Failed Open Water Cert Dive - Panicked and Bolted for the Surface - Confidence gone!

[KMS061512]

Let me preface my story by saying that I am a 38 year old mother of 3. I'm healthy but not particulary athletic. My husband is a rescue diver, has been for 10+ years and absolutely loves to dive.

The college where I work offered the Open Water course so I signed up. I was a little put off by the fact that after I paid the $300 for the course, I learned that I needed another $400 worth of equipment by the next week. But, we went to the shop and got what I needed.

I really clicked with the girl who became my dive buddy throughout the course. Even though she was 20 years younger than me, we felt comfortable together and our skill levels were very similiar. I loved the pool work and looked forward to each class. I passed the final exam with a 90, most of the questions I got wrong had to do with the dive tables.

The only thing I didn't like about the class up until that point was the instructors. The lead instructor was ok, not particularly patient or approachable, but his wife (the assistant instructor) was bad. I often felt like she thought she was training Navy Seals the way she'd yell at us. But, they are the only dive shop within at least 2 hours of us so there really was no other options for training.

But, I was feeling good about diving and thought it'd be a fun hobby that my husband and I could do together locally on the weekends. That was until the day of the Open Water dive. It couldn't have gone any worse! That day I wasn't feeling well, not sick but just a 'yucky' feeling, like I thought I'd probably come down with a cold within a few days, no congestion or real cold symptoms, I just felt off. I did know that after that day, they wouldn't be offering the Open Water dive again for at least a month so I went. We met at the dive shop at 2pm. When I got there, I learned that my dive buddy wouldn't be diving that day because they didn't have any equipment to fit her. There was only one other person from my class there, someone I recognized but hadn't had any interaction with during the class.

I got fitted for a wet suit, a hood and gloves. We had not worn any of this equipment in the pools. We quickly tried it on and off we went. We got to the site and there were lots more people there, none that I recognized. I was the only female student, most were young, athletic men and I was very intimidated by that.

We put on all the gear and worked our way into the water. I was instantly uncomfortable. I was not used to all the additional equipment, I felt like I was being strangled by the hood and I was shocked at how different the choppy open water was compared to the pool. I tried to work my way out into the water but I was slipping on the rocks most of the way down. I got in the water and while trying to get my balance, one of the instructors yells from shore (the wife that I already don't care for) "don't go too far out, you'll get caught in the current", then some of the instructors start joking about having to rescue us before we even start our first activity. I think that is what sealed my fate for the day. I did the first group of activities but I was not comfortable at all. There were also people shouting in all directions. The Instructor was in the water shouting directions but I had a hard time understanding him with the hood on, the wife was shouting directions from the shore and another dive master was next me trying to tell me what to do. Now, I was really off my game.

We get ready to down into the water to do our second group of activities. The last thing that the Instructor said before going underwater was to stay with your buddy. We were swimming along and I was getting more nervous and more nervous. I was beginning to panick but trying to talk myself down. I started to really start to panick so I looked for my buddy. I could see 4 or 5 people but they all looked the same to me and I couldn't tell which one was my buddy. I looked for an instructor to give the 'somethings not right' signal but I couldn't tell who was who and no one was looking at me. I lost it, I bolted for the surface. When I got up I couldn't catch my breath - full on panick. One of the instructors surfaced right behind me but I was done. I had to get out of the water. They tried to talk me into resting and trying again later but I was so shaken up that there was no way I was going back in the water that day. When I was leaving they did say that I could go back in to the pool for more practice, but of course it'll be with a whole new class of people.

Now, I'm so tramatized by the ordeal. A week ago I thought I loved diving and was looking forward to all the fun adventures the hubby and I would have diving together. Now, I feel like giving up altogher. I do agree that going back for a few more pool sessions wouldn't hurt but I really wish it were with different instructors who I felt more comfortable with. But, what I really feel like I need is open water practice. I did ok in the pool, it was the open water that I had problems with. I wish my hubby and I could rent some equipment and swim around in some shallow water for a little while to get me used to the environment and to repair my confidence in diving. But, my hubby is only a rescue diver so I don't know if that is allowed or not. I also don't know if the dive shop will allow me to reattempt the open water dive without more pool work. I'm so upset with myself for bolting to the surface, I know the dangers of that, I know that is not what a good diver does. This event has really shaken my confidence in my ability to be a safe, responsible diver.

