Review My OWD experience so far..

[jordaof]

By the way, I'm Fred and I'm from Portugal, Lisbon, I started this diving adventure last May, with the certification I've been slowly progressing..
Today was my fist NIGHT dive, it would be my 16th dive, but was a disaster, I discovered that I have not the coolness of mind to embark on this certification, personally I hate it.

Hate it because I became frustrated with it, not because of my instructor, not because of my gear "I've been investing a lot on it and good stuff" but because of the limitations in my head, I felt dread, horror, being submerged by DARK pure DARK, on the boat I didn't felt so good already, when I jumped into the water, with proper weights I couldn't sink, of course not, I was hyperventilating, my instructor tried to guide me through and guide me he did, but only did like 8 meters, I was so out of character that didn't even decompress.. I didn't felt anything but fear.

Of course I went to the surface on a controlled ascend with him and part ways to the boat, while other 2 and the Instructor proceeded to the dive, during those 55 minutes I felt the bitter taste of surrendering to fear, but rather surrender to fear that way, than rocket to the surface and have a dive accident..

One day I will defeat this fear, but will take time, I feel I need more experience on day dives. So that was my Night/reduced visibility dive

About the other situations... During day dives, I feel a remarkable difference, since my exam, my SAC has been improving a lot, I have been well tutored by experienced professionals and have been learning a lot fortunately, but have a remark, I dunno about other countries, but my buddies taking out like 2 or 3 people, suck on the basics, what's the basics? checking equipment and are to eager to jump into the water, even with Tanks with closed air!!!! On the other day I had a girl right after me on a day dive, and she vanished in some seconds, this woman was a AOWD, I'm just a OWD, she didn't warn me and went to see some other people that were doing some Diving Baptisms, the water was murky, visibility was not great, and I felt that if I had an urgency I was screwed!

Today, my buddy from the Night dive, jumped into the water, knowing that I didn't had any experience at all in Night dives, and submerged without even checking if I was cool with my descent and didn't check my gear either, I'm not a stupid or arrogant guy but I feel that behaviors like these are not admissible, these people don't CARE, and pisses me off cause I try to be a diligent buddy and help out in any way possible.

So I came to 2 obvious truths, from now on a pony tank will be a reality on my gear for ALL dives, and I will try to get some nerves to my next Night dive, which most likely won't be so early.

I simply can't trust other humans to share air, taking out of this equation, professionals and dive guides/masters.

Thanks for reading this

 

[Lorenzoid]

My first night dive was horrible. I hated it. But I did some more night dives and soon started to like them. Give yourself time. Get some reliable buddies to dive with, and make sure you discuss the dive plan and agree on how the dive will go.

I had a great time visiting Lisbon earlier this summer. No diving, though--just the typical tourist stuff.

And welcome to ScubaBoard!

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

My first night dive (part of AOW-and I was intending to finish night cert later on the same trip), that was an absolute cluster frack that ended in losing my dive partner for the week to injury on that dive. In fairness, the resort was too rushed and frazzled and did a poor job of managing the dive. The instructor wanted to go chase an ostracod show for other boat mates rather than teach (or even shepherd) the student divers.

Everything went wrong, from the jelly that laid a stinging tentacle on the inside of my upper lip when I popped up on entry. Worst 45-50 minutes in memory in probably the last 10 years. I also have an occasional nightmare of having to swim black water... That didn't help. Couple that with a greatly insufficient OW course and this was one of my first real OW dives, it was a wretched experience. I got out and said "never again getting in dark waters".

Fast forward a year and much better confidence in the water, I went back and did the night/low-viz cert and it was a good experience. Give it a little time, experience, and some distance.

 

[fred32176]

Hi Fred, I am a Fred too. I started diving this spring and have done 16 dives. I can understand not liking a night dive. I am thinking about what specialty dives I would like to do when I take my AOW and night diving isn't on the list.

