Concentration

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Longstocking

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Messages
61
Reaction score
1
Location
Maryland
# of dives
100 - 199
I'm a new diver ( going on ow check out this weekend)..... My biggest issue is concentration.... I had no problems with any of the drills in class in terms of actually doing them except for 1.....

In the pool, during class, when air sharring and taking of the bc at the same time... I have a tendancy to get distracted...... meaning.... I start the drill off great... 2 for me 2 for my buddy... ect.... as my buddy is putting on the bc I ALWAYS lose concentration and start looking or thinking of something else.... end result... buddy nudging me for more air. This has happened 3 times.... and it was only in the pool !!!

I want to be a good buddy but for some reason every time I do this particular drill I drift off to la la land.... and I know this is only going to get worse when I see a pretty fish swim by.

I'm guessing... some of you guys might have techniques for helping this. Thank goodness I'm fully aware of the problem and my buddy/boyfriend is as well... and he has decided to invest in a pony ( i can't blame him one bit... and fully support that decision) as soon as possible.
 
What agency are you training through?

R
 
Longstocking:
I'm a new diver ( going on ow check out this weekend)..... My biggest issue is concentration.... I had no problems with any of the drills in class in terms of actually doing them except for 1.....

In the pool, during class, when air sharring and taking of the bc at the same time... I have a tendancy to get distracted...... meaning.... I start the drill off great... 2 for me 2 for my buddy... ect.... as my buddy is putting on the bc I ALWAYS lose concentration and start looking or thinking of something else.... end result... buddy nudging me for more air. This has happened 3 times.... and it was only in the pool !!!

I want to be a good buddy but for some reason every time I do this particular drill I drift off to la la land.... and I know this is only going to get worse when I see a pretty fish swim by.

I'm guessing... some of you guys might have techniques for helping this. Thank goodness I'm fully aware of the problem and my buddy/boyfriend is as well... and he has decided to invest in a pony ( i can't blame him one bit... and fully support that decision) as soon as possible.

How do you do with the other skills? My understanding is that "Buddy Breathing" is an optional skill in the Padi course. I believe it generally considered to be frowned upon as a response to an OOA situation (1. ascend normally 2. Share air with buddies alternate 3. CESA 4. Buddy Breath 5. Emergency Ascent) for the reasons you state. Divers get it screwed up and it causes problems.

I guess I would look at how well you share air with your buddy's alternate as a guide as to how well you are concentrating.

Just my newbie thoughts!

GregA
 
NO... I don't have this problem in other areas... that's why I was asking...

I have NO problem doing any and all drills that they have shown us ( got all of them right the firt try... except this one).

I'm taking the classes with SSI
 
Longstocking:
I'm a new diver ( going on ow check out this weekend)..... My biggest issue is concentration.... I had no problems with any of the drills in class in terms of actually doing them except for 1.....

In the pool, during class, when air sharring and taking of the bc at the same time... I have a tendancy to get distracted...... meaning.... I start the drill off great... 2 for me 2 for my buddy... ect.... as my buddy is putting on the bc I ALWAYS lose concentration and start looking or thinking of something else.... end result... buddy nudging me for more air. This has happened 3 times.... and it was only in the pool !!!

I want to be a good buddy but for some reason every time I do this particular drill I drift off to la la land.... and I know this is only going to get worse when I see a pretty fish swim by.

I'm guessing... some of you guys might have techniques for helping this. Thank goodness I'm fully aware of the problem and my buddy/boyfriend is as well... and he has decided to invest in a pony ( i can't blame him one bit... and fully support that decision) as soon as possible.


This is an interesting question we have here. First of all, good for you for realizing that you have a small problem. I think the thing that will help you from getting distracted here is that you realize that you could kill your buddy or yourself if you get distracted. If this doesn't do it for you, then you shouldn't be diving. A pony bottle won't help you.