I'm wondering if others have had similiar situations or know people who have been in similiar situations. Any words of wisdom from the pros? Anything?

 

[nolatom]

First, can I reassure you that what you did wasn't as awful as you think it was?? Yes, you panicked because you were anxious and uncomfortable. But, you didn't freak out and rip off your gear, as a full-on panicked diver might have done. You went for the surface and got there okay, even with the panic. And you must have been breathing or exhaling since you didn't hurt your lungs.

So give yourself a little credit, you could have done a lot worse.

Now, what to do after all this? I would say start back slowly, maybe wait for the next class? Or start back in with this one if you can, but I'd think if you missed the OW, you may have to catch the next time around. Just take it slowly. The things that made you nervous are things that affect all of us--unfamiliar situation, gear that seems to strangle you (the hood), no favorite buddy, scared of current and of standing out in the crowd if you need assistance--we've "all" been there.

Meantime, you have a great asset in your husband. Seek his advice and use his experience. I'd say get some more pool work, maybe use the guy instructor more than his wife, or God forbid, you may want to travel somewhere else, maybe combine it with a vacation?

I think you can build up your confidence again gradually. I'll leave the specific tips to others here. But don't be too hard on yourself, you just got a convergence of uncomfortable things all at once. But you're still here. If you still want to do it (and I think you should try, otherwise you wouldn't have written us) then please do, and take it slowly, and ask questions.

Hope this helps?

 

[Chilidog11]

i just got my OW this weekend. I too was very nervous. My instructors were great but the water we were in was very murky and if the silt got stired up, you couldn't see anything. We were in a quarry. I just remained calm and took deep breaths. I was having a very hard time maintaining boyancy but managed. I also shot to the surface once because i wasn't weighted right. I too had to wear the whole 7m wetsuit getup, and it was a challange to get comfortable. The hood kept choking me too. One thing that helped me is that me and my buddy held hands during the swimming portion so we didn't loose each other.

Defenityly give it another try. Something that kept me going is that i will be in Cozumel in a few weeks and the water will be much clearer. Good Luck

 

[redacted]

You are not the first to bolt in OW training and will not be the last. The good thing is you have a pretty good idea what brought it on. My wife (who had never even snorkeled before trying scuba had a few similar problems. But with some extra pool work and another W/E of OW, she got through it OK. even after finishing her cert, she often needed a little extra attention. Now, with almost 700 dives under her belt, you would never know the problems she had getting started.

Stick with it. Take it slow and don't jump into things that are making you too uncomfortable. You will get there.

 

[Dhboner]

Sounds like the problem stemmed from the instruction you received more than anything you might have done. You should have been given the opportunity to dive in a full wetsuit with gloves and hood in the pool. That would have given you the chance to dial in your weighting (you would only have to add a few pounds for the salt water) but more importantly, it would have let you experience being completely "kitted up" in a controlled environment. The instructors were introducing several new variables that you hadn't experienced before...full suit and hood, open water, current and chop. That can be a lot to handle in the instructor is not right there with you giving the instructions in a calm and reassuring voice.

Having said that, the other thing you can take from this experience is to listen to your body. You said you felt "off"...it may have been a good idea to wait the month to get over whatever was going on and to have your pool buddy with you. No matter how many dives you log in your life, if you feel "off" it's a good idea to thumb the dive.

Don't give up...think of this as a mulligan and consider re-doing your course (or at least the open water if it is possible) with another instructor. This time talk about any reservations, concerns or issues before you make your way into the surf. If the instructor has a sense of how you are feeling he is in a better position to help you out and motivate you.

