Is this a normal feeling?

[HeliMech]

Hi All, first post to the forum of hopefully many. After scouring the forums daily for a while I felt this the best place to ask the question that has been on my mind of late.

I have been concidering taking up diving for a fair few months now, and have read up on a lot of stuff.

I am a healthy male in my late 20s and have become somewhat obsessed with Scuba. I have been thinking about booking my OW course however whilst looking around about diving I have read many stories, problems that can arise and have found myself feeling extremely nervous about the whole thing.

I appreciate that when looking at things, there is still only an extremely small percentage of accidents that occur, I just want to know if it is normal to feel this way?

Thanks in advance

As a new diver I can say it's totally normal. There is something wrong with you if you don't get a little creeped out by some of the risks diving presents.

Read The Complete Diver: The History, Science and Practice of Scuba Diving: Alex Brylske Ph.D.: 9780615721330: Books - Amazon.ca

If you can get through that book and still want to dive (like me) it'll be a miracle.

Lot's can go wrong - way more than your OW Manual will tell you.

That being said - enjoy your OW course. It'll be great. You'll love it.

JR

 

[shawnhar]

Lots of great answers here from experts. I am not one of them (newly OW certified in December) but want to share my newbie perspective.

I think some amount of nervousness is both normal and healthy. If you are never worried, you probably aren't taking this seriously enough. But if you are scared all the time, that's not going to be fun and is also dangerous. Aim somewhere in the middle.

My own story:

1. Decided to learn to dive because my wife and I loved snorkeling in the tropics and wanted to see more. Plus she has recurring dreams of being able to hover and breathe underwater, and wanted to make that a reality.

2. Did some basic research, then signed up for a PADI OW course. Not thinking at all about possible risks.

3. Did more research. Discovered scubaboard. Read scary accident reports. OMG! Having major second thoughts about this whole thing...

4. Got certified. It was hard work, but only momentarily scary (the first time taking my mask off, 25 feet under Puget Sound, did not sit well with my animal instinct layer Learned a lot. Came out of it feeling quite confident.

5. Went diving for the first time as certified divers, just me and my wife. Playing it safe, so back to the spot where we did our checkout dives, planning to stay shallow and easy. Felt fine until we were about to descend, when all of a sudden I noticed how cold and dark the water was, so all those scary accident stories came flooding back into my head. Not quite panic, but I was breathing heavily. And guess what - while breathing heavily, you cannot descend! (at least not without being massively overweighted). So I got to feel quite silly bobbing around on the surface while my wife demonstrated solid buddy skills by not descending without me. I took a minute to gather myself, got my breathing under control, then had a great dive with no further nerves at all.

I'm now at 7 logged dives, and planning to make it 9 next weekend. I'm hooked!

 

[UFOrb]

If you will be at NDAC anyway then you could worse than talk to this bloke Dive-Tech: TDI Nitrox, Helitrox, Trimix and technical diver training courses with instructor Mark Powell

I did my Nitrox course with Mark (he lives near my parents). I’m sure he’ll be able recommend a dive school.
Plus, you’re probably aware that Cardiff Scuba run the dive school on behalf of the NDAC Cardiff Scuba - 5 Star IDC Scuba training in South Wales - 5 Star IDC Scuba training in South Wales - I guess that must say something. Convenient for you too I assume.

 

[Tecomah]

In my case I still feel anxious before each and every dive I make. I've accepted and even embraced this fact. It doesn't stop me from diving in the slightest. It just makes it so I double and triple check my gear before even getting into a 20 foot spring dive. Diving is very fun and will give you experiences and friends you could never have imagined, but you should never ignore the risks involved in the sport in the same way you should consider the risks of driving before leaving your driveway.

 

[shawnhar]

One other thing to add: I suspect feeling comfortable swimming is a huge help in learning to dive. You don't have to be an amazing swimmer (I'm slow and have terrible technique...) but it was noticeable during our class how confidence in the water translated to confidence while learning scuba, while the more nervous swimmers had a harder time of it.

