Failed Open Water Cert Dive - Panicked and Bolted for the Surface - Confidence gone!

[CaliDenna]

You did not fail your open water dive, you just haven't completed it yet! If you search my older posts you'll see my rocky but successful path to being certified. Lots of issues but when I met my instructor and told him my whole story he said if I wanted to dive that badly he could teach me.

It's a lot about finding the right instructor because you need to have a very strong foundation of trust in this person because he or she are going to teach you how to love the underwater world and stay safe and alive while doing it! His philosophy is that no one fails. Some may realize diving isn't for them but others may just need more training time. People learn at all different paces but unfortunately group dive classes are structured within the same time frame for all.

I wound up going through a second session but in that time I think I became a much more confident diver which has allowed me to progress to a Divemaster. I especially like helping with the less confident beginner divers because I can so relate to how they are feeling. I also talk about my experiences and when they hear that and see how comfortable I am in the water you can visibly see some of there stress melt away.

One of the best things to keep in your mind when panicking is from Rescue diving. Stop, breath, think and then act. It works! Sometimes you literally have to shout it in your head to STOP but that is enough to break the panic cycle. Think through possible scenarios that you will be in and walk through in your head over and over how you will deal with it.

I hate hoods with a passion! I feel like they are choking me off. I switched to a beanie for awhile but it slipped around and made my mask flood too much. So I would just dive without and found that I did not get cold or suffer ice cream headache. (I was diving in a 7 mm)

Get in a pool with your wetsuit, hood, mask and snorkel and swim around getting used to all the neoprene around you. See if an instructor can do some extra time with you in a pool with all the gear on. Or come to Florida and we'll help you out

 

[lowviz]

...//... It's a lot about finding the right instructor ...//...

.........

 

[CanadaScubaRN]

Don't give up. I too, had similar circumstances.... And posted my issues on this forum... Got lots of support.... Ended up doing my OW in Kauai....no hood, lighter wetsuit! Had an excellent dive master, who was very patient.... And this girl did it ! U can too!

 

[Lorenzoid]

I managed to make it through Open Water class in a 7 mm suit, but I endured it only because I knew I'd be diving tropical soon enough. Cold, murky water and a suit that makes one feel like the Michelin Man is no way to promote this hobby, except to masochists. Take a vacation with your husband to somewhere tropical and do your OW course there, and you will be amazed at how fun and easy it can be.

And to those who say that if the OP is planning to dive locally, she'd be better off doing her OW course locally, I say you are right. But starting out tropical sure is fun and easy.

 

[t4e]

Wow. Now you can see why I harp on finding a good instructor before parting with your money.

It's a lot about finding the right instructor

please enlighten me...how is one supposed to go about that without paying for the course and going to classes?

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I was the only female student, most were young, athletic men and I was very intimidated by that.

Why? The only really relevant person on any dive is yourself (and your dive buddy, if you have one). Focus on the task at hand, fix or learn to work around anything that's not comfortable, and just do what you've been trained to do; stop thinking about every distraction your mind skips to for whatever reasons you may have to be unfocused.

The most likely thing to get you hurt or dead underwater is panic. If you can control yourself, you'll be fine no matter what else is going on/who else is there that you find less than ideal. But if, after trying again and working at it as best you can, you can't control yourself when things aren't just as you like them to be, diving is probably not for you.

I got in the water and while trying to get my balance, one of the instructors yells from shore (the wife that I already don't care for) "don't go too far out, you'll get caught in the current", then some of the instructors start joking about having to rescue us before we even start our first activity. I think that is what sealed my fate for the day.

No, what sealed your fate for the day was letting irrelevant, external annoyances get in the way of you executing what you were trained to do, geared up to do, and putting yourself at risk to go do. I'm all for finding a good instructor, but letting someone's yelling and joking get to you that much is more your fault than theirs. Lock it down and get on with the program.

Finally, if your husband's a rescue diver, he's more than capable of renting gear for you both, taking you into appropriate OW, helping you get comfortable, and protecting you from yourself if things go sideways. Whether he thinks that's a prudent approach is up to him, but it seems like it couldn't hurt more than your other options.

 

[lowviz]

...//... how is one supposed to go about that without paying for the course and going to classes?

Great question. Here goes;

FIRST there is no rush. Second, there is no rush. Third, you get it...


Until you talk to enough people, don't put any money down. The dive industry feeds on impulse buying.

Who do you talk to? Local dive clubs. They LOVE new members, divers and non-divers alike. Pay the cheap dues and go to the meetings, watch the flics, enjoy the food and people. Me, KDA: Keystone Divers | Dudas Diving Duds

Find people that dive the way you think would be fun. I support three dive shops, (Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey) no secret. Be honest about your abilities and ask anyone you meet for recommendations as to who would be best for you. Sooner or later someone says: I know this gal, she isn't with the club but... -and you follow up on the lead...

 

[t4e]

Great question. Here goes;

FIRST there is no rush. Second, there is no rush. Third, you get it...


Until you talk to enough people, don't put any money down. The dive industry feeds on impulse buying.

Who do you talk to? Local dive clubs. They LOVE new members, divers and non-divers alike. Pay the cheap dues and go to the meetings, watch the flics, enjoy the food and people. Me, KDA: Keystone Divers | Dudas Diving Duds

Find people that dive the way you think would be fun. I support three dive shops, (Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey) no secret. Be honest about your abilities and ask anyone you meet for recommendations as to who would be best for you. Sooner or later someone says: I know this gal, she isn't with the club but... -and you follow up on the lead...

hmmm yes, word of mouth is the best but what is your guarantee that what John Doe likes is the same as what Jane Doe likes?
also there are places where there are no dive clubs and not so readily available access to all the "resources" you listed...at least where i live there are no dive clubs and i am not about to drive over 100 kms to the nearest one
sounds like you have a lot more free time in your hands than the average person, more so someone with kids

people go with what is available to them and convenient

 

[lowviz]

...//...people go with what is available to them and convenient

Well stated.

 

[t4e]

Well stated.

FWIW pretty much any consumer industry relies on impulse buying, the difference is that you can get your money back for pretty much anything you buy, even a car...not so easy for services