Panic Attack During OWC - Had to Bail

[Paddles]

Hey Darlin'

First off, you're not a failure, so stop beating yourself up. Not good for the soul.

I, too, had a difficult time. My kids were in the pool sessions with me (I had them take a refresher while I was getting my OW) and I was stressed! Everyone was doing things faster than me without incident. I was on the verge of tears! I couldn't clear my mask (drank half the pool) and freaked out in the deep end when I had to take my mask off and swim two lengths with just a reg. On top of this, I have asthma and was scared I would induce an attack! My kids kept saying, "Come on, Mom! It's not THAT hard!" I wanted to kill them both.

Then one of the assistant instructors pulled me aside and told me something that changed everything: "This is not a race."

We let the rest of the class do their thing and she and I hung out in the shallow end until I felt comfortable with the mask clearing. When we moved to the deep end, she told me to watch her bubbles and mimic her breathing. She kind of waved her hand up and down slowly, from waist to eyes, getting my breathing slowed down and in control.
It took a while, but I did all skills...I even stayed late on day 2 and redid everything again and again with her watching.

When we got to the ocean, I had had a sleepless night, couldn't eat if I wanted to and had worked myself into a frenzy (sp?). BTW, I left the kids home for those 4 dives because I didn't need the added responsibility, stress, etc.

I was the last to gear up ("Take your time...it's not a race")..the last in the water (Again, "Take your time...do it at YOUR own pace"). After swimming out to the boat, she and I hung out until I was convinced I was calm. Everyone else went down the line; she stayed with me and reminded me to "keep it slow".

It was awesome! The ocean skills were a piece of cake even if I was the last one to finish everything. I didn't care...I was taking it at my pace...and I felt great!

I have since learned to love boat diving more than beach entries (too much friggin' walking with all that gear). I still hear her voice telling me it's not a race. I have also learned to apply that to many non-diving endeavors.

I think the hardest thing I had to learn when diving was to reprogram my thinking...for once in my hectic (sp?) life (raising teenagers, working full time, remodeling the house, carpooling to sport events, etc) I get to intentionally slow down and do things in my own time.

So take a deep breath and grab that sweet, supportive husband of yours and go play...practice, practice, practice...and don't forget: It's not race!

Have fun!

 

[hdtran]

I don't know if either the cruise or any of the destinations do a 'resort' dive. If so, you might try that. Relatively shallow, lots more interesting things to see than Santa Rosa lake, and you can ask the instructor to just be with you throughout.

My wife did a resort dive on our recent vacation to Mexico; the instructor did a couple of skills checks at 10' (buoyancy adjustment, mask clear, regulator drop & find), then, grabbed her hand and swam with her to look for neat fish. She felt very secure throughout.

It's not a test, it's a sightseeing trip.

Best wishes!

 

[Sideband]

There has already been a lot of good advice given. I'm not going to comment on any gear problems. Others have already done that and your instructor should be able to help you best there.

During one of my pool sessions I surfaced (everyone else was playing with a toy torpedo in the deep end) and hopped up onto the side of the pool. One of the instructors asked what was wrong and all I could say was, "I am NOT having fun". At that point I was ready to walk, but he asked me , "Why?"
The only answer I had was that I wasn't comfortable. He got me with an assistant in the shallow end and we went through the basic skills very slowly. We went at my pace. The mask clearing was my arch nemesis. I was afraid to do it. I knew if I practiced I would get over the fear but I had to get over the fear first in order to practice. (Notice a problem here?)
After several attempts by the assistant to help me I decided what I needed to do to ease myself into it. The process that he had and everyone else used didn't work for me so I told him my plan. He had no problems with that and I did one little piece at a time. My pieces were much smaller than theirs. I wasn't ready to jump from one step to the next. I wanted to crawl there. If I froze up on anything I backed up and figured a way to break that step down into 2 smaller steps. As one of the ladies mentioned earlier, "This is not a race"
I managed to get into qiute a few pool sessions after my class was over. I actually had 28 hours of pool time BEYOND the 12 I had with my class. Was I nervous when I got to my OW checkouts? Heck yeah. Was I more confident in my abilities to perform the skills? You bet. Just so you know, I just got my OW cert. this weekend but I took the class in March.
Go at YOUR pace. If that means baby steps then ok. Take baby steps. If that means that the sport isn't for you. That's fine too. Only you know what is right for you in that area. But please realize that there is nothing wrong with what happened and It won't scar you for life. One of our assistant DMs this weekend took the OW tests 3 times before she got it. Now she helps with classes just so she can dive more often.

