Terror in the water

[ScubaFreak]

Wayward son's idea snorkelling around is a great idea! Will definitly help you get used to breathing while your face is submerged.
I can't add much extra to what everyone else said really, only I do believe that the anxiety you felt was a result of

1) A distinct lack of support/concern from the person you should get the most help and concern from...ie YOUR INSTRUCTOR! Changing instructors would not be the worst thing in the world to do. Regardless of his diving experience, if he's only an instructor at the most a year...(you gotta be 18 to turn pro). And remember, although he may be a great diver, he may not be the best teacher!

2) Learning to dive with equipment you don't feel safe using is never gonna re-enforce a positive experience. I agree after dropping $1700 on gear, to buy more would be tough, but remember, good scuba equipment will last a long long time provided you care for it correctly!!

All in all I think you were just a tad unlucky, but you definitly sound like you love the thoughts of diving!
So keep going and ask lots of questions...because remember, the only silly question...is the one that isn't asked!

Take care,

Dave

 

[spectrum]

Wayward son's idea snorkelling around is a great idea!

ABSOLUTELY! I was shocked to see that I didn't say that in my prior post. Skin-Diving is the first step whether they want to take the time to teach it on not.

Pete

 

[Mr. Brown/Scuba]

ABSOLUTELY! I was shocked to see that I didn't say that in my prior post. Skin-Diving is the first step whether they want to take the time to teach it on not.

Pete

these last post are great to read... listin to divers like this and you will be alright.

 

[sandjeep]

I wonder if some time in the pool with a snorkel might help you? Just swim around the top snorkeling, get used to breathing while your face is UW?

I agree, work your way up to doing snorkel laps. They don't need to be fast, just steady and slow is fine. After some time, your body and mind will consider it natural.

 

[TheDivingBear]

what doc said

and just one thought:

it's your diving experience, your diving eductation, and ultimately, your life

take charge of it. don't let anyone push you into situations you don't feel
comfortable with

any diver can end any dive for any reason or no reason at all

Just started reading this thread. First, welcome to the board, and I agree with Andy and Doc.

I too am a new diver who felt anxious ("if man were meant to breath under water..." type of thing). However, the DI's I had and the LDS owner helped me out. I got thorugh the confined dives without a problem. It was the open water dives that got me. The first time, I could not equalize my ears. This was due to feeling rushed, pressured to get down to the rest of the group in a hurry. It was painful (to my ears) so I called the dive (my wife continued through the next day and got her C-Card. The second OW session, I had an a panic attack (something I've not had in 20 years) and this was before I got to the OW site. I was SO anxious that I decided it was not a good day (the LDS owner suggested that I should have skin dived/norkeled, but by that time, it was too late). My wofe and I were going on a vacation where the diving was supposed to be excellent and I wanted to dive with her. I did a little self examination/reflection and did not feel the anxiety as bad, so I called the LDS and asked for a private session (which I piad for). We went to the OW site and my anxiety returned (not nearly as bad, but it was there). The instructor was patient and I found that once in the water, the anxiety had almost washed completely away. Two days and four dives later, I was certified. It was such a good feeling. The DI said that he watched me as I did the skills during the "tour" swim that he had to later test me on. He siad I did the skills with little effort or thought, yet when it was time to demonstrate them, I tensed up some (like every other student does).

My wife and I got to do our first certified OW dive in Cozumel on Paradise Reef. The viz on my certifiaction dives back home was was a good 15 ft (yeah, right, maybe 10, but the DI claims 15, so I believe him). The viz on our first ocean dive was 90 ft. WOW! I am here to tell you that anxiety is natural, but if this is something that you want to do, stop and think, get comfortable with your equipment (I wrote up our Cozumel experience on the forum, if you want to read it, rental equipment is, well, shakey at best sometimes), and get some pool time where you can just swim (or sit) without having to do your skills. You will find a few things out about your body and how it works (like I did not know I, as a mouth breather, inhaled through my mouth, yet exhaled through my nose), and you will find that some of the skills, like mask clearing, come naturally. My first pool session, I felt like I was breathing through a straw and there was nothing I could do about it. The LDS owner made sure I got an adjustable reg the next time. With a little tweak, I was comfortable.

