It's water in
my sinuses that hurts. I guess I'm built so that it just runs in and right
down my throat. I snort nose drops and stuff, and that doesn't bother me.
But when water runs way back to the sinuses is chokes me after I emerge and
try to breathe.

It happens when submerged if I tilt my head back especially. You know the
typical sinking in ;the bathtub position? You'd never see me doing that!
Face down is always fine. Upside down is not.

Thistleback

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 06:09:52 GMT, "Michael Daly"
wrote:

(snipped)

You could do this in the kayak if you hold onto
something so you can pull yourself back up - a dock in a lake or the side
of a pool will work. Start with short intervals, counting the seconds
and
stretch it as you get comfortable. You should get to the point where the
limit is how long you can hold your breath. Don't give up as that will
only
reinforce the fear. It might be good to do this with someone standing in
the water beside you to lend support.

Excellent point. Work on just the fear for a while.

You can do it even more easily without the kayak. Stand or sit in the
water and dip your head in. Hold it for increasing amounts of time.
Swim under water a bit (quiet lake is good for all this).

BTW, do you have this fear when taking a shower? I always get some
water in the lowest part of my nose when showering and just let it
drool right out again. Perhaps I shower incorrectly, but it's a
point.

If you learned to swim in a chlorinated pool, you've got a reason for
fearing water in your nose. That stuff is practically corrosive in
feeling on mucous tissues. Yuck.
--
rbc: vixen Fairly harmless

Hit reply to email.
Though I'm very slow to respond.
http://www.visi.com/~cyli