Mental block

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JustinW

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Location
Rocklin, CA
I'm sure you all have experienced something like this at one time or another. I don't have much experience free diving, although I have been doing it for the last 3-4 years or so. I mainly don't hit anything under 30, but I'm just freediving for abalone around here, no need to go much deeper.

While holding my breath underwater it seems I always feel tingly, nervous sorta. The feeling is hard to describe, perhaps its fear in getting caught in the kelp I dive in.

I feel anxious and while I don't have any problem with a breathhold of 2 minutes or so, I can't seem to calm my mind down.
 
oh my, thats a tough one and afraid I can't really help you. I will say that once you become a comfortable diver your diving will improve very rapidly. every diver I have ever met, including myself, had a mental "issue" with their diving at one point. once you get past it, look out! every thing suddenly becomes much more fun :D
 
thanks, like i said I feel that i am more comfortable and a better diver than my peers I dive with, but this thing just gets to me, when i'm on the surface I can almost go to sleep, I feel comfy in the water, but the back of my mind is just screaming
 
Do you do any training? Like in a pool, lake, or ocean where all you do is bop down to the bottom or a pre-determined depth and time and come up. This will help you get over that feeling. You'll be more comfortable knowing your limits and you won't have anxiety as long as you stay within these limits

I find that when I am hunting without a pre-set dive plan I tend to get more anxiety. For me it's because sometimes I'll push the end of the dive to get a better shot or grab a crab or whatever. It helped me to set definite limits to "hunting dives". Once I did that I felt more in control and the anxiety diminished...

So, your anxiety can be overcome by making yourself at ease. What it takes to get you there depends on the diver. Find out what the source of that anxiety is and deal with it.
 
Another thing...

When I started diving deeper I had high anxiety because of the sensation of decreased lung volume. Empty lung breath holds (exhaling completely and holding breath) helped me overcome that anxiety to some extent.
 
I think it's all in the preparation. You should prepare yourself on land go through a simulated dive (breath holding on land) and attempt to maintain that feeling. Do this until it becomes second nature. If you have attained a high degree of comfort in the water and your mental preparation is sufficient then you should have the same feeling throughout the dive. One of the things that really aids me in my training is when I do land training. Regardless of what it is, static apnea or dynamic on land, I do it while visualizing to a certain depth. That way when I am in the water training, it feels more automated because I have been there before, so to speak.
 
I don't have anyone qualified to train underwater with on a regular basis. from time to to I do apnea tests for myself, on land a 3 minute breathhold is a good hold for me, but i get that feeling, the back of my eyes tingle. My arms and fingers tingle (very little) and its just a general nervousness. I think I like the idea of setting a dive plan, and training on land for that.
 
check out the forums on www.deeperblue.net, there are quite a few freedivers and spearos to hook up with in NorCal. a training buddy with make things MUCH easier!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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