King_Neptune
Founder
Food for the Brain,
Having DiveMastered MANY classes, I will tell you what I do to settle and sometimes even make a nervous diver completely forget about claustrophobic fears. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've heard people say they "Aren't so sure how they will do because they are claustrophobic" before they made that first ocean dive and afterwards, when asked, they look shocked and outwardly realize that they never even though about being claustrophobic.
One of the biggest reasons a person will say they "can't dive because they are claustrophobic" is because they have convinced them self they are going to feel claustrophobic while diving. (Often times this is not wholly self induced either, they could have had help from someone less experienced and most of the time from someone completely ignorant.) With all that dive gear and neoprene on (assuming it is properly fitted) those fears can start to worsen, but once in the water and proper buoyancy is achieved the gear starts to loosen up and not feel so restrictive. The NEW feeling of weightlessness and pure freedom of movement is usually much stronger than the fears they had just minutes ago about being claustrophobic.
Especially that very first experience of weightlessness can be a very strong, and even a fearful experience its self if not prepared for.
The Number 1 Cure for fears of being claustrophobic when diving is best administered before they even jump in the gear for that dive, and if possible, before they even get in that pool for the first lesson.
A good Instructor should always seek out, ask, discuss, calm and confront those fears before they become a reality.
Regardless of whether or not the Instructor did that job during the first steps of training, a good DiveMaster will take advantage of a unique opportunity to help that sometimes the Instructor cannot afford. Many times people will not address such fears to the Instructor for fear of looking "weak", "wimpy" or "incompetent". But people usually feel more free about asking the DiveMaster such questions. And even if their isn't a DiveMaster, you yourself, or other Experienced divers (even if that experience is only a couple of dives) can make that diving experience MUCH more enjoyable for others by simply bringing it up on your own and explaining to the "newbies" how you felt FREE underwater and explain to them that remaining calm and thinking about the "steps" they are working on and not thinking about the "Dark Realm" closing in on them can help.
In a case like this knowledge really is power. Everyone, at one point or another, thinks about being claustrophobic in one way or another, but most overcome even the slightest doubt the second they were floating effortlessly and weightlessly at 30 feet while gaining their bearing even if the vis was only 2 feet. It's a whole new world down there and if people knew that "other people just like them" thought the same things they are thinking at some point in time and then found that it wasn't horrible at all and actually rather pleasing, they would go into the situation with a more positive outlook. They would be anticipating the "euphoric" feelings you were just explaining and not some Deep, Evil, Dark and claustrophobic Ocean Monster they have worried about.
Someone that is truly claustrophobic can be very scared and some kind and reassuring words from even a newly open water certified diver can mean the difference between them enjoying SCUBA for the rest of their life or hating it and never getting in the water again. The TOP 2 fears I hear from non-divers and "about to get certified divers" are:
1) claustrophobia
2) SHARKS!
Both of these fears can usually be easily overcome with a little bit of knowledge from someone that has "been there, done that" or someone that has a little more knowledge than what they learned from watching JAWS. Fear is natural and can be a healthy emotion but with little place or use for divers. "Respect" would be a better quality for a diver to practice, both for the world surrounding them and for their fellow diver.
=-)
Having DiveMastered MANY classes, I will tell you what I do to settle and sometimes even make a nervous diver completely forget about claustrophobic fears. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've heard people say they "Aren't so sure how they will do because they are claustrophobic" before they made that first ocean dive and afterwards, when asked, they look shocked and outwardly realize that they never even though about being claustrophobic.
One of the biggest reasons a person will say they "can't dive because they are claustrophobic" is because they have convinced them self they are going to feel claustrophobic while diving. (Often times this is not wholly self induced either, they could have had help from someone less experienced and most of the time from someone completely ignorant.) With all that dive gear and neoprene on (assuming it is properly fitted) those fears can start to worsen, but once in the water and proper buoyancy is achieved the gear starts to loosen up and not feel so restrictive. The NEW feeling of weightlessness and pure freedom of movement is usually much stronger than the fears they had just minutes ago about being claustrophobic.
Especially that very first experience of weightlessness can be a very strong, and even a fearful experience its self if not prepared for.
The Number 1 Cure for fears of being claustrophobic when diving is best administered before they even jump in the gear for that dive, and if possible, before they even get in that pool for the first lesson.
A good Instructor should always seek out, ask, discuss, calm and confront those fears before they become a reality.
Regardless of whether or not the Instructor did that job during the first steps of training, a good DiveMaster will take advantage of a unique opportunity to help that sometimes the Instructor cannot afford. Many times people will not address such fears to the Instructor for fear of looking "weak", "wimpy" or "incompetent". But people usually feel more free about asking the DiveMaster such questions. And even if their isn't a DiveMaster, you yourself, or other Experienced divers (even if that experience is only a couple of dives) can make that diving experience MUCH more enjoyable for others by simply bringing it up on your own and explaining to the "newbies" how you felt FREE underwater and explain to them that remaining calm and thinking about the "steps" they are working on and not thinking about the "Dark Realm" closing in on them can help.
In a case like this knowledge really is power. Everyone, at one point or another, thinks about being claustrophobic in one way or another, but most overcome even the slightest doubt the second they were floating effortlessly and weightlessly at 30 feet while gaining their bearing even if the vis was only 2 feet. It's a whole new world down there and if people knew that "other people just like them" thought the same things they are thinking at some point in time and then found that it wasn't horrible at all and actually rather pleasing, they would go into the situation with a more positive outlook. They would be anticipating the "euphoric" feelings you were just explaining and not some Deep, Evil, Dark and claustrophobic Ocean Monster they have worried about.
Someone that is truly claustrophobic can be very scared and some kind and reassuring words from even a newly open water certified diver can mean the difference between them enjoying SCUBA for the rest of their life or hating it and never getting in the water again. The TOP 2 fears I hear from non-divers and "about to get certified divers" are:
1) claustrophobia
2) SHARKS!
Both of these fears can usually be easily overcome with a little bit of knowledge from someone that has "been there, done that" or someone that has a little more knowledge than what they learned from watching JAWS. Fear is natural and can be a healthy emotion but with little place or use for divers. "Respect" would be a better quality for a diver to practice, both for the world surrounding them and for their fellow diver.
=-)
