Nervousness

[Randy43068]

I enjoy diving. I am always glad that I do it. I still get excited by going and by thinking about going. I get excited when I talk to other people about it. It is the water that I dont like. I have a pool in my backyard. This whole summer I think I was in it maybe 10 times. Once was to save my dog. My fiance has no problem going with other people if I dont feel comfortable so me not diving is something I have done. Any dive that starts at 70+ feet I dont do. Out of the week long live aboard, I only did one night dive. Just to be sure I dont like them. I didn't so I didn't go again. I think once I learn navigation I would be alright. Maybe I could just anchor myself to the anchor so I can always find my way back. Then I wouldn't be worried at all.

you need to to more and more of it 'till you're more comfortable in the water.

I had a math prof who once said something like this "if you're not comfortable doing this, then it's the thing you need more work on."

Good luck and go diving in places that are less of a challange.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

If this is indeed a sport you truly want to pursue you need to make the time to dive to make yourself comfortable. Right now from what you have said you sound like an accident waiting to happen. I too was an uncomfortable diver and I had 52 dives before I started feeling comfortable with my skills. I had about 80 dives when I went to the ocean for the first time and was still uncomfortable at first since it was a new experience. Diving, whether a weekly dip in the pool if that's the only option you have or in local lakes and quarries as often as possible is the only thing that will make you more comfortable. Take more classes, SSI has a good program and the more classes you take and dives you get under an instructor's supervision the better you will feel about your ability. Do some drills in the pool at home, you really should do a bunch of no mask work and get comfortable with breathing without a mask on, you can start by just using a snorkel and walking around in the pool breathing off of it with your eyes open. Once you are comfortable with that you can move up to scuba gear without a mask. If you truly want to dive you will find the time to work at it otherwise the safest decision for you is probably bubble watching, panic kills divers and we like having you around.

Just my .02
Ber

 

[Damselfish]

As others have said, you need to get comfortable in the water. Swimming, snorkeling, more classes, whatever. I don't think scuba diving is a good idea if you're not comfortable in the water, it's trouble waiting to happen.

 

[Randy43068]

If this is indeed a sport you truly want to pursue you need to make the time to dive to make yourself comfortable. Right now from what you have said you sound like an accident waiting to happen. I too was an uncomfortable diver and I had 52 dives before I started feeling comfortable with my skills. I had about 80 dives when I went to the ocean for the first time and was still uncomfortable at first since it was a new experience. Diving, whether a weekly dip in the pool if that's the only option you have or in local lakes and quarries as often as possible is the only thing that will make you more comfortable. Take more classes, SSI has a good program and the more classes you take and dives you get under an instructor's supervision the better you will feel about your ability. Do some drills in the pool at home, you really should do a bunch of no mask work and get comfortable with breathing without a mask on, you can start by just using a snorkel and walking around in the pool breathing off of it with your eyes open. Once you are comfortable with that you can move up to scuba gear without a mask. If you truly want to dive you will find the time to work at it otherwise the safest decision for you is probably bubble watching, panic kills divers and we like having you around.

Just my .02
Ber

whadda you know? Huh?

See you in a couple of weeks! Or a week at the M&G.

 

[ScubaSixString]

I enjoy diving. I am always glad that I do it. I still get excited by going and by thinking about going. I get excited when I talk to other people about it. It is the water that I dont like. I have a pool in my backyard. This whole summer I think I was in it maybe 10 times. Once was to save my dog. My fiance has no problem going with other people if I dont feel comfortable so me not diving is something I have done. Any dive that starts at 70+ feet I dont do. Out of the week long live aboard, I only did one night dive. Just to be sure I dont like them. I didn't so I didn't go again. I think once I learn navigation I would be alright. Maybe I could just anchor myself to the anchor so I can always find my way back. Then I wouldn't be worried at all.

If NAV is the problem, you have a few choices. Take a navigation course. OR dive in clear water and stay within sight of the anchorline/boat.

Something that might help is thinking about what would happen if you got lost and had to surface away from the boat. Presumably you'd be with a group or at least your buddy. The dive boat *shouldn't* leave you (thats not to say it hasn't happened, but its not likely to). You have a horn Get a DSMB (lift bag) or a safety sausage. That helps. Realize all the accidents you've read are just that...Accidents. Plan your dive, dive your plan, relax

 

[BabyAnnaRe]

Practicing before I went to the bahamas was great for me. I have no problem swimming in my pool without anything on my face. My fiance and I race underwater. I just dont like taking it off on purpose. Kinda like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Why tempt fate? I am fine and in awe once I get down, but I am always on the constant lookout for the boat. Which I think ruins the dives. I didnt worry about it until we surfaced that one time and it was so far away. Since then, i worry every single time. I think navigation is the way to go. I sure wish they had GPS underwater. I would mortgage my house for that. I would be set and happy.

 

[PavoDive]

I have no problem swimming in my pool without anything on my face. My fiance and I race underwater. I just dont like taking it off on purpose. Kinda like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Why tempt fate?

Anna (I guess that's your name, right?),
Taking your mask off on purpose is not tempting fate (Specially if you do it for training -and specially if you do it in the pool). Things do happen, and a diver of the group can fin-kick your mask, the mask strap can come loose... If you trained, you'll have something to back you in that moment. I'd venture to say that not acquiring mask skills is really to tempt fate.

As for your nervousness, I'd like to add a few comments:
You said in another post that "My fiance is the only person that makes me calm. He is the type of person that can do anything. So him being calm, cool and collected is great for me." My wife used to said that it was calming for her to know that I was there, calm, cool and collected (not same words, though!), but once after a difficult dive and some "soul diggin' ", we found that my calmness acted as a sort of peer pressure to her. She felt that she had to deliver at the same level than I, and that's plainly wrong. Divers should develop neither dependence on their partners/buddies nor crush under their pressure (wether that pressure is intended or not). Strive to make yourself one of the persons that can make you calm.

You also said "I like 40-60 feet. Calm water. And lots of fishy right around the anchor. That is the ideal dive." That's wonderful news!! If that's the diving you like, then DO that kind of diving, and let your proficiency ask for more. Gather facts about Cozumel, and if it doesn't look like "40 to 60, calm water and lots of fishy 'round the anchor" (this sounds like just in front of Nemo's school ), find another place. There are thousands of places that fit your description of ideal dive.

Happy bubbles.
Gio.