Dive Psychology

huff442 · Sep 12, 2005

I'm a relatively new diver with about 10 dives in fresh water (open water cert). I'm struggling with a weird issue. Every time i go to the water, no matter who i'm with or how confident i feel about about myself and the dive, i always begin hyperventilating about 30 feet into the dive. Normally i can just concentrate and get my breathing and heart rate back down. After that, i'm fine for the rest of the day. It's just that first entry.

Is this a psychological reactive to the dark enviroment, temp change, and difference in breathing effort? All of the above? None of the above?

Do any of you do a shollow water "pre-dive" warm up?

This will not keep me from diving, but i think it would help me if i understood more about the problem.

Thanks for your comment.

Kevin

BigJetDriver · Sep 12, 2005

If you go into the literature of diving by IANTD, and other agencies, you will find commentary about "visualizing the dive".

It means that, before your dive, you sit back, close your eyes, and "see" yourself doing the dive. Think about the dive, how it will go, what you will see, and how much fun it will be. You will find that you are much more relaxed when you start your dive.

Scuby Dooby · Sep 12, 2005

I think it is a leftover fear for 'survival' and will go away as you dive more. I remember early on feeling a bit nervous sometimes at making the deepest dive of the day first and then going shallower - my 'nerves' wished that I could do the exact opposite. Maybe you should come up with a routine that allows you a bit of time underwater to square everything away and become comfortable at around, say, 20 feet before you descend any further. That way the 'nerves' won't be compounded by the task loading of clearing your ears, adjusting your gear and mask, getting into proper trim, etc. Sort everything out at a leisurely pace, calm down and then make your descent until you are more comfortable just backrolling in and streaking straight for the depths

!

Just an idea

jeffreyd · Sep 12, 2005

This happend on my first OW dive in the Gulf. Dive number 4.

Vis was about 4 feet, had a thermocline, max depth of 45'.

A few feet into the dive my mask started to fog up, I could barely see 2 feet infront of me as we decended the anchor line. I hit the thermocline at what felt like 25' (dont remember exactly). Right after I hit the thermocline it was like sensory overload, I wanted to hold my breath and shoot to the surface, but I kept my wits about me and kept breathing normally, let a little water into my mask and cleared off the fog, and just then I saw a new world because the vis opend up to around 10' on the bottom, we stopped our decent about 5' off the bottom and started following a line of coral.

It has never happend since because I realised that my training actually works and I trust myself. And most of all ITS FUN!!!!! Try to remember that when you get ready to dive, your not there to impress anyone or raise the Titanic, just dive and enjoy it.

I've never heard of anyone "pre-diving".

Are you renting or do you have your own gear?
If you are renting you may be feeling anxious about the gear working and once you get under you realise it is working and then relax for the rest of the day.

If you have your own gear you will KNOW that has been properly maintained and in good working order because you are responsible for the maintenance, which should curb the anxiety.

Xaler.

JeffreyD.

huff442 · Sep 12, 2005

jeffreyd:
This happend on my first OW dive in the Gulf. Dive number 4.

Vis was about 4 feet, had a thermocline, max depth of 45'.

A few feet into the dive my mask started to fog up, I could barely see 2 feet infront of me as we decended the anchor line. I hit the thermocline at what felt like 25' (dont remember exactly). Right after I hit the thermocline it was like sensory overload, I wanted to hold my breath and shoot to the surface, but I kept my wits about me and kept breathing normally, let a little water into my mask and cleared off the fog, and just then I saw a new world because the vis opend up to around 10' on the bottom, we stopped our decent about 5' off the bottom and started following a line of coral.

It has never happend since because I realised that my training actually works and I trust myself. And most of all ITS FUN!!!!! Try to remember that when you get ready to dive, your not there to impress anyone or raise the Titanic, just dive and enjoy it.

I've never heard of anyone "pre-diving".

Are you renting or do you have your own gear?
If you are renting you may be feeling anxious about the gear working and once you get under you realise it is working and then relax for the rest of the day.

If you have your own gear you will KNOW that has been properly maintained and in good working order because you are responsible for the maintenance, which should curb the anxiety.

Xaler.

JeffreyD.

BigJetDriver69: I will definately look into the literature. Thanks

Scuby Dooby & jeffreyd: I own all my equipment. I'm never nervous about diving, or feel anxious in the water. Jeffreyd, you situation in the gulf is almost exactly what i go through everytime i head out. I've never bolted to the surface, or aborted a dive because of this sub-concience "freak-out". I just remain calm, remind myself that i'm in control and well trained and certified, then in a minute or so, it passes.

I think it must be similar to the feeling of falling. You decending, it's getting darker, then must colder when you pass the TC, then BANG!!! Heart rate skyrockets, breathing rate increases.

It probably also doesn't help that i've only been able to dive about once a month, so maybe my experience hasn't progressed as fast as i would like. I can't find a dive buddy in NW Arkansas. And it's not because of my little "issue", i've just only met a few people that only dive a few times a year.

Knowing that i'm not the only one who who has experienced this definately helps though. "I'm not CRAZY!!! YEAH!!!"

O'Malley · Sep 12, 2005

sit back, close your eyes, and "see" yourself doing the dive

As a kid growing up with an intense fear of heights, I wouldn't climb a tree higher than a height I couldn't safely jump from. Years later, I became a paratrooper and the above insight is what sustained me for 8 years..."sit back, close your eyes, and 'see' yourself doing the jump."

jeffreyd · Sep 12, 2005

Do you have enough thermal protection?

I wore a 3.2mm wetsuit in water temps of 72 deg. It feels like its barely enough. Do you ever feel really cold during a dive?

TSandM · Sep 12, 2005

I don't have your problem at 30', but if I could magically transport myself from the surface to depth, I'd be a happier camper. My anxiety time is descent, because I'm so bad at it, which leads to more anxiety, which makes the problem worse. I don't have an answer, but I can say that, at least for me, if I can breathe myself through the problem (which I can) then it settles out and the rest of the dive is great, and my overall air consumption is not high enough to limit the dive. I don't know if these gremlims go away with time, but they appear to be manageable.

Scuby Dooby · Sep 12, 2005

huff442:
. . . I've never bolted to the surface, or aborted a dive because of this sub-concience "freak-out". . .

. . . You decending, it's getting darker, then must colder when you pass the TC, then BANG!!! Heart rate skyrockets, breathing rate increases. . .

But you first say

huff442:
I'm never nervous about diving, or feel anxious in the water. . .

I'm not trying to argue with you but - you do feel nervous in the water. The good news is that a lot of others feel the same way as they get more experience diving. The best way to overcome anxiety is to identify it and not let it get out of control (hyperventilating, heart rate skyrocketting, wanting to bolt to the surface). Find a way to ease yourself into the dive and when you first start to feel anxiety (that's what it is - like it or not) stop and do something to relax until you feel yourself calming down.

Thats the best advice any of us can give you - good luck

RumBum · Sep 13, 2005

Thermoclines really are cold. If you have a hard time specifically when you hit a thermocline then maybe you are reacting to the temp change. I'd say when you hit 20 feet start anticipating the darker/ cooler water. With only 10 dives in, the effect of depth could still be surprising you every time. Surprises mean anxiety.
Like Scuby Dooby says, just stop your decent for a sec to get your calm back and then go on with the dive.

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