My dive buddy Darnell has done his AOW and rescue diver and wants to do dive master. He is a great dive buddy that I learn a lot from. I trust Darnell and it makes new experiences like looking up from 50' in Blue Springs less stressful. To me, at 50' Blue Springs walls look close together and the surface looks far away - a very odd view the first time you see it. When you have a dive buddy you trust, new stuff is more interesting and less stressful.

Good luck, and perhaps think about wreck diving or drift diving instead of night diving.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@jordaof

First, thank you for sharing your story. Second, this unfortunately not uncommon. Not only is it important to vet your instructors, but also dive buddies. If you were diving with me, I would recommend two dives, first in the evening so you get used to the transition to darkness, and if that went well, a second night dive.

We would discuss communication, how to use all the necessary signals with a dive light.

Night diving is actually my favorite, but it is an acquired taste.

 

[undrwater]

If there are shore dives available to you, you might try a twilight dive; heading in as the sun is just setting. Things will get darker gradually.

 

[jordaof]

I don't like to victimize or rant about other people, but my problem with trust on buddies is mainly because I don't have a permanent buddy, I go with boat rides every dive, so it's always a new person, a stranger, someone I don't know, some 2 to 3 people were excellent, I did learn from them, and really got a wonderful dive experience, maybe because I had those experiences in the beginning I now feel a bit estranged/alienated when I do catch people that don't care that much I guess.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I don't like to victimize or rant about other people, but my problem with trust on buddies is mainly because I don't have a permanent buddy, I go with boat rides every dive, so it's always a new person, a stranger, someone I don't know, some 2 to 3 people were excellent, I did learn from them, and really got a wonderful dive experience, maybe because I had those experiences in the beginning I now feel a bit estranged/alienated when I do catch people that don't care that much I guess.

Collectively, the people here have seen it all. There's just a wide variety in the quality of training, and therefore a wide variety in the quality of dive buddies. Keep at it, you'll find your tribe.

 

[jordaof]

If there are shore dives available to you, you might try a twilight dive; heading in as the sun is just setting. Things will get darker gradually.

Indeed, I was there really early, and I thought well we will get some light yet, won't be that scary, but when the boat took off were about 8:30 P.M, even with summer it was dark already, also the water does not have that great visibility "I dive in Sesimbra" and September is the best month for clear water not August, when I started the descent it was dark as night, we had good equipment, 1000 lumens lamps, still it was dark and eerie, my instructor most likely saw my eyes and let me go to the surface slowly, my breathing was up the charts, and I couldn't focus, so my guess was, even if I find something at the bottom, whatever, I will be afraid of what I might do, because this dive was to check out the life around an old platform that was sunk at some 10 meters. So I was scared of a possible reaction that I could do and endanger me and others, so I was overthinking, over guessing.

 

[johndiver999]

I don't like to victimize or rant about other people, but my problem with trust on buddies is mainly because I don't have a permanent buddy, I go with boat rides every dive, so it's always a new person, a stranger, someone I don't know, some 2 to 3 people were excellent, I did learn from them, and really got a wonderful dive experience, maybe because I had those experiences in the beginning I now feel a bit estranged/alienated when I do catch people that don't care that much I guess.

Stressors are cumulative. The dark, reduced visibility, inability to communicate in normal manner, relying on a light and being on a boat in the dark and being tossed around on deck and not being able to see the horizon, and then to be frustrated with and untrusting of a buddy are all conspiring against you having a successful dive. Night dives ARE harder.

A failed dive where you are overwhelmed and scared is not really a bad thing as long as nobody gets hurt. You will learn a lot from it.

My suggestion is to get the pony bottle, get someone to teach you how to rig it and use it, do several dives and then try another night dive with someone who knows you bailed on the last attempt. Maybe you will have to pay for a dedicated, professional who will buddy up for the dive.

Doing the dive with a buddy who is calm, attentive and has done a similar dive 50 or 100 times might change things tremendously for you.