Anxiety issues NEED solving!

[tlondonjr]

For the last week or so I have been searching the internet to find anything I could on fear and diving...

I am a 52 year old man who has always wanted to learn to dive every since looking at Johnny Quest cartoons and Flipper as a kid. I grew up in a small town where swimming was usually a once or twice a year thing at the lake during the summer. As a adult, I wanted to learn to swim but my ego would get in the way so I would not take lessons and would tell eveyone that I knew. And I did in a way as long as I could stand up when I wanted to and being over six three...I made it look good. Plus with fins on I really looked like I knew what I was doing...
Anyway last year I took lessons with my goal to learn to dive. I did my book work on line and the pool part....I did well. I thought I would have issues with taking the mask off but I did fine with that too. My instructor talked about many of his students having issues with that but I did okay.

My first open water dive was okay. I had a slight issue with my mask and it seemed like I could never get my balance and settle down. However I did all the exercises well. My instructor told me to just relax and take it slow.

On my second dive...my instructor told us that we would slowly go to about thirty feet and just swim around to get used to it. He told me that he would be at my right and the other student would be at my left. He said he wanted me to take point and I did. I felt okay as we were going down. I was having a issue still with my balance. I think I was a little too weighted down and forgot to add some air to my bc which would have helped in hind site. I was doing okay but then I happened to look up and kind of saw how deep I was which was the deepest I had ever been. I then looked around and I didn't see my instructor. I had not known that I was swimming at a good pace with the split fins. I started to feel like I was not getting enough air and turned around looking for my insturtor. When I didn't see him the feeling got worse but he was right beside me but a little back. I gave him the signal that I was in trouble and wanted to go up. He replied okay. When we got to the surface, I guess my instructor thought I was worse off then I was as I was okay on the surface. He just told me to relax and towed me to shore. I felt very bad and ashamed. And I felt I had let the other student down too. I kept telling him that I was sorry. He kept telling me that I would be okay and that I had done good. That even if I was in trouble, I did do the hand signals correctly and did not rush to the surface but stayed with him.
We were diving at a quarry which was about a hour from my home.(Lake Rawling, Va.) My instructor had a trailer where he would spent the weekends when he bought students up. He told me that we would do the next two dives the next day. He asked would I return and I told him that I would.
On the way home...I felt bad. I called my girlfriend and told her what happened. She was understanding and I told some of my other friends who were understanding too but I felt bad. I have wanted this all my life and didn't understand what happened. The next morning I decided not to go back but to do some more pool time so that I could get used to the deep water because because I think that is what caused me to over react. My instructor has been busy with other classes but hopefully he will be able to work me in this week. I do want to go back and complete the training and become a diver. I thank you for writing what you did...its good to know that I'm not alone and I can get passed this.....thank you.

 

[fnfalman]

My first lake dive, I was a bit apprehensive as well. Viz was near zero and things just seem real spooky. Not enough to cause panic attack or freak out episodes, but definitely made me feel wary.

 

[RetMTFE]

My questions/observations....
What were you wearing in Cozumel? What were you wearing in the lake? Folks who are used to diving in a shorty or rash guard have been known to get very uncomfortable when they get "zipped up" in a 5 or 7mm suit with hood, gloves, etc.

 

[Markho71]

Cold water has you breathing too fast. CO2 Buildup = panic.

 

[ScubaBrett22]

I had the same problem i am from Florida far from you but i dive 24/7 and my dumb neighbor managed to get his mower in the lake the funny part was.....it was 100 feet from where it fell. But when i went in i had no knife witch got my heart racing and once i hooked a Lift bag i dragged it halfway back and i saw a huge shadow and i remember i said this "Oh ********* there is a alligator in here" and i let lose of the bad and had a panic attack. I thought death was coming idk why and i shot to the surface and high tailed it back. in the end the mower got back... lets just say we went fishing but i mean my story is different then yours. sorry i cant help that much =(
PS there was a Alligator he is about 9 feet long..... great to know lol

 

[D_B]

practice, and training ... ether, or both, can go a long way to help you feel more comfortable .. and so can talking to others about it .. and nothing to be ashamed about.
I'm glad this thread has helped you tlondonjr and scubalux

 

[lowviz]

-too much, too fast.

Determine what your major stressor is for this lake and remove it. Be honest with yourself. Go shallow, better viz, whatever... Take your time. Your 'trip point' varies with your mental state, some days I'm way more adventurous than others. Do your drills, don't just goof around in the 'kiddie pool'. Push yourself a bit less. Relax. Forget about what others think of your progress. You will get there. Stay safe.

 

[Web Monkey]

Can anyone relate and do you have any advise?? This CAN NOT continue or i am worried that my boyfriend, who is currenty very supportive of my recent handicap, will not want to be my dive buddy anymore! Whats wrong with me?!

My best guess would be difficulty breathing caused by too-tight gear (wetsuit/drysuit/BC) or a regulator that needs service. It doesn't need to be choking you to death, just being too tight is enough.

Either can cause CO2 buildup and anxiety.

Another possibility is that being underwater just freaks you out. My wife doesn't dive. My buddy's wife doesn't dive. My other buddy's wife doesn't dive. They just don't like being underwater.

You might want to go sort this out with an instructor in the pool. Whoever did your OW class should be happy to work with you,and help find the problem.

Terry

 

[Paladin]

About twenty years ago, I was diving in a lake in my home state. I had planned a two tank dive and had rented an AL80 from a shop near the lake. My plan was to use the AL80 for the first dive and my steel 72 for the second. Everything was going just fine, business as usual. I had no problems during the beginning of the dive but, at a depth of about 30 feet, I suddenly began to feel apprehensive. As I went deeper, apprehension turned into anxiety. As I approached the bottom at 60+ feet, a large, sunken log came into view. For no reason, I began to panic. Fortunately, I had enough presence of mind to control my ascent and headed for the surface.

Once I was back on my boat, I began to feel better and was soon back to normal. I strapped the tank back on and jumped back into the water. The very same sequence of events repeated themselves, except that it all began to happen at a shallower depth. I went back up to the boat to rest and try to figure it out. I could not understand what was going on. I mean, after 20+ years and hundreds of dives, why would I suddenly start getting the heebie-jeebies?

Sitting there thinking, I suddenly remembered a story Harold (the ex-Navy diver who taught me to dive) once told me. Almost the exact thing had happened to him during the Korean War.

I swapped my backpack onto my steel 72 and got back into the water. I went straight down to the bottom with no problem. No apprehension, no anxiety, no panic. I stayed down until my J valve kicked in and went back to the boat. The problem was obviously with the rented tank. In those days, there were no dive shops within an hour's drive from my home and I was getting my tank filled at my hometown fire department. The 72 had been filled at the FD and the AL80 was filled at the shop where I rented it.

I returned the tank to the shop and told them what had happened. The owner refunded my money and promised to have the tank tested. A week or so later, he called to tell me that the air in the tank was contaminated. It turned out that his compressor had malfunctioned and was filling tanks with bad air.

Scubalaux, I do not know if this could apply to you, but you might check into it, just in case. If you own your tank(s) empty them and air them out, then have them filled at a different shop. If you rent, try renting from another shop. It's worth a try.

 

[diveactive]

well you could always come out here to Sabah borneo where the temp in the sea is 30 c 30 mts in Lyme Bay in a dry suit . and I am always thinking and wondering that I am in a world that I don't belong . Yet diving any where here . Its bliss.
The cold in lakes for sure gets my back up. 6c Vobster Bay . Its a dive but not what I call comfortable.