Gasping for breath after crash?! Breathing how to?

[Laughingman]

I think I have experienced what you describe.
I grew up in the water playing in waves I should not have been in and never had an issue but then later in life one time when I was sick, I almost passed out from throwing up. I was choking on a tiny bit of puke, my throat closed up and I honestly could not get a breath in or out. It took some time to calm down enough seemed like forever but I was starting to black out by that time. Ever since then, anytime I crash hard enough that water enters my nose or mouth I have to be very careful not to breath in. A few times I have had to drag myself to the beach so I could calm down and breathe. I am trying to teach myself to just swallow whatever water gets in, but my instinct, my fear fights me all the way. It is getting better but I doubt the memory of that feeling will ever go away completely.