Had my first ocean dive

[LupitaM]

well i finally went out to the ocean and it didnt go well. I went down and then my ears just hurt so bad i had to go up. i couldnt equalize. and then going back to shore sucked so bad. i had never been so scared in my life. my instructor yelling at me certainly didnt help at all but i know its his job to keep us all safe.

next day i went to the ocean to see the next dive location. i looked out to the ocean and just felt scared so i went to the shop and turned in my gear. i didnt feel comfortable at all going out there again.

im still debating whether or not to give it another shot. maybe if the conditions that day werent so bad i wouldnt have turned in my gear and i would have kept going. and i really do think having an instructor who is patient would have helped me out alot.

maybe i can give it another shot in a couple years..

i have so much respect for every diver in the world and for the ocean.. the ocean dont play games with no one.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your first OW dive.
I think you first needto figure out exactly what made you uncomfortable and scared, and then decide what (if anythinmg) you can do about it. Then you can move towards the water again.

That being said, I would say that if your instructor was "yelling at you" then your next move towards the water should be with someone else.

 

[dlndavid]

Monterey can be some very tough diving, and especially for a beginer.
You might find it easier to get some OW diving experience in a warm water location.
Then as you get some experience under your belt, try Monterey again.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

People can react differently to things. My high school basketball coach would yell at us a lot. Some players would respond in a positive way to that sort of treatment. Others would react in a negative way. People have different personalities. I'll concede that coaching a competitive sport is probably different from scuba instruction.

The only time I would view an instructor yelling at a student as "appropriate" would be if the student were in a situation of imminent danger. Otherwise, he really shouldn't have been yelling.

When you decide to give it another shot, I'd recommend interviewing the instructor beforehand. Tell him/her about your previous experience -- what went well and what didn't. It can be very valuable to get an instructor whose teaching style is compatible with your learning style.

 

[lowviz]

.....my instructor yelling at me certainly didnt help at all but i know its his job to keep us all safe...........

Whoever you are, that is what you left her with. Nice job.

 

[fnfalman]

Shore diving is a mother*&^%$, pardon my French. I got wiped out by the surf and almost tore my ACL off, got turtled and couldn't get up, thought that I was going to drown. Almost made me give up diving right then and there too.

Ask the shop to have you do checkout dives from a boat.

well i finally went out to the ocean and it didnt go well. I went down and then my ears just hurt so bad i had to go up. i couldnt equalize. and then going back to shore sucked so bad. i had never been so scared in my life. my instructor yelling at me certainly didnt help at all but i know its his job to keep us all safe.

next day i went to the ocean to see the next dive location. i looked out to the ocean and just felt scared so i went to the shop and turned in my gear. i didnt feel comfortable at all going out there again.

im still debating whether or not to give it another shot. maybe if the conditions that day werent so bad i wouldnt have turned in my gear and i would have kept going. and i really do think having an instructor who is patient would have helped me out alot.

maybe i can give it another shot in a couple years..

i have so much respect for every diver in the world and for the ocean.. the ocean dont play games with no one.

 

[lowviz]

Shore diving is a mother*&^%$, pardon my French. I got wiped out by the surf and almost tore my ACL off, got turtled and couldn't get up, thought that I was going to drown. Almost made me give up diving right then and there too.

Ask the shop to have you do checkout dives from a boat.

Did you miss this part:

.........i really do think having an instructor who is patient would have helped me out alot.............

 

[g1138]

Your instructor should not be yelling at you unless you do something completely stupid, like dragging him up to the surface from 40ft. From what I've been reading from your posts, he doesn't sound very patient.

Don't be so hard on yourself. The water may be warmer right now for some reason, but the conditions are pretty dicey. 3-5 ft swells and 2ft waves, I'm not going to be happy diver this weekend.
If you really want to do this give it another chance, but with a different instructor. The ocean conditions can change day by day. And right now they're not so great.

Don't feel pressured to descend at a fast pace. You should take your time so you can clear your ears properly, unless it's unsafe to be in midwater. Even then though, clear early and often.

Feel free to talk to us about what you're scared of and then maybe we can knock some sense into you

 

[Bubble_Boy]

Sorry you had a bad experience

Have you done pool dives? How did you perform there? The first requirement is to be comfortable in water...

Diving should always be fun, if it's not then don't do it... That being said, if you think the instructor didn't help then try again with different one...

 

[fnfalman]

Did you miss this part:

No, I didn't miss that part. My instructor was a great guy and that shore dive almost turned me off scuba. Breaking past the surf ain't easy for a novice.