Hey all and thank you for writing!
The first days in the pool i really had to get comfortable with regulator. I went up for air 3 times over the course of pool training, one time from the 3meter end when we had to drill taking mask off, then regulator, regulator back and then mask on. Due to nervousness i panicked when i was taking water in instead of air when i had to re-insert the regulator. Big no no when i just started to ascend, but i exhaled all the way up n instructor slowed me down a little and gave me a serious talk on the surface. After that i asked him if we could drill mask off n regulator out a few times in the shallower end just to get a feel. And so we did and i managed to do it a few times and felt more calm about it but still a bit freaked over the sensation i had in the 3m end..
Later that day we practiced snorkling in the ocean (without scuba gear) and also had to take off mask and open eyes in salt water etc etc.
The following day we went to dive in the ocean (first two dives) to about 4.5 meters.
The instructor had informed that at some point down there he will point to one of us interchangeable that he is "out of air" and we have to rush over and give him our octopus as we drill in the pool.
So my turn came and i swim over to him rapidly while trying to get my octopus out, yet for some reason i couldnt get it out (later realized i just had to pull it a but harder 'n practised that), but in the water when i got to him and i couldnt get the octopus out, i took out my own regulator out of instinct!!! and offered it to him, he declined and i put it back! (this was before we practised the 1 regulator-2 ppl drill). In any case while down there i thought id messed up the drill, but instructor told me afterwards that - yes i should def. be able to take out octopus which we then went over, but he said what i did had been correct and he was actually proud that i had done it since i initially had fear of taking out the regulator. For me personally that moment i had no problem when i put it back in my mouth n i breathed normally, so i was really baffled over myself to be honest.
The following day we practised the taking off n swim without mask with open eyes, and i knew it was something that i was nervous about, but you're all so right, it is so important to know in case you lose your mask down there, to not freak out and to breathe and control it. But still, when you're totally newbie and you are in 15 meter depth and you only practised it a little in shallower water, it takes a bit of mental overcoming!
In any case, i did manage and once it was off it took like 3-4 seconds of weird sensation and then i felt more in control, also opened my eyes etc. But i know i will have to practice that more and i totally know i need to learn more skills. I don't feel over competent at all, on contrary, yet i do think i expressed more anxiety regarding the drills than the other guys in my group. (Maybe it was a macho thing who knows) and somehow feeling a bit like you're the only one who's afraid or feeling uncomfortable or hesitant than the rest of the group added to pressure.
Yet, as a psychology student and as part of my personality, i never do anything if i don't feel sure about it (i don't give in easily to peer pressure, i acknowledge that it's there, however i stand my ground). An example was, during the 6th dive of the course, we dove to 14-15 meters and instructor had told us we'd dive under through a small cave in the reef, nothing too serious etc. Being new and all i imagined just going under a sort of bridge where you can still see whats ahead and above etc. But we get there, and it was pitch black and beneath me, and i just see one by one the guys go in, and i didn't know how far that thing stretches, it was like a hole in the ground, poor visibility, and i was already getting a bit cold, so before the last guy from the group went in, i signal that im not going in. He wasn't my designated buddy, and i was actually a little confused as to why he decided to leave me behind alone to go in!? I would have stayed with the person who was fearing to go in, seriously that person is probably already anxious and more prone to panic maybe?? Shouldn't he have stayed with me until the instructor came back?
I was alone for about 20-30 seconds as i decided i don't go in, and i don't start looking for them. Turns out the cave thing was like "only" about 1 meter long and instructor and i just swam over the reef and met the others on the other side..
What i learn though from the last few days experience, honestly is that i really just have to take care of myself and listen to my inner voice. If i'm afraid of something, i need to evaluate it and make a desicion, its not worth risking panicking over a silly 1 meter "cave" dive, and it made me feel more powerful when i said "no" because i felt i was in control which was a calming signal to myself.
We didn't discuss this afterwards so it's just my 2 cents!
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