How to get rid of fear?

[Bennno]

What I want it's very simple, I don't want to be rich, I just want to wake up every day and do something I love...

It's not about getting rich, dude. It's about being able to buy food and being able to go and see a doctor or a dentist if you have to. Keep in mind, you love it NOW after 20 dives... after 200 'try scuba programs' at the same dive site you wont be as excited about it, believe me.

 

[TMHeimer]

Here might be something to consider.

It is a natural reflex that you notice when water get into your nose and hits the back of your throat. This is normal. It is your body telling you that something is not right. However, you get get used to this feeling and make it more tolerable. One way is to regularly have water running into your nose (you need water that has no pathogens). Then, swim and dive without a mask, have your eyes open, do flips underwater, and so on - this gives you the confidence and you will be fine. Nothing happens over night, so be patient. Also, cold or cooler water will still be irritating, but you know then that you are safe.

I read this once in a book that described how to fight fear and increase comfort when diving.

Water should not be hitting the back of your throat via nose (or mouth). Practise (on land first) closing off the passage(s)--nose & mouth--"soft palate & "glottis"). Water will not go past your nostrils. There is one exception--TS&M (she was an E.R. Dr.) said even if the nose passage is closed, some water may get past the nostrils if your head is tipped way back--but you're rarely in that position anyway.

 

[KeithG]

Given your other thread, my advice would be to forget your goal of becoming an instructor already by the end of this winter. In my (not so humble) opinion you just won't have time to collect enough diving experience, under different conditions, to be a competent instructor.

Take a refresher, take AOW, and dive, dive, dive. Have fun diving, building your experience base. Take Rescue, take other courses if you want to. Collect experience, expand your experience gradually, and re-consider your goal of becoming an instructor when you have logged more dives than I have. Remember that even divemaster (a prerequisite for instructor) requires minimum 40 logged dives to enroll and minimum 60 logged dives to finish. And if those dives are under similar and benign conditions, you'll be doing both yourself and your students a disservice.

I agree. Take a step back and evaluate your goals.

I am a recreational (warm water wuss) diver, but I teach curling thorough our local club. The first message in curling is safety. The second message is safety (lots of people slip on the ice and fall. Some smack their melon - some die). The last message is having fun.

I have only had to call to call an ambulance once this year so far (head strkne on the ice), but I have experienced a 100% rate of people falling on the ice.

 

[Buliwyf]

Slow down. Get more experience. Spend time in shallow water with your mask off, your regs out, pulling water in your nose, mouth, whatever. It's key to not panic, and just solve the problem using your scuba gear under water.

Everything you're scared of, get in safe water, and do exactly that.

You might be 80' down when someone Jackie Chan kicks you in the face with their fins. Be ready for that.

 

[DevonDiver]

A couple of pertinent articles...

Scuba Diving Stress Management and Acute Panic Response

SCUBA Q&A: Diver Stress, Relationships and Comfort Zones

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

What I want it's very simple, I don't want to be rich, I just want to wake up every day and do something I love...

I've been following this thread, and what you express is a very common reaction among newer divers ... particularly younger divers who are putting some thought into what they want to do as a vocation. I've had several students over the years with similar goals, and I'm going to give you the same advice I always gave them when they asked me questions about becoming a scuba instructor ...

Don't go into scuba instruction because you love scuba diving. Go into it because you love teaching ... scuba diving is just the subject matter.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[divad]

The only way to "get rid of fear" is to die trying. Fear is your friend, if you have any sense.

 

[TMHeimer]

It's not about getting rich, dude. It's about being able to buy food and being able to go and see a doctor or a dentist if you have to. Keep in mind, you love it NOW after 20 dives... after 200 'try scuba programs' at the same dive site you wont be as excited about it, believe me.

I doubt there are any jobs where you'll always love what you do. Closest I could think of would be NBA player, but you still have to do weird travelling and all the practices. Better pay than scuba instructor by a little.

 

[diver0008]

Don't go into scuba instruction because you love scuba diving. Go into it because you love teaching ... scuba diving is just the subject matter.

That's some very nice advice right there.

 

[sunnyboy]

...
Don't go into scuba instruction because you love scuba diving. Go into it because you love teaching ... scuba diving is just the subject matter.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I totally agree with Bob.

One other thought - I have found the best SCUBA instructors are the ones who want to give back to the diving community. Which implies some serious experience is really beneficial if you want to become a good SCUBA instructor.