 

[60plus]

Hi Matt. I am a new diver (not entirely new to diving) and like you I live in the UK. I am only an hours drive from Capernwray which is regarded as one of the best inland dive sites in the country. Despite this I chose to learn abroad in warmer waters. After much research I chose Maderia Divepoint at the Carlton Pestana hotel in Madeira. See their reviews on trip advisor and look at the videos on youtube. The great thing about this location is the constant good weather and all the training and diving is done on one site, no long bus or boat journeys.There are various problems in the UK, dives called off because of variable weather, cold water etc. Additionally if you try to wear a wetsuit in a swimming pool (UK indoor) you will "cook". You will then have to adapt to, be reweighted for and wear a thick wetsuit, semi dry or even drysuit to complete to complete your training in open water. All this adds time, cost and difficulty.
I suggest you visit your local dive shop and buy some decent fins and a good mask. I have Mares wave fins and a Cressi Matrix mask which I find to be good items at a reasonable price. Fit and comfort is most important. Do not buy a cheap snorkelling mask. Get plenty of practice swimming underwater and building up your finning leg muscles as cramp can often be a problem for new divers. Also (although you should not do it diving) learning to hold your breath for a longer time underwater will give you more confidence. Get a snorkel so you can get used to breathing with your face underwater and controlling your breathing to clear your mask. There are 3 types of snorkel, for practice and snorkelling I prefer to use the type with valves top and bottom but I would not use this type for diving.
In many places the training can be a bit intensive as they try to get you through the course with as few dives as possible. You are probably better to add in a few fun dives between your training dives where you can relax, practice your buoyancy, gain confidence and just enjoy the fish.
Diving to 30 meters is safe but in the brief time I have been participating I have seen several instances of bad or stupid practice that will lead to an incident soon or later. Stick to what your PADI manual and instructor tell you and you will be fine.
PS I am 60, a bit overweight and have some mobility restrictions (from motorcycle racing) and I really enjoy diving although I still feel a bit nervous before a dive and just as I submerge. Once I get underwater time passes all to fast.
Cheers

 

[Matt_K]

More great replies.

I must say the knowledge of some people on here has me in awe.

@UFOrb Cardiff Scuba is a 10 minute walk away from my house, and the reviews are great. Rob (The Owner) was the gent I mentioned in my earlier post - he is highly regarded in the local area.

The more I read on this site the more I want to accomplish being certified.

Matt

 

[T.C.]

The more I read on this site the more I want to accomplish being certified.

Matt

Excellent.
Mission accomplished

 

[Neilwood]

More great replies.

I must say the knowledge of some people on here has me in awe.

@UFOrb Cardiff Scuba is a 10 minute walk away from my house, and the reviews are great. Rob (The Owner) was the gent I mentioned in my earlier post - he is highly regarded in the local area.

The more I read on this site the more I want to accomplish being certified.

Matt

Glad you have not been put off because diving is 100% awesome and addictive. Nothing will really prepare you for the first time you see the Blue Planet in real life. I am still in awe and will still talk about my first dive (with lobsters, crabs, fish, kelp).

What I would hope you can take away from this thread is that it is ok to be nervous but diving is on the whole pretty safe. Is it 100% safe? No but no hobby is (apart from maybe stamp collecting). Be a thinking diver (work out why you are doing something instead of just learning it by copying).

If stuff does go wrong during a dive - take a moment and follow this: Stop, breathe, think and act. Even if your air goes (which is pretty much the worst thing that can happen to you underwater), you have a buddy with plenty of air for you and you are both trained in how to use it. Everything else can be dealt with by pausing for a moment, thinking about it and then acting without panic.

For example, you will learn how to recover your regulator in case it gets dislodged by a fin etc. It is a simple movement and should work most of the time. What my instructor added was that, if you don't get it first time, switch to your secondary (you know exactly where it will be) and that gives you the time to look properly/do more complete sweeps without panic.

 

[Matt_K]

I've learnt a lot just from this thread alone, let alone the other threads on the board.

The main things I have taken away from this is that the nervousness is a natural thing as it is something completely new and what can be seen as out of the normal (breathing under water).

The OW course will give me the information needed to act responsibly and calmly should a problem arise. One of my main concerns before posting and reading replies was about DCS but I understand this a bit more now and I think can only be a good thing (Understanding this before even being certified)?

One question I have about the 'after certification' is how did you all find your dive buddy?

Matt