PARWICH.ORG

Parwich artist Esther Tyson is immortalising the seahorses of Dorset in art. This is her first collection of project diary entries. Please click here to find out more about the background to the project.

Day One.

Been to the pool, put my goggles on upside down and filled them with water, almost drowning in the process! My thoughts crowded with the prospect of swimming underwater, without my most treasured swimming apparatus… the essential, fluorescent green, nose clip. A good idea on dry land, but now there be dragons…

So, a summary of my first attempt: snot – and lots of it. Swapped my nose clip with my fingers, and they remained firmly clamped… will try again tomorrow… any suggestions, anyone?

Day Two.

I’ve been reminded that Google is a wonderful tool:

• 1. Be patient. Your body has certain, natural reactions to water that take time for your body to adapt to correctly. Breathing so that water doesn’t go up your nose will happen, but it may take a while.
• 2. When you get in the pool, stand by the edge.
• 3. Slowly dunk your head under the water, blowing out of your nose.
• 4. Repeat that step until you feel comfortable going under water,
• 5. Go under the water again, and push off the wall. Remember to keep blowing air out of your nose.
• 6. If you get water up your nose, then repeat steps 2 and 3 again.
• 7. When swimming horizontally, keep your head facing down to the bottom of your pool.
• 8. With time, when you swim faster, water going up your nose will be less of a problem. It is really at slower speeds that this is an issue.
• 9. If you can swim a lap without getting water up your nose, then you have achieved your goal!

Found a couple of other options –

Practice humming while you are underwater. While humming does not release a great amount of air out of your nose, it prevents air from entering the sinuses. Once you become comfortable with the hum, you should be able to swim underwater without holding your nose.

Place your tongue on the top of your mouth and allow pressure to build in your sinuses, restricting water from entering. You can get a feel for the muscles needed for this trick by paying close attention to the muscles in your nose that work when you swallow water or food. You can practice holding the pressure against your sinus while out of the water and then take it underwater.

I’m thinking the more help the better. All well and good on dry land… again, back in the pool I’m standing at the edge thinking humming underwater is just stupid. Why would I want to hum and sink into the depths (put in perspective, an inch of depth)?

I had decided on the “tongue on the top of the mouth” option. I have an instant reflex to swallow when I put my head under water. I figured if I’m going to anyway, I may as well tailor it to work in my favour.

Yet again, standing in the edge of the pool and it’s lost the appeal. Don’t get me wrong, I tried it and… there needs to be a lot more pressure built up!

So now I’m left with my first option. If I’m blowing air out of my nose, then water isn’t going to go back up, is it?

Long story: with many tries and slightly less snot, I got my nose an inch under the water without breathing it in… almost calmly, but we can’t rush these things. That is for another day.

I just re-read the list; I’m half way through stage 3! Oh, and I have hiccups?

Day Three.

Nowhere near water, but treading the London streets, breathing in through my mouth and out through my nose… well, it all helps?

Day Four.

A half hour swim – less lengths, but more concerned about what comes next.

Back to the kiddy pool?! I’m trying to get back to halfway through stage 3 and I can’t get my nose under water without swallowing, spluttering and drowning – of course, the latter is completely disproportionate. I’ve gone backwards? Get a grip, I need help.

When I was little, I would hold my nose with my thumb and finger, go under the water, let go of my nose, swim a bit and come back up ok…

I take three steps away from the edge of the pool, turn and face. One stroke and I am back at the edge. I try it again, nose clip off, hold my nose – under, let go, breathing out of my nose, one stroke and up and I’m back at the edge.

I didn’t drown.

It’s a blur how many times I try this, but each time my confidence grows a little.

Back to the edge – hold my nose, under, let go of my nose, my legs push away, my arms circle, my head lifts out of the water and I gulp the air, back under and again and again… I face the deep end; I reach the deep end; shock, elation and total astonishment. I turn and complete a second length; it wasn’t a fluke!

Clumsy, and so many bubbles, but I’ve done it! I leave the pool quickly! That is enough for today!