Had my first ocean dive
- Thread starter LupitaM
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Lupita, I'm sorry your OW experience was so unpleasant.
I went back and read your two prior threads. You appear to have hovered on the ragged edge of panic from the beginning. Even after your second pool session, you were having difficulties. I sadly suspect that you went into open water without anywhere near the comfort level you needed with being on scuba, and managing basic skills.
Your instructor may be impatient. But he may also have "yelled" because you needed to do something FAST to be safe, and you weren't moving. Surf entries can be unforgiving, and if you freeze at the wrong moment, you are a setup to be tossed and rolled in the water. Having had that happen to me as an experienced diver, and in double tanks (thus with TONS of gas) I can say that it's very stressful and can be dangerous. Your instructor MAY simply have been doing everything he could to keep an excessively timid student safe. It's truly impossible for us to know, because we were not there.
What's clear, I think, is that, if you are to become a diver, this class was too rapidly paced for YOU. If you undertake this again, I would either do it after spending a couple of fun vacations doing a lot of snorkeling, or I would book a private class, with all the expense that entails, to make sure there is enough time at each stage of the process for you to become truly comfortable and relaxed with diving.
To be honest, there are some people who just shouldn't or can't dive. High anxiety levels are usually the cause. I would really, really recommend doing some trips where you can do a lot of open water snorkeling -- you'll get to watch sea life, and increase your comfort level in the water and with some type of breathing device. If you get to where you are truly frustrated and bored with snorkeling, and WANT to go down there to follow the fish, you may do better with a subsequent scuba class.
And BTW, when you want to do it, PM me; I can recommend an excellent Monterey instructor.
I went back and read your two prior threads. You appear to have hovered on the ragged edge of panic from the beginning. Even after your second pool session, you were having difficulties. I sadly suspect that you went into open water without anywhere near the comfort level you needed with being on scuba, and managing basic skills.
Your instructor may be impatient. But he may also have "yelled" because you needed to do something FAST to be safe, and you weren't moving. Surf entries can be unforgiving, and if you freeze at the wrong moment, you are a setup to be tossed and rolled in the water. Having had that happen to me as an experienced diver, and in double tanks (thus with TONS of gas) I can say that it's very stressful and can be dangerous. Your instructor MAY simply have been doing everything he could to keep an excessively timid student safe. It's truly impossible for us to know, because we were not there.
What's clear, I think, is that, if you are to become a diver, this class was too rapidly paced for YOU. If you undertake this again, I would either do it after spending a couple of fun vacations doing a lot of snorkeling, or I would book a private class, with all the expense that entails, to make sure there is enough time at each stage of the process for you to become truly comfortable and relaxed with diving.
To be honest, there are some people who just shouldn't or can't dive. High anxiety levels are usually the cause. I would really, really recommend doing some trips where you can do a lot of open water snorkeling -- you'll get to watch sea life, and increase your comfort level in the water and with some type of breathing device. If you get to where you are truly frustrated and bored with snorkeling, and WANT to go down there to follow the fish, you may do better with a subsequent scuba class.
And BTW, when you want to do it, PM me; I can recommend an excellent Monterey instructor.
The newer fins have a much better sole for boat diving. I still take them off when climbing up the ladders. But overall, I still love them.
I second the recommendation for a private instructor. I treated my daughter and son in law to an OW checkout last summer. My son in law had a real problem with his ears, didn't clear enough, went down too fast and ended up really blocked.
My observations are that once you squeeze the ear and sinus passages too much, you are pretty much done for that day. I hired an instructor for a private lesson, she took him on the next dive using a down line to keep every thing controlled. Once he figured what it took for him to clear, he had no further problems.
Insist on a very controlled setting with individual attention and you will be able to feel a lot more comfortable while you master the basics.
Keep us informed on how it goes. I would be suprised if you did not get offers of help from some of the scuba board instructors.
My observations are that once you squeeze the ear and sinus passages too much, you are pretty much done for that day. I hired an instructor for a private lesson, she took him on the next dive using a down line to keep every thing controlled. Once he figured what it took for him to clear, he had no further problems.
Insist on a very controlled setting with individual attention and you will be able to feel a lot more comfortable while you master the basics.
Keep us informed on how it goes. I would be suprised if you did not get offers of help from some of the scuba board instructors.
SoccerJeni
Scuba Baby
Awe! 
I'm sorry it didn't go as well as you had hoped!
It sounds like you are still interested in scuba, and that's why I want to encourage you to get a different instructor. If you're instructor was impatient from the start, how would you ever be comfortable! During my certification, my friend had a lot of trouble with the mask flooding and removal. Our instructor was amazing! He handled it so well. She was stressing out because she was having trouble. If he would have got annoyed with her during that skill, that would have made it so much worse. How could she have ever become comfortable if he was anything but patient and taught her things to do and think during this exercise?
I certainly wouldn't want to pay someone for a service that acted frustrated or annoyed or impatient. The truth of the matter is that this is a hobby or a pastime and it should be fun and enjoyable and if you're learning from someone who stressed you out it probably won't be fun or enjoyable.
I wish you the best of luck. I can't wait to read your threads saying you have your certification!
I'm sorry it didn't go as well as you had hoped!It sounds like you are still interested in scuba, and that's why I want to encourage you to get a different instructor. If you're instructor was impatient from the start, how would you ever be comfortable! During my certification, my friend had a lot of trouble with the mask flooding and removal. Our instructor was amazing! He handled it so well. She was stressing out because she was having trouble. If he would have got annoyed with her during that skill, that would have made it so much worse. How could she have ever become comfortable if he was anything but patient and taught her things to do and think during this exercise?
I certainly wouldn't want to pay someone for a service that acted frustrated or annoyed or impatient. The truth of the matter is that this is a hobby or a pastime and it should be fun and enjoyable and if you're learning from someone who stressed you out it probably won't be fun or enjoyable.
I wish you the best of luck. I can't wait to read your threads saying you have your certification!
It depends .... take Diver's Cove as an example; I saw students - and instructors - got wiped out and there were days where the waves barely slap your ankles.
As an instructor, if you could choose, which day would you pick to take your new students out for their first OW dive?
Unfortunately sometime someone/something else is deciding for the instructor .... with the results the LupitaM experienced.
LupitaM, don't give up! Diving in California could be an unique experience and you should really try it. Just be patient and pick the right time / place
Alberto (aka eDiver)
Try it again.... take some of the advice that's posted here. Diving is no different from going to dinner, a baseball game or even a movie when it comes to having a good or bad experience. Now none of these may put you in a life threatening position, however the concept is the same. Identify why you had a bad experience and seek to correct it. Doesn't matter if it was shore, boat or whatever. Not every dive is going to be a great experience, but with a little luck and dedication you can help yourself to ensure it is at least pleasurable. Get back in the water soon, don't wait two years.
good diving to you.
brian
good diving to you.
brian
Similar threads