Just remember, "When you face your fear, your fear will disappear". My professor said that in one of his classes, though I cannot remember who he attributed it to. I faced mine, and the rewards were well worth it. Good luck, and if you need some support, this is the right place to find it (thank you everybody).

Peace,

bear

 

[Willie]

I chickened out during the first pool session.
... I still get really nervous when I think about breating through a reg though. Their rental equipment all looks pretty old and ratty to me. Apparently it's not old, but ... If I buy a reg, octo, and gauges it will significantly add to that without any assurances that I will ever become comfortable with scuba.

I know this is all psycological. I really want to do this. Like I said, I love the water--and I am totally fascinated by aquatic life. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can relax and make this within my comfort zone, I'd greatly appreciate it. Even now I have that tight, nervous feeling in my chest. That can't be good!

Hi Bicster,

I also am a new diver and new to this board. I took my classes and got certified last month. Thanks for posting.

I have never had a panic attack in my life, but I tend to be very thorough about any training or preparation for anything. That is my style. I love the water but am not a very good swimmer -- no technique, not very strong. But I can keep myself afloat for a long time if need be and I wasnt the least bit nervous about taking scuba lessons. It was something I always thought I would enjoy, but I never knew anyone who did it, I have 5 children and was always busy with other things.

When my twin brother recently decided to take scuba lessons, he suggested I join him and I jumped at the chance.

After learning how to set up our gear and how it works, we suited up and climbed in the shallow end of the pool, about 3.5' of water. He had us take a few breaths on the reg and talked about the fact that we would have feelings we had never had before ....

We went down to our knees and started breathing. I had no problems with the regulator even though it certainly didnt feel natural. Without warning I began to feel panicky. I mean I wanted to bolt for the surface in three feet of water.

My flight training and experience taught me to think and not just react. I am thinking "there is no reason to panic" "you are breathing just fine" and the like. I kept telling myself I could do this, but never did the feeling of panic go away. It just gradually got stronger and stronger. It seemed like forever, probably :05, and we stood up to talk about it.

The instructor asked everyone how it felt. I told him about the panic feeling and that I just kept telling myself that I would get used to this. We went on with the lesson and I had the same feeling, but confidence in the regulator breathing allowed me to not let it get out of hand. It wasnt the breathing underwater that was bothering me, but something was.

During this session underwater I finally figured it out. I am used to breathing through my nose and my nose was covered with this silcone. And the pressure of the mask against my face was another factor. Once I learned I could breathe out through my nose and equalize the pressure in the mask that helped.

In the course of the training I learned to overcome the uneasiness over the mask/nose and enjoyed the class. I have made 9 dives at 3 different locations since the class and really have enjoyed it. I hardly think about the mask/nose now. I am getting used to the feeling.

Just thought I would share my experience. You have gotten good advice here. I will repeat a couple of things, but here are my suggestions.

1. I think I would have done better if I had taken time away from class to just come in and sit or swim in the pool using the gear. I wanted to do that, but it just didnt happen. Take your time. If the shop want let you do this, find one that will.

2. If you arent comfortable with the gear, get another set. I bought a used reg set from the LDS. It was the one that I used in class, only 1 year old. He did a thorough check of it for me. I couldnt afford a new reg, but got this and a used BCD for a very reasonable price. I, like you (and my wife), dont want to spend a lot of money on something until I have a bit more experience with it. I like the fact that I am using the same reg I used last time I dove and I know its history.

Sorry this has been such a long post. Looking forward to hearing 'the rest of the story'.

Willie

 

[bbdolphin]

hey,

they say everything is psychological.. and it is indeed. i think it was ten years ago that i really wanted to go diving. but i was told that i needed to learn how to swim first. well, since i was busy then. didnt even had the time for swimming lessons.
but early this year my friend and i decided to try diving. just the thought of looking at sea creatures in the depth fascinated me to really try harder to learn to dive. i still cannot swim and i have asthma. but im a certified diver now.
just think of the sharks, lionfishes, mandarin fishes, frogfishes, u cannot see during snorkeling.
these creatures are worth the dive every time.
goodluck.

