Brand new looking for reassurance

[saltydog7seas]

I've been wanting to get certified for years now and I finally had my first open water class last night with NAUI. We did the swim test and it was rough I was barely able to do the underwater 60' swim. I'm not out of shape and I can swim, just not that great. Please tell me that that was the hardest physical part of the class. Also I've heard some things people had to do that get me nervous. I know I'll have to clear my mask and put gear on underwater. Can anyone tell me what else to expect?

 

[SlowRain]

I am not familiar enough with the NAUI program and standards to speak to what awaits you, however being candid it appears you do have some apprehensions. Perfectly normal to have those, however it might be that if you focus on relaxing, perhaps breathing exercises or something along those lines you might find it easier to accomplish the skills. You will be doing a number of things that really aren't normal for humans to do, like putting on 75+ pounds of weight and then jumping into the water. Again...it is perfectly normal to have some nerves around this, and it will just take some time and practice to negate the apprehensions.

You did cite you felt you were a bit of a weak swimmer. You might want to spend some time working on that if for no other reason than to strengthen that skill set. Good luck...I am sure you will do fine...relax and enjoy the learning. Your instructor should be able to give you some things to focus and work on as you go through the course.

 

[battles2a5]

I did NAUI OW. The swim test will be the hardest physical part of the training. The drills and skills can be tougher mentally, but nothing that is unmanageable. The underwater equipment doff/don is a great confidence booster once you do it, but it be a bit initimidating for a new diver. It is perfectly natural to be nervous coming into training. But just think of the rewards! By the time you are done w/ training all of the things you are nervous about now will be second nature.

Good luck!

 

[don Francisco]

There are two types of challenges in certification classes. Physical & mental. You've cleared one physical hurdle, the other is simply carrying heavy scuba equipment & maneuvering on land with it on your back. In the water the equipment is basically weightless.

The next challenges will be mental. You have to believe things will work the way they are supposed to, or else you'll psych yourself out of being able to complete the various skills. Every new diver I know had a different toughest skill. For some it was clearing the mask, for others simply breathing off a regulator, the free flow drill, the mask removal, etc.

Remember that as a result of thousands of years of evolution, we humans are programmed to believe that the first priority when submerged is getting to the surface. In order to overcome the fear of drowning you have to accept that technology will work as advertized. It's like flying. If you believe that planes are well built, serviced & piloted, flying is a joy (not counting crowded seats, & crying babies), on the other hand if you're a worrier, it's always a rough flight.

Enjoy your classes, listen to the methods taught for each drill, and where necessary suspend your disbelief, so that you can do them comfortably. If you find any particular skill difficult, speak up and ask for some personal attention. With a little patience on your & and your instructor's part the rest of your course will be a breeze.

On a personal note, I'm an extremely slow & inefficient swimmer whose swimming skill is best described as "probably won't drown in the first five minutes". The only reason I passed the swimming test is that everyone else was already out of the water when I was about a quarter of the way through, and the instructor got tired of waiting & passed me.

 

[ClayJar]

The swims are the most physical part of your class. Other than that, getting back on a boat tends to require the most exertion. Actually *diving*, on the other hand, is tremendously relaxing (at least once you get the hang of it). The only reason I can think of for swimming hard on a dive is spearfishing.

The place most people seem to have issues is with mask clearing and ears. Having water in your mask is inevitable, and while it's not likely to be the most comfortable thing that you've ever done, as long as you don't freak out, you'll do fine. (If you can stick your head in a sink of cool water and breathe through your snorkel without a mask on your face, you're set.)

As for ears, I (and many others here) *highly* recommend spending an hour online watching "The Diver's Ear - Under Pressure". It's quite informative, and it may be rather useful. (I certainly learned from it.)

 

[TSandM]

I just passed a very rigorous cave diving class, and one of the hardest parts of the class for me was . . . the 60 foot underwater swim! You're not at all alone in finding that difficult. There are whole THREADS on how to pass the underwater swim part of GUE classes on another board.

As far as the rest of the class goes, I did a PADI course, but you might get a chuckle (and some reassurance) out of reading the journal I wrote of the class, which is linked to in my sig line. You'll finish it knowing that if I could pass OW, just about anybody can!

 

[SPG3K]

I just recently finished my PADI OW Confined Dives - and I will tell you that I too was very scared about removing my mask underwater. Before I went to the classes I even asked if I bought a purge valve mask, would I still be expected to remove it underwater. Of course, they said yes.

To be completely honest with you, it's now like second nature, and turned out to be the most useful skill I've learned, instead of the horrific experience I thought it would be. Even when snorkeling or free diving now I frequently remove my mask of flood it to de-fog it when it gets bad underwater. It takes about 3 seconds and is extremely easy. There is no way to get it across to you until you try it - but I can promise you it's not nearly as bad as your mind is making it out to be.

As far as removing the equipment underwater, it was pretty easy, also, to be honest. Not much finesse required, just a little balance so you don't drop the scuba unit once it's off your shoulders.

The hardest parts of the class - as far as I was concerned, was the fin-pivot neutral buoyancy excercises (my buoyancy is not so great yet), and the OOA.

When I felt the instructor turning my tank valve off I hit a brief moment of panic before I got a hold of myself, and I was in 8 feet of water. But even then, I took the last half of breath or so, gave all the appropriate signals, and surpisingly, I did not end up panicking at all, just calmly asked for share-air and waited for my air to come back on after giving the OOA signal.

All of the big things that people told me were super hard ended up to be actually a lot of fun. I was super worried about breathing from the free-flowing regulator also, but that was one of the best experiences, as the Instructor I had was very fun to work with.

 

[perdidochas]

I've been wanting to get certified for years now and I finally had my first open water class last night with NAUI. We did the swim test and it was rough I was barely able to do the underwater 60' swim. I'm not out of shape and I can swim, just not that great. Please tell me that that was the hardest physical part of the class. Also I've heard some things people had to do that get me nervous. I know I'll have to clear my mask and put gear on underwater. Can anyone tell me what else to expect?

If you've done the surface swim as well, then you've completed the hardest part.

 

[ruready7]

I did the PADI version. There were some skills I was nervious about but when I actually started doing them, the nerveous feeling went away. (Same thing happens when I speak if front of a group...lol). It is ok to be nervous it is something new. You will do great and have your cert in no time. Good luck!!

 

[Doc]

You'll be fine. Look right here at this group of idjits and klunkers (of which I proudly am a member).

Somehow we all muddled through. The Certification is easy, it's that thing about being left adrift overnight in Shark infested Australian waters dealie that will get you all goofed up.

Think- warm water, pretty fish... and since you have shown that you can swim~ all you gotta do now is sink!

Happy bubbles.