Bob

 

[BVickery]

Don't give up. As they said it could have been much worse. Take the time to maybe get some pool dives in with the equipment you will be needing in OW Cert dives. As you mentioned your instructors I would talk with your husband to maybe do the travel for a private 1:1 class to review the skills and then checkout dive with another instructor. You will be surprised by the amount of confidence you can get with such individual attention because the instructor just focus's on you and corrects possible problems.

 

[vincent54]

A) More pool time with your own equipment.
B)practice skills in pool with own equipment and husband buddy.
C) May not be practical, but go to a warm clear area like Grand Cayman and do your open water. Start from the shallow areas with an instructor and get your confidence back. The clearer the water and the more you see, the less you panic.

I hate wetsuits, cold water and low visibility. I'm panicked just thinking about them. You're supposed to have fun, so keep at it.

Invest in good equipment and familiarize yourself with the operation of it before going back.

I have had great experiences with the instructors at Divetech, GCY, but there are good ones all over that will accommodate you. My friends that just got certified did this and it went fantastic. They did spend the day before snorkeling and familiarizing themselves with the area which gave them some motivation for their checkout dives.

No. don't go on your own. Let someone who is a competent instructor help out. No offense to your husband.

Stay safe and have fun.

 

[ladyfishdvr]

I just got certified myself. You should not give up. You just need to get comfortable again. I was told I could call a dive anytime. You should have gone with your instinct and waited. Its possible the hood was too small. Have you tried different sizes? My instructor had me practice in the pool with the hood and gloves so I felt comfortable with them on. The gloves were more like mitts and not easy to use. Perhaps you can do that. Also, since you have already passed the written part all you need is the open water part. Perhaps schedule a vacation somewhere that you can take your OW test in a better environment.

 

[TSandM]

My husband and I do open water classes in Puget Sound, and our students undergo the same abrupt transition that you did. They go from warm, clear water and no exposure protection or weight in the pool, to 14 mm of neoprene, heavy hoods, lots of weight, and enter cold, murky water, where the viz gets worse the longer you're there. It's very difficult for people, although most can handle the stress without losing control.

I think you got set up by not having much trust or liking for the people teaching you, and also not having classmates you liked and trusted. In addition, it's clear that the teaching style used by your instructors did not work well for you, and increased your stress. But you've also learned something about yourself, which is that you are going to have to work to keep your anxiety from spiraling out of control. This is important, because in diving, you will eventually encounter stress -- you'll have something happen, whether it's a gear problem, a visibility problem, unexpected current, or getting lost, that will cause stress, and you HAVE to learn to control it.

My suggestion would be that you finish your class with a private instructor, and one who understands what happened to you, and is willing to be patient and help you work through the confidence loss. We have, for example, taken students out and just let them lie in waist-deep water and breathe until they can deal with where they are. Most of the time, the anxiety can be diminished and the student can go on to dive with confidence. Some people have high baseline trait anxiety, and such folks can be questionable candidates for diving.

 

[DCBC]

First of all, don't give-up. Although that's a easy thing to say, many people have reservations about diving that become certified. Programs tend to rush people through and don't allow those who are having trouble adjusting or have anxiety with adequate time to acclimatize to the underwater environment. That said, many don't have this problem.

I don't know your location, but if you are situated near a Dive Club you might ask your Instructor for a referral. Get some time with a different Instructor going over your skills. After a couple of sessions you might feel more comfortable in attending another OW Dive (there is no rush, so don't push it until you feel comfortable). If you were my Student, I'd probably dive with you on a Club Dive and go over your check-out one-on-one. In diving, confidence helps a Diver deal with anxiety and is a key factor in avoiding panic. At the end of the training program in the pool, I add stress by way of minor harassment and exercises like blackout and station drills for Student's to gain confidence. The Student worries less about "what if" situations because they know they can deal with it. Having an OW Dive "dress rehearsal" in the pool allows the student to better understand how a full suit and weight will be a factor in OW. Again, small progressive steps.

Anyway, learn at your own pace and the best of luck with your diving education.