It still sounds to me like you aren't getting distracted or bored by other things, but rather, you are being asked to do too much at one time before you are ready to do it. If you really are going into La La land then we can't really help you. That's why people asked if you had ths issue in other parts of your life.:wink:

A serious question, do you really want to get certified and do you really enjoy it or was this your buddy's idea mostly? If it was your buddy's idea mostly then you have to ask yourself if you really want to do it.

I will say that you will enjoy looking at the pretty fishies swimming buy a whole lot more when you aren't concerned for your life or his, lol.:D

Perhaps you need to ask the instructor and your buddy for more pool time so you can go at your own pace. Try these skills above seperatley many times before doing all of them at once. Good luck and go slow! You can do it! This is really a minor issue I think that has obviously been blown out of proportion assuming your buddy's response to it is that he wants a pony bottle. This hints at couple issues and that is why I questioned your MUTUAL commitement to this sport. If I am wrong and you are just spacing, then consider the risk of that action. This is either a very easy fix with you or a more complicated issue between you and your buddy that can't be fixed by a pony bottle. You are his pony bottle. You are his buddy. You are also his girlfriend. That can complicate things. Take care!
 
Thanks scubadobado....

I am actually the one that wanted to get certified *wink* .... he has always wanted to get certifed but never did until I brought it up :wink:

Yesterday in the pool... I swore to myself that I wouldn't go to "la la land" ... and yet I did one more time ! Yesterday was a bit different.... as we did this exercise at the end of class and I was getting low on air.... I knew I would be ok if I was the person breathing.... but he's a big air hog lol.... so I was trying to monitor the air at the same time.... probably not that smart of me... trying to do too many things at once !

But previously... it was pure blonde moments.... only I'm a redhead ! Truely spacing.... The only thing I can think of.... is that I'm so comfortable underwater ( which I really am very comfortable).... that I just let myself enjoy it too much.

We actually do very well together underwater.... actually better underwater than on land lol.... we've ben together for a few years... pretty much married :wink:
 
Longstocking:
Thanks scubadobado....

I am actually the one that wanted to get certified *wink* .... he has always wanted to get certifed but never did until I brought it up :wink:

Yesterday in the pool... I swore to myself that I wouldn't go to "la la land" ... and yet I did one more time ! Yesterday was a bit different.... as we did this exercise at the end of class and I was getting low on air.... I knew I would be ok if I was the person breathing.... but he's a big air hog lol.... so I was trying to monitor the air at the same time.... probably not that smart of me... trying to do too many things at once !

But previously... it was pure blonde moments.... only I'm a redhead ! Truely spacing.... The only thing I can think of.... is that I'm so comfortable underwater ( which I really am very comfortable).... that I just let myself enjoy it too much.

We actually do very well together underwater.... actually better underwater than on land lol.... we've ben together for a few years... pretty much married :wink:

Keep up the practice and concentration and you will be fine. When your buddy is also your BUDDY BUDDY it can complicate things but you seem to understand that. :wink:

My wife and I started diving 4+ years ago and it has been a wonderful thing! You guys are gonna have a blast traveling and diving together. We have and it has brought us even closer. Think about it. SCUBA demands communication and this is a good thing for couples too!:eyebrow:

Of course my wife might say that she likes to be underwater because she can't hear me talk. Just wait till you give your buddy the "you're number one sign!" :D Have fun!
 
This is a hard thing to understand, how you can be fully aware you are doing this and know it's bad, yet do it anyway? It's a voluntary action and a pretty simple one at that. I want to say "just don't do that!" but obviously it's not that easy. (People do things they know they shouldn't all the time...)

You are having trouble concentrating in this one particular situation in the pool, but where might it come up in open water? Will you be too mesmerized by the fish or scenery or something else to pay attention to more important things like your air, depth, your buddy? It seems to me like something you need to understand and get this sorted out before you get in OW, and especially before you guys are diving on your own. His getting a pony doesn't solve this.
 
SSI does a buddy breathing doff and don at the OW level?

R
 

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