Had my first ocean dive

[LupitaM]

yeah i had tooken a private pool session and even there he seemed impatient. he wanted to me swim long ways in the pool without my mask and just the regulator and i asked if i can swim short ways first till i got comfortable and he would say no. and he wasnt very encourging either.

but i do feel comfy in the pool

i think im going to wait a bit (maybe a year or two??) and then try it again. =/

 

[LupitaM]

he did say he yelled at me cause i froze and couldnt move but him yelling just really freaked me out more. but i will say that, that day i had the most amazing buddy ever. he always checked up on me and helped me swim back. my buddy should have been my instructor! this guy was just great.

 

[lowviz]

No, I didn't miss that part. My instructor was a great guy and that shore dive almost turned me off scuba. Breaking past the surf ain't easy for a novice.

Agreed.

My mileage varied. My instructor was so "on me" that I was trying to think of the hand signal for "give me a little space, please." No, it isn't easy. The basic issue is that of sensing one's personal safety. All the difference in the world...

Tim O'Leary. Thanks, dude.

 

[DrKevbo]

You really can do this. My wife had a similar experince. She did her shore work in Iowa then her checkout dives in Hawaii. The instructor was terrible as were the conditions. After she stopped vomiting she swore she would never become a diver.

IT WAS NOT FUN, SO WHY DO IT. plus she was scared.

2 years later, on Bonaire at Buddy dives reef, I convinced her to try just a little close in shallow water easy access diving. I even had to hold her hand. After doing this for 15 minutes she finally found her comfort zone and "the fun of ot all". By the end of the dive she was flying over the reef.

As pointed out. shore dives can be a challange, so can cold water. Pick your spot, time and people and you will find the fun....and dont let anyone, ever, push you to do something you dont want to do


All the best

 

[LupitaM]

yeah. i think ill definitely look into warm water diving. any places you can suggest?

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

Not being able to equalize may be due to it being cold. A better hood may help, but just take your time. Surf entries can take a bit to learn. I'd ask your instructor if it woud be possible to do the dives from a boat, or at least a calmer site. Of course conditions do change day to day. Some days calling it is the right thing to do. Persevere you'll get there.

 

[LupitaM]

i think it would have also been easier if we would have put the fins on then walked backwards into the ocean. instead we walked about 3 feet in and had to put them on and that was so hard. i wasnt able to do it and my buddy had to help. but i guess with practice then id be able to do it that way right?

 

[soltari675]

Definitely go with another instructor. I know the few I have learned from were very patient. They never asked me to do more than I was comfortable with. Always working up to what needed to be done. I was never yelled at or felt like I was being rushed at all. That makes a HUGE difference in learning to dive. If I had your instructor when I learned, I probably would have left also.

My first ocean dive was last week. The first day was horrible conditions. If I stood on top of the water I could not have reached the boat on top of some of those waves. It was stormy. Chaotic. I got seasick. The list goes on. I did have fun underwater, but I have done a few dives before this so knew what to expect mostly under there. The best thing I did though, was made a reservation for later in the week. If I based my experience off of that day, I would not ocean dive again. It did scare me on the surface. (Still not convinced I wasn't pushed in finally instead of jumped. ) But I tried again before I based my decision. That second day was wonderful. Much calmer and easier of a dive. (aside from learning salt water makes me sick, not sea sickness)

So I would say find another instructor. Explain your previous experience. And try again. The instructor is half the experience when you first learn. Start small. Get in the water up to your waist and relax. Move a little deeper. And work up to it. Does California have any fresh water dive sites to learn from first? They can sometimes be easier in terms of what to expect from the water.

As for the fins, I like to get into water I can lean back in my BC in and put on my fins then. However, this is in fresh water. I am not sure how good that is for shore diving.

 

[Teamcasa]

Lupita,
I'd suggest that before you give up, find a different instructor, preferably a female one or at least one with the patients to insure you are more confident and comfortable before taking you into the ocean.

Check out the NorCal - ScubaBoard forum. Ask around, I'm sure there are a number of instructors that will be happy to help.

 

[lowviz]

i think it would have also been easier if we would have put the fins on then walked backwards into the ocean. instead we walked about 3 feet in and had to put them on and that was so hard. i wasnt able to do it and my buddy had to help. but i guess with practice then id be able to do it that way right?

And she is still game!

Give me a break, any West Coast instructors out there???