Nervous Nellie in the water-- even after a dozen dives

[spectrum]

Okay so you're not a total natural that it all comes easy to. It sounds like you feel Ok about your diving skills but the conditions get to you. That's not uncommon, limited visibility diving is a skill unto itself and some of us like the sense of isolation and others are just the opposite, yourself included.

It's great that you are enthusiastic about diving and this will get you through this. The idea of a warm water trip is a nice one but it's important that you become comfortable embracing your local water. Here in Maine I can usually predict when conditions will be poor. Do you watch your marine forecasts and buoy data? If the seas have been up in the last few days things are probably stirred tup Heavy winds blowing into shore will also be a problem but off shore winds can calm the sea and let things settle down. You don't want to be near a river after heavy rain washed silt into the ocean. Learning to watch these conditions can help you avoid the worst can be diving at the best of times. There are times when I find I'm better of staying home to get stuff done so I can go dive when it will be enjoyable.

Let your depth be whatever is fun for you. Critters are everywhere and the best light is in the shallows. I will mention though that getting away from shore and into slightly deeper water can sometimes provide relief from poor visibility.

Diving is adaptation and you will evolve. Just play it smart, be comfortable and have fun.

Pete

 

[TheWonder3FeetUnder]

Okay so you're not a total natural that it all comes easy to. It sounds like you feel Ok about your diving skills but the conditions get to you. That's not uncommon, limited visibility diving is a skill unto itself and some of us like the sense of isolation and others are just the opposite, yourself included.

It's great that you are enthusiastic about diving and this will get you through this. The idea of a warm water trip is a nice one but it's important that you become comfortable embracing your local water. Here in Maine I can usually predict when conditions will be poor. Do you watch your marine forecasts and buoy data? If the seas have been up in the last few days things are probably stirred tup Heavy winds blowing into shore will also be a problem but off shore winds can calm the sea and let things settle down. You don't want to be near a river after heavy rain washed silt into the ocean. Learning to watch these conditions can help you avoid the worst can be diving at the best of times. There are times when I find I'm better of staying home to get stuff done so I can go dive when it will be enjoyable.

Let your depth be whatever is fun for you. Critters are everywhere and the best light is in the shallows. I will mention though that getting away form shore and into slightly deeper water can sometimes provide relief form poor visibility.

Diving is adaptation and you will evolve. Just play it smart, be comfortable and have fun.

Pete

Thanks for that advice about learning to predict the probable conditions. I haven't yet learned about how winds play into it or what sources to look for. All I've figured out as of yet is that it seems extreme tides stir up the surface...? It also seems that overcast days are much clearer than sunny days. We get a lot of stormy weather here so we definitely don't go out in that. I will have to learn how to read the marine forecasts and buoy data. My knowledge of that is zero. The only tool I have right now is the app "Tide Graph".

Thanks,

Wonder3FeetUnder

 

[TSandM]

If you are managing your anxiety well, and it sounds as though you are, then I think the answer is to keep going. If you aren't -- if you have bolted to the surface, or lost control from panic -- then I wouldn't give the same advice, no matter how much the idea of diving appeals to you.

Cold water and low viz is not easy diving. I had a lot of problems with disorientation and confusion underwater when I started this (in Puget Sound, where conditions are similar to yours). Time underwater brought both competence and confidence.

 

[spectrum]

Thanks for that advice about learning to predict the probable conditions. I haven't yet learned about how winds play into it or what sources to look for. All I've figured out as of yet is that it seems extreme tides stir up the surface...? It also seems that overcast days are much clearer than sunny days. We get a lot of stormy weather here so we definitely don't go out in that. I will have to learn how to read the marine forecasts and buoy data. My knowledge of that is zero. The only tool I have right now is the app "Tide Graph".

Thanks,

Wonder3FeetUnder

This link is to my local dive planning links, they may give you some ideas. Most should have local equivalents for you.

Pete

 

[tamas970]

I second the idea of diving in warm water with great vis. I'd have also been panicked in a 50F pea soup... (Honestly I don't know if I ever want to try that.)

I learnt to dive (=OW1-6) in Gran Canaria, where in 90% of my time I saw both the surface AND the bottom AND a reference reef. -> I was neither afraid to be sunk in the abyss nor to get lost and die in the middle of the ocean.

 

[Kokeldil]

Hey Wonder,
can you, by chance, specify what exectly your anxiety derives from?
Is it already the pre-dive? Floating on the surface, not knowing .. not seeing what´s below?
Is it the fear of a possible repetition of the training CESA incident? Is it the fear of critters, that lurk somehwere behind the particle screen under water when viz is bad? A little mor info might help giving some really useful advise. Otherwise I second the warm-water-diving-suggestions.

 

[yardpro]

maybe you like the anxious nervous feelings.....

it could be that you are an adrenaline junkie

 

[SnorkelLA]

Something that used to help me a lot when I was first certified was to remind myself to not analyze the situation. Just dive.

Secondly, even to this day there are a certain set of combinations that I can deal with when diving.

CAN- great vis, cold water

CAN- terrible vis, warm water

CAN'T- bad vis, cold water



Now, naturally, for my area my last "can't" statement would rule out the vast majority of some really otherwise great diving.

So, after getting a lot more diving experience, I started to get more comfortable in lots of adverse conditions, mainly through the use of needed gear.

For example- if I have bad vis, I bring a light. If I have cold water, I wear a thicker wetsuit/ dry suit

If I have bad vis and cold water, I carry a bright light and wear a thick suit.

People will tell you a lot to think about it, tell yourself this and that. My advice is, just dive. Don't think. Just dive. The more you analyze it the more you'll panic.

 

[ScubaBing]

I understand how you are feeling - give it to dive 30, in my experience, and somehow the "you can die doing this" they drilled into me in training transferred to "ahhhh, this is so relaxing and I love it". The more you dive, the better it will become.

We dive cold water in Ontario with low viz as well - time conquers all!

 

[Steve_C]

In predicting viz conditions a couple other things to consider:

-heavy snow melt, or heavy rain can ruin the viz if any rivers empty near where you are diving.

Algae blooms. By your standards I am primarily a warmish water diver. But I did a few dives (wet) north of Vancouver. Top 6 ft or so was total pea soup. Then below that viz popped out to a reasonable 20 ft.

Different location? Might be that some sites run with better viz at some times of year. Check with the locals.

You may do this anyway but the light suggestion is a good one. Last summer I was diving a shallow wreck off NC in 60ft of water. Was nice and clear and blue down to 40 ft. Probably 60 ft of viz at least. Then there was a cloud bank. Below that there was what appeared to be about 3 ft of viz. Not so good. I pulled out the small LED light I carried and I could clearly see out to 6 ft or so. Also was able to see a lot more wild life. Low viz water makes it harder to see but it also blocks light which further reduces how far you can see. Using a light even in daytime can help.

I have never been to Alaska but I have been in Finland and Sweden and Norway although not diving. Even during the day the sun does not get directly overhead. I am guessing that would also reduce the amount of light that penetrates to depth. If that is the case it would be another reason to use a small light sometimes during the day.