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Hi Bicster. Welcome to Scubaboard and the world of diving. As you may have guessed, most of us here try to help each other through issues like yours.

First of all, I might suggest switching to a more mature, more experienced instructor. Eleven years of diving experience tells you that your current guy can make it back to the surface, but what does it say about his ability to teach. Sounds like we may have a bit of macho going on here, and there's no place for that in a dive class. For what it's worth, he should have changed your mouthpiece right away, then helped you catch up with the rest of the class. Doing a pool session for student divers with a piece of malfunctioning equipment is a big no-no. Part of what you learn in your Open Water class is how to use good judgment under water. Sounds like your instructor needs a refresher in that area.

As to the snorkeling suggestion, I support that 100%. Anything that lets you acclimate to the water and your gear will reduce your task loading on your subsequent dives. Add one thing at a time, become comfortable with it, then add the next component. Slow and easy works.

As to owning your own equipment, I'd suggest shopping around. There are lots of good deals in both LDSs and online. Do your homework, compare advice from different sources (including scubaboard, of course!), then make an informed purchasing decision. You don't have to spend a huge amount of money to buy high quality gear, and, conversely, spending your annual salary on dive gear is no guarantee of quality. Take your time, find gear that fits and functions properly, then hit the water again in your own time.

Good luck. We're rooting for you,
Grier

 

[gbeegle]

Hi Bicster,

I also am a new diver and new to this board. I took my classes and got certified last month. Thanks for posting.

I have never had a panic attack in my life, but I tend to be very thorough about any training or preparation for anything. That is my style. I love the water but am not a very good swimmer -- no technique, not very strong. But I can keep myself afloat for a long time if need be and I wasnt the least bit nervous about taking scuba lessons. It was something I always thought I would enjoy, but I never knew anyone who did it, I have 5 children and was always busy with other things.

When my twin brother recently decided to take scuba lessons, he suggested I join him and I jumped at the chance.

After learning how to set up our gear and how it works, we suited up and climbed in the shallow end of the pool, about 3.5' of water. He had us take a few breaths on the reg and talked about the fact that we would have feelings we had never had before ....

We went down to our knees and started breathing. I had no problems with the regulator even though it certainly didnt feel natural. Without warning I began to feel panicky. I mean I wanted to bolt for the surface in three feet of water.

My flight training and experience taught me to think and not just react. I am thinking "there is no reason to panic" "you are breathing just fine" and the like. I kept telling myself I could do this, but never did the feeling of panic go away. It just gradually got stronger and stronger. It seemed like forever, probably :05, and we stood up to talk about it.

The instructor asked everyone how it felt. I told him about the panic feeling and that I just kept telling myself that I would get used to this. We went on with the lesson and I had the same feeling, but confidence in the regulator breathing allowed me to not let it get out of hand. It wasnt the breathing underwater that was bothering me, but something was.

During this session underwater I finally figured it out. I am used to breathing through my nose and my nose was covered with this silcone. And the pressure of the mask against my face was another factor. Once I learned I could breathe out through my nose and equalize the pressure in the mask that helped.

In the course of the training I learned to overcome the uneasiness over the mask/nose and enjoyed the class. I have made 9 dives at 3 different locations since the class and really have enjoyed it. I hardly think about the mask/nose now. I am getting used to the feeling.

Just thought I would share my experience. You have gotten good advice here. I will repeat a couple of things, but here are my suggestions.

1. I think I would have done better if I had taken time away from class to just come in and sit or swim in the pool using the gear. I wanted to do that, but it just didnt happen. Take your time. If the shop want let you do this, find one that will.

2. If you arent comfortable with the gear, get another set. I bought a used reg set from the LDS. It was the one that I used in class, only 1 year old. He did a thorough check of it for me. I couldnt afford a new reg, but got this and a used BCD for a very reasonable price. I, like you (and my wife), dont want to spend a lot of money on something until I have a bit more experience with it. I like the fact that I am using the same reg I used last time I dove and I know its history.