Joe

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Don't be hard on yourself. You aren't alone in this. You've actually gone further than many do. I had one man who quit half way through the first pool session. He was an athlete but had an abnormal fear of the water. There was no talking to him. As soon as he dipped his head below the surface he was done.

Another lady took 6 pool sessions before she could even breathe through a snorkle. We didn't rush her into open water. In fact she did 16 pool sessions before she attempted the open water. By then she was very very comfortable and ready to do it. She is now an OWD and while she will not dive the cold waters where we live she enjoys those tropical spots.

You will too, eventually. Get back into the pool. Go to the pool until you can't stand to go any longer. You will feel good about yourself and your instructor will feel good too.

 

[DandyDon]

My chest started to feel compressed; I could not get enough air in my lungs.

Yeah, I've felt that in cold water at times. Still do to some extent. I am glad that I've always been able to work thru it and continue the dive, but I can see where it'd be a be a different challenge for each. So, please do not feel badly about it!

SR's Blue Hole is not the best place for check-out dives, but it's all Colordo has, and - many other divers check out in colder water on the west coast and up north, so it is doable. Not always on the first try, but I've seen about the same problem at Balmorhea where the water is 10 degrees warmer. It can happen.

Did I worry too much and create a self-fulfilling prophecy...

Yeah, maybe, but forget it. I know I've done much worse to myself in life at times. We get some things right, and some things we get to do over. Learning experiences.

When you are ready to do it again, two suggestions:

(1) Get a wet suit that fits comfortably, whatever it takes. Yeah, I have to wear 24# in my 7 mil there, 28# in my 7 in saltwater; hate it, but once under - whoopee! :dazzler1: Did the Channel Islands west of Los Angeles last week, in 51 degree water. It was cold, but wonderful.

(2) I always take a 5 gallon insulted bucket there - for very warm water, and wide funnel cut with a wide bottom opening, then pour a quart of warm water down my back, inside my suit, just before walking in that hole. Helps take the edge off, and has a long lasting help.

Before I went to the Channel Islands, I practiced at SR's hole in April, then went a mile south to Perch Lake. It was 50 degrees at the bottom. But we learn. Some NW coast divers do colder water in wet suits, although most go to dry suits ASAP. {Talk about another challenge }

Anyway, be easy on yourself, and go when you feel like it...

 

[Shaken_Bake]

All I can say is, "Wow!" Thank you, thank you everyone who's taken time to reply. You have all been so supportive and encouraging to a stranger. I can't tell you how relieved I feel, to the point where I'm thinking maybe I can try this again. You've all made some excellent suggestions and now I know I'm not completely hopeless.

I spent a lot of time tonight talking about my experience with my husband and another friend who's a diver. Everyone seems to agree that I should have had more time to get used to it, the cold, the new depth, the heavier equipment, before performing any of the skills. I wish I could pinpoint exactly what made me bolt, but I'm pretty sure that if the water were warmer and I didn't feel so constricted, the outcome may have been different. I don't know. As I sat in my car crying my eyes out right after I got out of the water, I was absolutely certain I never wanted to strap on a tank again. Now that I see what might have been different, I'm starting to think I might give it another go - someday. I have a feeling that when I'm snorkeling in Belize next month, watching my husband dive below me, I might regain the motivation that I had to begin with.

Thanks again!

 

[eod]

I can tell you about my first encounters with scuba. About 10 years ago I did one of those try scuba diving dives in a pool. I thought I was going to love it, but instead I hated it. That little piece of metal/plastic couldn't give enough air. Some years later (maybe 8 years ago now) I tried it again, hated it. But I have always been fascinated by the underwaterworld so I went to the local dive center last spring and joined an OW class.

