Really scared to dive

[commonoctopus]

My friend and I finished our pool training in March and now it the end of July and we're going to have to do our open water dives soon: I'm absolutely terrified. Part of the fear is that, during training, it took me forever to learn to clear my mask. A lot of people have suggested practicing clearing it in a pool, but I can't because chlorine triggers my psoriasis. What happens if my mask falls off under water? I have an anxiety disorder and panic easily.
I would be much more relaxed if our first certification dives are in a bay or lake. Do you think that the instructor would allow that?
Sorry if this post is a little messy, but im having anxiety now just typing this.

 

[Keith.M]

Although your mask is highly unlikely to just fall off, you do need to feel comfortable if it does and not panic.

Are there any lakes nearby that you could go to and practice mask removal and replacement?

You can definitely do your open water check out dives in a lake.

Why has it taken from March to now before the check out dives are scheduled?

---------- Post added July 30th, 2014 at 12:15 PM ----------

I would also have to ask. If you are really that scared to dive, why are you doing it?
Is this something that YOU want to do or something that someone else wants you to do?

 

[Tony387]

Clearing your mask gives more than a few beginners problems. It is really as simple as holding the top of your mask with a finger or two and exhaling forcefully through your nose. Losing your mask underwater is a very uncommon occurrence but you have to be prepared for it nonetheless. I would certainly make sure I had this skill down pat prior to your check out dives. That being said, if your are this panicked over your open water dives and your mask clearing, maybe you should rethink your decision to dive. I'm not being cruel, but generally speaking anxiety disorders and diving are not a good match. In almost any adverse diving situation one can imagine, the difference between a good outcome and a bad one, will turn on the diver's ability to stay calm and to think. Just my two cents. Good luck and be safe.

 

[ScubaDoo83]

Just curious OP but what made you want to dive and get certified in the first place?

 

[TSandM]

If you want to work through this, you can do it in your kitchen sink and bathtub. You can start by standing over the kitchen sink full of water, and put your face in the water with just your snorkel and breathe. If you can't do that, then you have problems adjusting your airway, and the following exercise may help: Put your hand over your mouth, and blow air into your mouth until your cheeks puff up. Now let the air out through your nose. Feel the change you make in the back of your throat when you do that? Try it several times, until you are sure. Once you can consciously decide whether air goes in and out of your mouth or your nose, try the snorkeling again. Now it should be easy.

Next, put your masked face into the sink. Fill the mask with water. It should feel just like snorkeling without a mask on. Tilt your head back and exhale through your nose -- this is where the airway control exercise comes in. Exhaling through your nose -- not blowing, snorting or blasting, but just exhaling -- will cause the water to run out of the mask. This is all mask clearing is, but you do it under the water.

You can get a feel of that by doing the same thing in your bathtub. Lie on your stomach with the tub fairly full and go through the same exercise. It won't be underwater, unless you use weights, but at least you'll be horizontal instead of standing, as you were in the kitchen.

Keep at these exercises until the mask stuff becomes "ho-hum", because it needs to be when you are diving. And do be aware that salt water is far less irritating to the eyes than the average chlorinated pool's water is! I won't open my eyes underwater in the pool, because my eyes will sting and be red for 24 hours if I do. But in the ocean, it's not nearly as difficult.

I do echo the others who are asking why you are doing this if you are so frightened. But if it something you honestly want for yourself, there are ways to work through the issues. However, I do not think anyone who sounds like you do is really ready for their open water dives.

 

[Donnah]

That's great that you are trying to get past the anxiety and learn to dive. If it doesn't work out, you still tried and had the experience. I wanted to dive very much, but couldn't swim, would only snorkel in water where I could stand up, and couldn't see anything without my glasses! Losing my mask scared me, too, especially as it was prescription and I couldn't see without it. I almost didn't do the first ocean dive, but once I was under the water, it was so beautiful I totally relaxed. I hope it's that way for you, too. Find an understanding instructor and go slowly.

I also worry about the anxiety disorder. It is not a good thing to panic underwater. And if you are on any meds, that could also be a problem.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

My friend and I finished our pool training in March and now it the end of July and we're going to have to do our open water dives soon: I'm absolutely terrified. Part of the fear is that, during training, it took me forever to learn to clear my mask. A lot of people have suggested practicing clearing it in a pool, but I can't because chlorine triggers my psoriasis. What happens if my mask falls off under water? I have an anxiety disorder and panic easily.
I would be much more relaxed if our first certification dives are in a bay or lake. Do you think that the instructor would allow that?
Sorry if this post is a little messy, but im having anxiety now just typing this.