Sorry this has been such a long post. Looking forward to hearing 'the rest of the story'.

Willie

Hello fellow divers,I too was recently certified and I can't tell you how much good advice you can get from experienced divers on these threads.Both my wife and I dive she is NAUI cert I am PADI cert,I am thinking the NAUI might have been a better way to go with the extended training and skills it may have helped me from being so nervous and given me more confidence in the water.against my wifes wishes I went the weekend warrior route,never the less I am OW cert.I guess it comforting knowing you are not alone in your nervousness and panic attacks,but taking the advice of fellow experienced divers we can learn this rule,my wife and I went to the Niagara river to do drift diving it sounded great and it was,neither one of us was familiar with the technique,we were briefed on the boat by the dive leader and headed for the spot to go in.A float is placed in the water with a long rope ,with buddy teams of 2 or 4 divers per rope,water depth around 40ft max,basicly dump your air ,find the bottom get nuetral and cruise with the current about 3 feet off the bottom,very cool,my wife was the last in the water,my bad ;she should have gone first... the last person has the end of the rope,she has a back inflater dive rite bc that gives her problems sometimes on the surface,as I waited for her I could see she was having difficulties,the slack from the rope was piling up and looked as if she was tangeled she couldn't seem to descend either,she waved me off and started back to the boat,I stayed on the surface till she was safely back to the boat,got the ok that she was fine and went down and joined the other 2 divers on the dive. point-any diver that isn't comfortable for any reason,panic attack,loose weight belt etc. just ditch the dive!!! it's not woth it,,after completing the dive and being scolded for not letting her in first(she was messing with her fins,and I was ready to go,that's my story),she explained what happened,she didn't have enough weight to descend and the rope wrapping around her was making nervous the current was pretty quick also,after talking with the dive leader during the surface interval we made the next dive,I went last of coarse!!she was fine ,felt much more comfortable,we went down,took off and had a blast on the rest of the dives,what I have learned from all the instructors and fellow scubaboard friends is diving should be fun no matter what wether you're in a pool,quarry,lake etc. As my wife taught me don't start out on a dive in a panic,take you time and be comfortable or abort and try it again the next time,there is always a dive team leader who stays back on boat watch and he or she will help you get it right on the next go round...thanks too all the experieced divers who give usefull advice,it's greatly appreciated !!!! extremely glad my wife got me into diving it's definitely something special.....keep on diving,everyone, greg

 

[hanamizu]

hiya. Just wanted to let you (all) know how helpful i've found my half hour in your forum. Thank you for having me, and hello! I realise this is an old thread, but perhaps you're still here...

Am new to diving - planning to take a course in a few weeks and get my very first dunk, but i realised there'd be some breathing issues. A swimming teacher basically nearly drowned me as a kid 20yrs ago (they had to fish me out with a hook and all that), and though i've taught myself to swim very well since, can go under and all that, i'm not totally happy about this idea of breathing with a nose full of water. I don't generally even swim with my head under. Your advice(s) about relaxing, choosing your own pace and so on are really great. Thank you for being here. I think i can sort it with practice, but i want to try things out before i have to do it with other people around. I can't handle being totally crap in front of a class of people, and i'm good at relaxing into problems if i can practise in private. Finding my zen, as i think one of you put it. I do a fair bit of yoga, and can control my breathing (a bit).

So i guess i've got a practical question you can help me with, if you don't mind - if i'm going to practice in the bath, how much difference does head angle make to all this? Cos gravity's quite important to that whole drowning thing, but having NO experience of this at all, i'm not sure how best to try. Lying on my back (which'd be the obvious thing for a simple tube snorkel) seems like a very bad idea, just intuitively. Water'll go right down my throat? MAybe i'm wrong. Which head angle/s am i best to try to get comfortable with it? How do you practice in teh bath, basically?

Thanks so much, guys (of both genders). Here's to the seas of Cornwall...