Fear of the Unkown

[Linke Seitentasche]

I stopped solo night dives here due to that

Would you do it with a buddy instead?

Considerations still apply: Can you expect boat traffic at the site, what does the entry site look like, do you have an SMB, etc.

If the dive site is not secure, then call the dive. It's the most responsible action you can take.

 

[Wingy]

Boat traffic = zero. Yes I have an SMB but that is of no use at 3am when the closest humans are working in a grain terminal loading bulk freighters approx 1km away. Rules out noise makers whistles screaming shining torches for help. Entry (other than walking over the sand dune of death to get there) is benign straight off the shore walk in.

Why Night diving at 3am - insomnia. Chronic infuriating insomnia. Why solo? Most normal humans are in bed sleeping and don't appreciate me ringing them at midnight saying "Hey, what are you up to? Feel like going for a dive?"

Why the stopping diving solo there - geographically I'm in a shark "attack" hotspot. When I have some viz - the viz is usually pretty crappy here to begin with - I've been lucky enough to have two GWS cruise past and be in awe of their power and grace - however....

It's not actually our GWS that I'm conscious of, it's the fact the grain jetty has been the site of idiotic fishermen catching tiger sharks and hacking them to bits leaving their carcasses on the beach or under the jetty. What ever bumped me - could have been a sealion could have been a harmless port Jackson shark, could've been a tiger - hit hard enough to spin me around and drop my torch. By the time I recovered it whatever the bump came from was not visible when I did a light sweep (and admit got heart rate back to semi normal) I decided it was prudent to leave the water - call my own dive if you will.

Why do I worry more about Tigers than GWS? - late 1960s my fathers buddy was chomped in half by a tiger. I don't recall much of the incident (I was three) but I do know 50 years later he still seems uncomfortable talking about it. He didn't stop diving for another 20 years - I adjusted my night diving time to when there are usually other divers around and people on the beach.

I still dive there - sometimes solo when I know other divers will be around - or with a buddy who doesn't mind 8pm dives. I just don't like being "bumped".

 

[Schwob]

Boat traffic = zero. Yes I have an SMB but that is of no use at 3am when the closest humans are working in a grain terminal loading bulk freighters approx 1km away. Rules out noise makers whistles screaming shining torches for help. Entry (other than walking over the sand dune of death to get there) is benign straight off the shore walk in.

Why Night diving at 3am - insomnia. Chronic infuriating insomnia. Why solo? Most normal humans are in bed sleeping and don't appreciate me ringing them at midnight saying "Hey, what are you up to? Feel like going for a dive?"

Why the stopping diving solo there - geographically I'm in a shark "attack" hotspot. When I have some viz - the viz is usually pretty crappy here to begin with - I've been lucky enough to have two GWS cruise past and be in awe of their power and grace - however....

It's not actually our GWS that I'm conscious of, it's the fact the grain jetty has been the site of idiotic fishermen catching tiger sharks and hacking them to bits leaving their carcasses on the beach or under the jetty. What ever bumped me - could have been a sealion could have been a harmless port Jackson shark, could've been a tiger - hit hard enough to spin me around and drop my torch. By the time I recovered it whatever the bump came from was not visible when I did a light sweep (and admit got heart rate back to semi normal) I decided it was prudent to leave the water - call my own dive if you will.

Why do I worry more about Tigers than GWS? - late 1960s my fathers buddy was chomped in half by a tiger. I don't recall much of the incident (I was three) but I do know 50 years later he still seems uncomfortable talking about it. He didn't stop diving for another 20 years - I adjusted my night diving time to when there are usually other divers around and people on the beach.

I still dive there - sometimes solo when I know other divers will be around - or with a buddy who doesn't mind 8pm dives. I just don't like being "bumped".

Sold.
I would find that creepy to... and probably fear it...

 

[northernone]

Boat traffic = zero. Yes I have an SMB but that is of no use at 3am when the closest humans are working in a grain terminal loading bulk freighters approx 1km away. Rules out noise makers whistles screaming shining torches for help. Entry (other than walking over the sand dune of death to get there) is benign straight off the shore walk in.

Why Night diving at 3am - insomnia. Chronic infuriating insomnia. Why solo? Most normal humans are in bed sleeping and don't appreciate me ringing them at midnight saying "Hey, what are you up to? Feel like going for a dive?"

Why the stopping diving solo there - geographically I'm in a shark "attack" hotspot. When I have some viz - the viz is usually pretty crappy here to begin with - I've been lucky enough to have two GWS cruise past and be in awe of their power and grace - however....

It's not actually our GWS that I'm conscious of, it's the fact the grain jetty has been the site of idiotic fishermen catching tiger sharks and hacking them to bits leaving their carcasses on the beach or under the jetty. What ever bumped me - could have been a sealion could have been a harmless port Jackson shark, could've been a tiger - hit hard enough to spin me around and drop my torch. By the time I recovered it whatever the bump came from was not visible when I did a light sweep (and admit got heart rate back to semi normal) I decided it was prudent to leave the water - call my own dive if you will.

Why do I worry more about Tigers than GWS? - late 1960s my fathers buddy was chomped in half by a tiger. I don't recall much of the incident (I was three) but I do know 50 years later he still seems uncomfortable talking about it. He didn't stop diving for another 20 years - I adjusted my night diving time to when there are usually other divers around and people on the beach.

I still dive there - sometimes solo when I know other divers will be around - or with a buddy who doesn't mind 8pm dives. I just don't like being "bumped".

Things that go bump in the night... You have my respect. Wow.

 

[Wingy]

Thanks - I really wanted the ability to walk on water that dive - even though shallow my only instinct was to GTFO abut I am proud I managed to keep panic clamped between my teeth and didn't have a meltdown until I was ironically safe and sitting on the jetty hyperventilating and crying lol..

 

[Schwob]

Thanks - I really wanted the ability to walk on water that dive - even though shallow my only instinct was to GTFO abut I am proud I managed to keep panic clamped between my teeth and didn't have a meltdown until I was ironically safe and sitting on the jetty hyperventilating and crying lol..

You got good reason to be proud...

 

[Wingy]

Thank you very much - I appreciate it. I just looked earlier at my other post re having seen GWS - until July last year I'd only seen one in a decade, I'm glad I've spent a bit of time exploring my home waters rather than travelling to some obscure island - having roughly 1900km of coastline to explore and two oceans to explore has shown me a lot...including "no one can hear you scream down there"

I bet theres a dolphin out there somewhere laughing with his mates about the stupid two legs encouraging his mates. We've had a few surfers get taken out by flying dolphins. Either way, I'm a little more cautious nowdays.

 

[stretchthepenn]

Do you have any tips / ways to get your mind together?

Your OP and many of the responders identified a common, effective theme: habituation. The more that you expose yourself to something that's initially frightening, the less and less effect it has over time.

For me, my boogeyman used to be murk; I used to haaaaaate not knowing what's under the water. The ocean was way-freaky. But doing a beach dive as part of my OW class eased my apprehensions about what's under the surf, and multiple boat dives out in the ocean made me realize that, hey, ain't no big deal. In fact, what's down there is pretty nifty.

Similarly, at the local quarry where I do a lot of diving, I originally didn't much care for the "deep end." I'd cruise along the walls and cast a wary eye at the murk below. But over time, I got used to it. Now, I don't really care.

Just keep at it; that's your best solution.