Hi commonoctopus,

Welcome to ScubaBoard. You've received some great advice on how to get past mask clearing issues.

But at the risk of being very blunt and a bit offensive, your statement about suffering from an anxiety disorder that cause you to panic easily is an enormous red flag for scuba diving. If that is truly the case, you need to step back and think about the seriousness of panicking underwater, and possibly choose a different leisure activity. Because, really, that is what scuba diving is, a leisure activity. Not something that should cause great anxiety, and not something that is likely to trigger a panic attack.

Panicking underwater can injure or kill you, and can place anyone diving with you in danger.

Please take these comments in the spirit they were intended, to be helpful, not insulting or demeaning.

I do hope you are able to scuba dive, it is a wonderful activity, but only you can assess your ability to control your anxiety.

Best Wishes.

 

[boulderjohn]

I, too, would be concerned about someone diving with someone with a diagnosed panic disorder and a tendency to panic. Is it a diagnosed disorder, or are you assuming that is what it is based on past experiences? Have you had any therapy for it?

Such therapy for panic is not only possible, in many cases it can be highly successful. In many cases, it is simply a matter of changing breathing habits. When some people get into a stressful situation, they hold their breath without realizing it, or they do essentially the same thing by taking very shallow breaths. The result is that carbon dioxide builds up in their lungs, and that is the trigger that brings on the sense of panic. It is similar to sleep apnea, in which case sleepers for some reason stop breathing during their sleep until enough carbon dioxide builds up to make them awaken in a panic with their hearts pounding.

At the beginning of each class, I have students breathe with me under water to make sure they are breathing properly, especially exhaling properly to get rid of the carbon dioxide. It seems to help.

A while ago an instructor finished a class with a student who had a similar problem. She struggled with her mask work, and he did not feel comfortable passing her. We made a special session for her, and I taught it because I happened to be available when she was. We worked first on her breathing. I had her do a number of long, cleansing breaths before we descended in shallow water. We worked on basic mask clearing, with which she still struggled, until she was a champ at it. Then we took the mask off, etc. Then we went deeper. Then we worked on other stuff. It took her a very long time for the session (for which she paid extra, BTW), but it paid off. By the time we were done, she was swimming around in water with very poor visibility with no concerns, confidently removing and replacing her mask as she swam.

The first key to her success was her dedication. She had a really good reason to be certified, and she was not going to let this get in her way. The second key was the breathing. She learned to get rid of that carbon dioxide through deep breathing. The third key was patience. We knew she would eventually get there--we could not get frustrated by early failures. The fourth key was repetition of successful attempts. She could not be satisfied with getting it done the first time--she had to do it correctly over and over and over again.

 

[BRT]

TS&M's advice is perfect! Also are there no lakes you can go to with your mask and snorkel? Playing with them in water shallow enough to not cause anxiety is the ticket. Learn to breath through the snorkel without the mask on. Learn to clear the mask. Then practice taking the mask on and off after clearing it.

I am very comfortable in the water but this is uncomfortable for me because I wear contacts and must do it blind, with my eyes shut. In an emergency I'd sure open my eyes but then I'd likely need new contacts!

Don't do your open waters until you are good with this. Panic kills.

 

[SeaHorse81]

I really hope that you're taking OW training because this is something you passionately want for yourself despite the fear, rather for any other reason. I can't think of any other reason that's good enough, honestly.

If you do move forward with this and do the adapting/desensitizing work that this will likely require, it will be important to keep getting back in the water fairly regularly thereafter. The brain processes negative experiences differently than it processes positive ones -- the negative ones make a much larger impression. Each time you think of diving fearfully, it adds to that impression, so you can deepen this fear without even being in the water if you don't manage your thinking carefully.

If you do the work and get to a happy, comfy place, the reason you need to keep up the practice is because over time, the old/fearful memories (being more powerful) can start to take precedence again over the newer/better memories that didn't get as deeply ingrained, and haven't been practiced nearly as many times. You need to very purposefully maintain the physical and mental practice of the more comfortable way of being, or you can find the fear returning just as before. This means that getting into your gear once a year for a dive vacation would be a bad fit, for example. If that's what you envision for your diving practices, I think diving is probably not for you.

Diving is grand but so are many other things, and most greatly fulfilled lives get lived without the inclusion of scuba diving. I hope you listen to what your gut feelings tell you to do about this, because they're almost certainly right.