The first pool session was a real challange, I had to force myself not to give up and quit. I thought the regulator couldn't give me enough air. But as I spent more time underwater I trusted the equipment more. By the end of the pool sessions I didn't have any problems at all. During the open water part it came back from time to time when I had to sit on the bottom and wait for my turn to do a skill. But it was no real problem because I knew that the regulator worked and delivered more than enough air.

Now I have been diving all autumn/winter/spring and has managed to get 50 dives here in Sweden. What could I say, I got hooked after that OW class.

 

[milkathecow]

Hey there Shaken_bake,
3. If you were to calculate 10% of your weight and add 5-7lbs, does that equal 28? (That's normally how weighting is determined)

I totally agree with all the other points, but this one really stirs me ... are you considering that for beginners ? I started off with 6kg (shorty and 83kg) which is far off 10%+2.5-3kg=10kg

I don't really understand that explanation, as the suit (wet, semi or dry) will make a huge difference, and i can't even start to imagine calculations like those. only a good buoyancy check does the trick, and it can be done in a pool, just add 1-2kg for salty water (calculate by using density like 10kg->1 ; x=0.98).

For the rest, well it's just a question of taking time, and doing it in the right place. Maybe you don't like cold water, and being in a stuffed wetsuit or other suit isn't to the liking of everyone. You might just start off in another location, warm tropical waters, with lots of fish... get yourself a referral (valid 1 year) from your dive center, and enjoy that other place to dive. You'll have plenty of time to get back into a tight wetsuit when you have acquired and gained self-control over yourself while diving

good luck anyhow, i'm sure you'll make it... don't pressure yourself, just enjoy it, and if you don't like it and don't feel like it... don't do it. If you don't want to dive one day, even if it's planned, cancel the dive, there's no better way of risking a problem (as you noticed yourself on the first dive)

 

[DiverDebbie]

Sounds like you are getting a lot of good advice and support. To add my thoughts, it does seem like you indeed suffered an anxiety, or panic attack. I know what it's like cause I had one in a dentist chair once... lol.. ok, that sounds funny but it certainly wasn't. Although your wetsuit may have truly been a little too tight, it *could* have been a claustrophobic reaction. Seeing as how you were ok in the pool, then mentioned not only the tight suit but feeling uncomfortable with the extra weight... not to mention adding on a hood and gloves. Cold water diving is more gear intensive and it can make a difference.
I started my diving in tropical water and it was wonderful to dive with so little weight and gear. Then I went to dive in Vancouver and put a drysuit, hood, gloves and heavy weight belt for the first time. I thought I was going to die. I did get used to it, but (at the risk of other Vancouver divers smiting me) I will always prefer the feeling of freedom diving in warm tropical water gives me.
That said, you may want to try a resort dive on your trip. I would make sure you tell them about your experience and only do it if you feel completely comfortable with that person and their level of compassion.
Otherwise, at home it sounds like you have someone who is very understanding. That is key. Also make sure you do have a suit and a BC that aren't too tight though. If you work at it with them in small steps at your own pace, it's likely you will get through this... and when you do, you will have such a great sense of accomplishment. On the other hand, if diving just isn't in the cards for you, don't beat yourself up. You are not a failure. Tons of people are too frightened to even give it a try, but you are willing to get back on the proverbial horse. I wish you all the best with it!

 

[verona]

Hi, there. There has been great advice here already. As you have seen a lot of folks have had similar thoughts and experiencess so you know you are not alone and that you can do it. Even natural water babies sometimes have problems. But take things at your own pace and be totally comfortable at each stage and you will see how much you progress.

One thing, however, that I would like to ask. You said in your first post:

My heart is telling me it's something I should be able to do, but my brain has taken a complete opposite tack, reminding me that silly humans weren't meant to swim under the water for more than one breath!

Are you 100% sure that it's your brain that has taken the opposite tack and not your heart? Is it your brain saying you should be able to do it but your heart telling you something different? It's ok not to want to dive. It's meant to be fun and a pleasure. If it is your brain and not your heart that is telling you to do it, then maybe diving isn't for you. If it is the other way round, then persevere and you will be glad that you did. You have already demonstrated courage and you can do this if it is something you really desire. :dazzler1: