Swim masks

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When I was 6, my mom signed me up for swim lessons and of course, we would all have to go underwater. For reasons that I can only blame my aspergers for, I could never get myself to go underwater without an eye and nose covering, and that continues to this day. Whenever I’d go swimming I would wear a swim mask or goggles and a nose plug at places that didn’t allow swim masks. In a couple of instances that I would go to the pool with a girlfriend, I would not wear one so that I don’t look silly. I have been to a waterpark twice this summer and even though I have had no girls to go with(3 different girls have ghosted me online in the past 5 weeks )I haven’t been wearing a mask for the sake of increasing my chances of a girl having the nerve to come up and talk to me, nor do I want to meet anyone in the future who’s like “hey, you were that guy with the mask at the waterpark I saw once”.

Every time I go underwater without any gear my nose gets filled with water and it is not a pleasant feeling. I have heard how I just Have to hold my breath, but basically it’s still a problem for me. Does anyone else have this problem?

I think I do, yeah. If I don't consciously blow air out of my nose while underwater, I always end up with water in my nose. I've never understood why because I don't feel like I'm inhaling while underwater.

Have you tried pinching your nose just before you submerge? How long do you stay under?

I like wearing goggles when I swim, but I've never understood people who pinch their nose when in the water. You can't swim properly if one of your hands is glue to your nose!

I did that while in feet of water a few times some years ago, but nowadays I only do it when I'm going down speed slides(the ones that take you straight down). When I went to that aformentioned waterpark last year I had trouble keeping my legs crossed while plugging when going down the slide, and given how many times they asked me to cross my limbs I could sense that maybe they were annoyed with me. I haven't had that issue with the lifeguards this year tho, and I even successfully kept my legs crossed on at least one occasion during my most recent trip.

Like, goggles without any nose covering or an actual swim mask?

My only issue is that I always wipe my eyes before opening them when wet. I think that I automatically leak just enough air to keep my nose clear when it might fill, and hold or shield it momentarily when I go in feet-first. Noses have different shapes, though, and yours may fill easier. I once had a girlfriend who had never seen someone submerge their head in a bath before.

You might try a little positive pressure so that water does not enter your nostrils. You don't want so much that a stream of bubbles exit and leave you wanting air to soon.

Also, swimming with something like the Australian crawl allows you to submerge your face and remove it for a breath alternatively such that the total time with your face in the water is slight.

You may wish to take some Red Cross swimming lessons and see what advice the instructor might have for you.

I wear goggles in pools and masks in lakes and oceans.