Panicked on first deep dive

[Lorenzoid]

Deep dives continued to freak me out for years. Oh, I forced myself through the AOW course and its "deep dive," but I still wasn't comfortable. I think I had done in the neighborhood of 150 dives before I decided to conquer my fears. So I took the PADI Deep Diver course with an instructor who had a lot of technical dive experience, and we went over a lot of things that there was apparently no time for in the AOW course. Now, about 100 dives and still more training later, I am again beginning to look cautiously at deep dives. This time around it's not so much fear and panic as it is a belief that some of these dives push the envelope of safety I would like to maintain around me. I am increasingly shunning anything beyond 90 feet or so.

The panic you experienced is not uncommon. It's a mechanism built into all of us that kicks in when we have exceeded our comfort level and lose our ability to deal with the situation. You have every right to be uncomfortable on deeper dives. I agree with the others who have said you should consider gaining more dive experience in general. Sorry if you may not be able to score that AOW card before your trip, but it's not the end of the world. Safety, including panic avoidance, should come first.

 

[Keith.M]

I wouldn't want to see you pushed to do something you were not ready for.

I think the key when you feel anxious is to have some positive self talk.

I have the regulator in my mouth.
It is functioning fine.
I see from my pressure guage that I have plenty of air.
Calm down, keep breathing.

I have only had to do that once, I would not say it was anywhere near panic, but some positive self talk and the issue was gone as quickly as it came.

 

[Donnah]

A 120 ft. dive does not "feel" the same as a 40 ft. dive. My reg. breathes harder and I feel heavier at about 100 ft.

 

[fnfalman]

I just want to reiterate again that Flower Gardens dive trip is not a trip for newbies. It's an awesome dive, but it's a deep, blue water dive in an area that is well known for rough sea.

 

[Fish in a Barrel]

One thing to consider is that dehydration can cause panic attacks.

I mention this because I am particularly prone to this symptom, and I encountered it during my AOW course. If I let myself get dehydrated, I become filled with a sense of dread and anxiety, even when I know it is irrational. I drink some water, and within minutes that sense of impending doom evaporates.

 

[spectrum]

The trip planned requires AOW. I was selected from a pool of teachers to participate in a workshop in the Gulf of Mexico Flower Gardens and its an opportunity I can't pass up. I am comfortable at 50 - 60 feet, but just freaked out. Also - my training has been in a lake with little visibility (only a few feet). Is there anything I can do to make myself more comfortable?

The good news is that your diving to date has been on the more stressful side of the spectrum. Meaning, that once you have this down the trip destination will probably be a lot easier to deal with.

This does not change the fact that you need to take care of business. A leaking mask can be a stressful distraction at any depth and you don't need to be making deep dives to sort that out. The right mask, hair out of the way. the right strap tension and even placement of the strap on the back of your head can make big differences. Oh, I almost forgot, a hood that collects an air bubble can wreak havoc. If you were diving in poor trip will a poorly fit hood it's going to be tough sledding.

Being a safe diver means more than surviving a deep dive with an instructor to get your ticket punched. You need to be capable to plan, execute and lead such a dive. If you become isolated you will be on your own.... Get all of the exposure possible for the best assurance that you are up to this.

The sensitivity to dry air is not usually a big issue even if it's a little uncomfortable on longer dives. If you were that bothered I wonder if your respiration was also elevated from stress or diving in poor form and overworking.


Pete

 

[Herb-alaska]

if you reg breathes harder at 120 feet than it does at 40 feet then you have the wrong regulator. A balanced second stage should be tunable to breathe consistently at all recreational depths

 

[halocline]

When is your trip to the flower gardens and where are you doing the AOW class?

 

[aeweems12]

Do not push yourself to do the deep dive if you don't feel comfortable or prepared. A wise instructor once taught me the second most important rule in diving: you can thumb a dive at any time, for any reason, no questions asked, no repercussions (first most important rule: have fun).

I have an example close to your situation. I was working on my AOW back in February in Key Largo. I freaked out the night before my deep and wreck dives. I didn't feel I was ready or prepared to do the dives and I was scared out of my mind. I called my instructor and thumbed the dives that night. The next day we talked about how I felt and I decided to take a break and just dive for fun. Three months later I completed my AOW while in Roatan and I had a blast. Neither the deep or the wreck dives freaked me out. I am much more comfortable with myself as a diver and my abilities to be able to complete a deep dive.

So moral of my story, take your time.

 

[diver 85]

I just want to reiterate again that Flower Gardens dive trip is not a trip for newbies. It's an awesome dive, but it's a deep, blue water dive in an area that is well known for rough sea.

Ah.........what's 5 to 7 foot seas........??............(lol)

ie.....1 trip I made(5 to 7 foot seas---& BAD current for the 1st 4 dives---not the nite dive though, it calmed down unexpectedly between dive 4, last day dive, & the nite dive) only 8 of the 28 divers made all 7 dives(according to the board)......Remember 2 divers got in the water on dive one----got seasick before reaching the bottom & immediately returned to the boat---& stayed in their bunks till we got almost back to the channel(ie virtually all of trip)........