Hello!

[1sttimer]

Hi everyone!
Just wanted to introduce myself and ask ask ask and ask.
I do not hold a c-card as of yet, but I am reading the material and will do my pool class in June and then the OW test in that same month. As a small kid, I always thought of being a marine biologist, but life and circumstances steered me away from that & which has led me to where I am now ( but that is another thread). Any way, my wife and I just came back from Cancun, where I had the opportunity to discover SCUBA and Boy I am hooked. However, after I rushed to the nearest shop to book my class and bought my mask snorkel and fins, I began to learn about the dangers of SCUBA and all its complexity and frankly I am getting cold feet. But everytime I think of my experience at Cancun, I muster up some courage. Another factor that I did not think of when I "plunged" (pardon the pun) into this, was SHARKS! SEEING SHARKs in SHARK WEEK in the Discovery channel is as close I want to be to them! I just dont know How I would react in their presence and vice versa! And last but not least deep dive ,strong currents and bends is all I think of now; which is funny because when I was underwater, I felt relaxed and confident( I guess its true, ignorance is bliss, but it will kill ya!). I felt comfortable with my regulator, I felt comfortable letting water in my mask and clearing it out as well as my regulator. I felt as if I was flying in the air. It was pure freedom. Maybe I am worring too much, but I know that I will be a very conservative diver if I decide to pursue AOW.
Did anyone felt this way or am I the only one?

 

[DandyDon]

Howdy!

Welcome to SB!! :happywave Put us in your computer's favorites and check in often. This is a great place to learn, compare, argue

I understand your joy from your intro dive; that's how I got hooked! Don't worry about the sharks, though; leave them alone, they leave you alone. Ten times more likely to be killed by a falling coconut - true fact! Work hard on taking training seriousl, then work at safety, and you'll be a good diver.

don

 

[1sttimer]

Don thanks I will take my training seriosly, I'll start watching out for those coconuts!lol

 

[AlaskaDiver]

Welcome! Your apprehension is okay. You are trying something outside of your normal comfort zone. DandyDon is right- get a leg up on those sharks and get smart about diving. Nothing is better under water than remaining calm in a situation.

I said all the way to the dive site in Whittier, Alaska in December while the snow was falling; I love the water, I love to swim, but I must be a lunatic to go into the water in winter. That was in 1995. I didn't know that people had so much less gear on in warm water. I met my husband 4 years later and he got interested in diving on a vacation in Hawaii. He's a warm water diver and I like it all. I now am very comfortable with diving in Alaska and work on refining skills and checking out new equipment. I still get a bit excited and nervous about any changes in my most routine dives. Stay interested by learning more about diving.

 

[nauifins73]

Like AlaskaDiver said apprehension is okay in fact I would say normal. What could be more foreign to a human being than breathing underwater?

I don't have a lot of dives in yet - I know the 1st dive of each trip I feel anxious - can I do this - will I remember everything I need to do???? Like everything else with enough practice what we are doing becomes second nature. Remember reminding ourselves to check the review mirror when we started driving? Diving is the same - practice makes for skills becoming second nature.

Enjoy your new passion - and to me it sounds like you are headed in the right direction by not taking diving for granted.

Becky

 

[1sttimer]

Becky and Alaska diver thanks for you input. I can't wait for my pool dives in June, in the mean time I will learn the material thoroughly.
Ernesto