Very nervous about "deep" dives

[DCBC]

First: please remember that depth is all relative to a new diver

My wife and I have each been active snorkelers for our entire lives. While on vacation in Aruba this past summer, I decided to take the next step and I took a resort course. The dive was simple and we basically sat down at 30 feet for about 20 minutes and then went back up. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I want both of us to get certified before our next tropical vacation.

What my wife and I really want to get out of this is simply the ability to do very shallow dives (15'-30') that will allow us to see more of the reef than we would at the surface. Neither of us has much interest in diving to deeper wrecks, wall dives, etc. As I read more about PADI certification, it appears that the instructor can take you down to 60 feet and have you perform all the skills at that depth. I'm a little nervous about doing skills at that depth (hey, it's all relative), as I'm afraid that I'll panic and do something stupid. I was perfectly calm during my resort course, but I had stayed within reasonable distance of the surface, which provided a (possibly silly) peace of mind. I'm very aware that some of the biggest risks are from 0-30' depth, but I'm more concerned that I will panic when I get too far from the surface.

Do you think scuba is for me?

First, welcome to SB. I'm sure that you will find many opinions that will be contradictory from time to time, but after you wade through them, you will likely have enough information to make-up your mind on most issues.

The "deep water" check-out makes many people nervous. If you remember that there's nothing that can happen here than at 30', it puts things into perspective. Your buddy and Instructor are right there and you should be up to the experience or the Instructor shouldn't put you in the situation to begin with. You may be a bit jittery, but that can be expected.

After you're certified, you can dive how you like. You can still keep it shallow, as many divers do. Over time you will develop a higher degree of comfort and will eventually be an old hand.

Good luck with your adventure!

Wayne

 

[Scott L]

I think for the first 3 years of my diving life I didn't go deeper than 30 feet. When I did finally start going deeper I discovered that there was nothing to it, but the important thing was I was diving at a level I was (and my Dad was) comfortable with.

Assuming you grew up in BVI's at what age was that 8.

 

[MDJ1016]

Hi “Unknown” (Sorry didn’t see a name posted…)

I don’t want to discourage anyone from the sport but if you are hesitant proceed with caution. Of course if you are afraid of water scuba diving isn’t your thing. However if you have some uncertainty about it make sure that you find a good instructor, and let them know ahead of time of your concerns. My instructor was younger, and didn’t have twenty years of experience but overall she kept a good head on her shoulders and identified those who had a similar concern.

I am not sure about PADI, but when I did my SSI open water skills test we were in about 25’ of water. I have talked to others that are SSI certified and that depth seems to be about the average. I am not instructor but any instructor that takes a student to 60’ to do these skills (BC on/off, weight belt on/off, mask clearing, air share, etc.) I think is foolish. Shooting to the surface can cause expansion injury at any depth, but less of a chance at 20’ then 60’.

If you happen to be in Michigan I can recommend a few great instructors. However if you are not go into your local dive shop and talk to them about your concerns. Any good instructor who is concerned about the student, not the revenue will take the time to ensure you are comfortable. If all else fails, and economics permit, ask about a private class. In doing so the instructor will be centered on you, and should be able to help more as required.

 

[lowviz]

..........What my wife and I really want to get out of this is simply the ability to do very shallow dives (15'-30') that will allow us to see more of the reef than we would at the surface. .............

Great plan, stick to it. Keep up your snorkling/skin diving skills. (By the way, I'd call 30' moderate, not shallow.) It took me a while to realize why my first instructor had me snorkel diving my a** off in a scuba class on South Padre Island: As you begin to lose your feeling of dependence on your scuba gear, you will really relax and start to see what is going on down there. Tell your instructor you have no intention of ever going deeper than 1 atmosphere, 33 feet. If your instructor offers reasons to go deeper, remember that they aren't your reasons -stick to your guns.

Stay safe.

 

[Teamcasa]

... as I'm afraid that I'll panic and do something stupid.
..I'm more concerned that I will panic when I get too far from the surface.

Do you think scuba is for me?

No one can predict how they will react to breathing air from a tank underwater. That said, panic is a big issue and the surface may/should not be your salvation.

As for panic, practice and a good, patient instructor will go a long way in mitigating the panic response. Take your time. Listen and don't push the depth limits as all the really cool stuff is in shallower waters anyway.

Like I said, the surface should not be considered as the first place to go for panic resolution. That's why we dive in pairs or teams. Bolting to the surface may seem like a good plan when that sense of dread moves in but you need to start thinking differently as a diver.

Please check back in and let us know how you did.

 

[Misa]

First: please remember that depth is all relative to a new diver

My wife and I have each been active snorkelers for our entire lives. While on vacation in Aruba this past summer, I decided to take the next step and I took a resort course. The dive was simple and we basically sat down at 30 feet for about 20 minutes and then went back up. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I want both of us to get certified before our next tropical vacation.

What my wife and I really want to get out of this is simply the ability to do very shallow dives (15'-30') that will allow us to see more of the reef than we would at the surface. Neither of us has much interest in diving to deeper wrecks, wall dives, etc. As I read more about PADI certification, it appears that the instructor can take you down to 60 feet and have you perform all the skills at that depth. I'm a little nervous about doing skills at that depth (hey, it's all relative), as I'm afraid that I'll panic and do something stupid. I was perfectly calm during my resort course, but I had stayed within reasonable distance of the surface, which provided a (possibly silly) peace of mind. I'm very aware that some of the biggest risks are from 0-30' depth, but I'm more concerned that I will panic when I get too far from the surface.

