Almost given up.....

[STUEY2]

Thanks for everyone's support. I was trying to do my first open water dive and although I can swim, I am not a very strong swimmer. Maybe the feeling of going deep and not being able to surface quickly may have something to do with my fear. I think trying to do it again and going down gradually may help. Or maybe I shall try snorkelling (which I have never done before) to maybe get used to the feeling of being with fins on and being horizontal there in the water. Either way I feel determined at having another go if I can overcome this fear.Thanks,folks!

You are allready doing fine. You got through the pool and realised you need some help with the openwater phase.Well done!!!
The thing is some types of fear are built into us naturally and realising what they are is a hard thing to do until we are faced with them and the next step is to run.
There are two ways that we will try and get over fears enter "fight or flight". Fight will depend on you do you want to stay there and fight this fear? or do you want to run from it?

My sugestion is to find yourself an instructor who will work on this fear with you. Find an area in the ocean that is calm and no currents do a shore dive. Gradually ease your self into deeper water and "fight" that fear of wanting to "flight". If it all gets to much start again back at the shore or even in the pool. Spend as much time under water as you can in the pool if you really need to. After a while you will find that your confidence will grow then hit the open water again.

Good luck
stuey2

 

[rpodos]

hopeful,

A number of years ago I took a girlfriend to Antigua for her open water dives, and she had *exactly* the same problem. The DM had a great solution: we spent two days doing shore dives off of a regular beach with various swimmers around (comfort factor #1), not going past about 12-15 feet in bottom depth (comfort factor #2), right next to a pier (comfort factor #3)... that last part made a huge difference, in that having something vertical to see/touch/hold seemed to make her feel much more in control. Hopefully you have something like that available somewhere nearby on Malta.

 

[rpodos]

Oh, and as others have said: Take your time, take it easy, the ocean will still be there.

Good for you for calling off diving when you were uncomfortable!! Keep on doing that.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[PavoDive]

I really don't want to give up - but just feel like I have reached a big stumbling block.

Hopeful, you're doing fine! keep on track!
You'll see that with a bit of time, patience and effort you'll make a big cornerstone out of that "stumbling block".

This is just the beginning, and beginnings are always hard. But remember that the satisfaction is just pass the "block".

Cheers,
G.P.