Do you think scuba is for me?

scuba is for people who are not afraid of the water. if you are afraid of the water for sure you dont belong deep down there. find a good instructor and do the Open Water Course. You have to gain confort with scuba equipment in the water before you go above 30m/60feet. Ask the trainer to take you to 20meters on the last dive so you`ll see there`s nothing wrong at 60feet/20m.

Talk with your trainer about your feelings, about what do you think about depths, gear, etc and he will help you. Just focus on the training and enjoy this beautiful recreational sport, scuba diving.

Welcome to our peaceful world,
Misa.

 

[Web Monkey]

What my wife and I really want to get out of this is simply the ability to do very shallow dives (15'-30') that will allow us to see more of the reef than we would at the surface. Neither of us has much interest in diving to deeper wrecks, wall dives, etc. As I read more about PADI certification, it appears that the instructor can take you down to 60 feet and have you perform all the skills at that depth. I'm a little nervous about doing skills at that depth (hey, it's all relative), as I'm afraid that I'll panic and do something stupid. I was perfectly calm during my resort course, but I had stayed within reasonable distance of the surface, which provided a (possibly silly) peace of mind.

Tell your instructor that you don't want to do your OW dives any deeper than necessary and ask how deep you'll be going.

The 60' limit for OW checkout dives you heard about is there to prevent nut-job instructors from taking students where they shouldn't go. However this is a limit, not a requirement. There is a minimum depth for your OW dives, which for the agencies I'm aware of is 15', which makes it about the same as most pools.

And once you're certified, you never have to go any deeper than you feel like. If you want to hang out in 8' of water on the house reef @ Buddy dive on Bonaire watching the fish, there's absolutely no reason you can't.

In fact, as you'll learn in class, staying shallower means your tank will last longer and you'll have more "bottom time" (no-deco time) available. There's never any reason to go anywhere you don't feel happy and comfortable.

Terry

 

[Papa_Bear]

First: please remember that depth is all relative to a new diver

My wife and I have each been active snorkelers for our entire lives. While on vacation in Aruba this past summer, I decided to take the next step and I took a resort course. The dive was simple and we basically sat down at 30 feet for about 20 minutes and then went back up. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I want both of us to get certified before our next tropical vacation.

What my wife and I really want to get out of this is simply the ability to do very shallow dives (15'-30') that will allow us to see more of the reef than we would at the surface. Neither of us has much interest in diving to deeper wrecks, wall dives, etc. As I read more about PADI certification, it appears that the instructor can take you down to 60 feet and have you perform all the skills at that depth. I'm a little nervous about doing skills at that depth (hey, it's all relative), as I'm afraid that I'll panic and do something stupid. I was perfectly calm during my resort course, but I had stayed within reasonable distance of the surface, which provided a (possibly silly) peace of mind. I'm very aware that some of the biggest risks are from 0-30' depth, but I'm more concerned that I will panic when I get too far from the surface.

Do you think scuba is for me?

This is nothing anyone here can answer except YOU! You know yourself better than anyone here or even a relative! Ask yourself are you a fight or flight person? How do YOU handle stress? How comfortable are you at 20ft snorkeling? If your wife needed you and you were scared what would you do? Self sole searching will help you a lot! Then make sure you face the fears with logic and training! There is something you can do at 60ft for every emergency, but you need to learn what they are and when to use each option! You can "Blow and Go" from 60ft without any adverse reaction or problem 99.8% of the time! If you have good water skills it helps being comfortable and knowing you can hold your breath for a minute or more to take the time to stop and workout a potential problem before it becomes a bigger monster! We have back up and redundancy in SCUBA for safety and it is a safe low impact activity that almost anyone can do! It is not rocket science, so relax and go have a great time and see all the wonders you can't with a Snorkel and behold the miracle that allows air breathing mammals to swim with the fishes!

 

[diver84]

Wow, thank you everyone for the responses, and thanks to everyone who sent me a PM. To provide a little more information, my wife and I are both in New England and we were planning on doing the confined water sessions up here over the next couple of months. After completing that portion, we are going on vacation to the USVI, so we thought it would be great to do our open water dives down there. My wife has no desire to do cold water diving, so I'm not sure we would really get into the sport beyond vacation diving.

As for my comfort level - I can sit at the bottom of a pool all day long. I don't have any problems breathing through my mouth, and clearing my mask in a pool was a breeze. I guess I just got worried that I was going to dump a thousand dollars into equipment (we have always rented masks and fins on vacation due to packing restraints) and the confined water part of the class, only to find that I had to perform these skills at an uncomfortable depth in the USVI and I would not be certified for shallow waters.

Again, thanks everyone for your input. I will be signing up for the confined water portion of the class soon.

 

[JohnQPS122]

Diver84, first of all there's no need to spend thousands of dollars on equipment anytime soon. My wife and I only own our own masks, fins, snorkels, gloves, boots, and cameras. We rent the rest.

But as for panicking at depth, A) you'll get comfortable in shallow water first, so you're less likely to panic anywhere, and B) it's not the distance to the surface that matters most, it's the distance to your buddy. Even when you are 60 or 100 feet vertically from the surface, air and assistance should always be only be a few feet away horizontally.

Have fun!