Question Panicking once in the sea

[mac66]

There is a certain level of machismo involved in this for some people. I know, because in some ways I also could not admit I can’t do it, seeing kids and girls dive, how can I, a big physically strong man, be afraid? So it is worth to force your way, but you also gotta like the sport.

Physically you can train to do something. I suppose you can also train yourself to conquer fear if you had no choice but to do it. (like its part of the job) But given a choice, for something that is supposed to be fun I don't see the point of forcing yourself.

 

[PirateFoxy]

I don't see much sense in forcing your way through something just to do it. It's okay to just admit you can't do something and move onto something else

But having anxiety doesn't mean you don't actually want to do the thing. It just means your brain has decided to be stupid about something and act like it is a sabertooth tiger waiting to pounce instead of something manageable and controllable.

Like there is nothing horrible that Suddenly Happens when you put your face under the water for most people - especially if you're wearing a mask and have a regulator hooked up to an air source. But that moment of transition where you put your face under can be an 'omg sabertooth tiger!' trigger because of something about the way your neurons got connected at some point in the past. (Brains can be a real mystery sometimes, even when it's your own.) Do you let your brain being completely unreasonable and irrational stop you from learning to scuba dive even though you think it looks really cool and lots of fun? Or do you figure out how to work through that trigger moment so you can get on to the good stuff?

Of course there is a range of anxiety - how bad it is, how much of the activity is involved, etc. and there are absolutely some things where it may well make sense to go 'nah, not worth the effort.' But if it's something someone really wants to do and has good reason to think they will enjoy once they get past the initial roadblocks, it's absolutely worth doing the work. If it's a constant unending stream of misery where every time you deal with one roadblock, there's another one - maybe it isn't the activity for you. (Or maybe it isn't the time for you to do that activity - if the anxiety is related to PTSD, for example, it might be more productive to work on other aspects for a while and see if you're later in a better state to try again.)

 

[fishingsetx]

Complete novice here, but we did several of the discover scuba classes several years ago in Cozumel over a couple of trips. I really dont have much advise other than to relay my experience.

First time was in the pool, then open water. I had absolutely no problem with either and loved every minute of it!

Second trip, we did the instructional course in shallow water and then the second tank in open water again. When it was time to submerge in open water on the second trip, I couldnt. Almost like a panic attack. Couldnt dive, couldnt breath, heart racing, etc. I tried again with the same result to the point the instructor started my way asking if everything was ok. All the symptoms were completely physical. Im my mind I was getting mad because I wanted to dive and couldnt!!! I wasnt scared at all. I sat at the surface for about 60 seconds catching my breath and wondering what the heck was going on and finally tried again. Third time I got a hint if the "panic" (hard to breath, hard to submerge, etc) but once I was under the water, I was completely fine. Wierdest thing that has ever happened to me. We did 2 more dives the next day with zero issues including one they had no business taking a discovery diver on but that is another story!

Hopefully you can work through it.

 

[60plus]

the minute he signaled to go under water, and I looked around I panicked, could not breath or use the regulator,

A couple of years ago I saw this happen to a diver with over a 100 dives. It was our first dive of the holiday and just an easy dive off the jetty to about 12m in warm water, yet she just could not go beneath the surface. After about 10 minutes she had to try again several times before getting her breathing OK. After that she was fine doing boat dives to 30m +.

 

[Goonzodiver]

G'day, My wife is going through a similar issue. She performed all pool skills with ease and felt completely comfortable. Upon undertaking the first open water dive she had an anxiety episode where she felt like she couldn't breathe using the regs and kept trying to breathe through her nose thus inhaling seawater. Her anxiety from this has prevented her from completing her open water. I have explained to her that in times of anxiety/panic we automatically fall back onto what we know and this is why we train and practice our skills to form muscle memory.
I'm not advocating the following but this is what we are doing to overcome the anxiety. We purchased a nose clip, the same ones used by synchronised swimmers and are using it when snorkelling. We make sure the nose clip does impede her ability to equalise but just makes it hard to breathe in. My wife has also taken to using the nose clip whilst doing breathing exercises whilst watching television.
Just recently she successfully completed a short dive (without the pressure of completing skills), although anxious it was successful, guided by a very patient instructor. Her instructor is confident she will be able to recommence her open water training soon.

It should be repeated that a swimming nose clip inside the mask does not in any way prevent the equalization of the mask. You can get air out of your nose without any major problems. Generations of divers have used this technique and even though it is currently considered despicable, I continue to use it because it is very convenient for compensating hands-free eardrums.

Robert A. Barth securing the entry hatch of SEALAB I (1964).

 

[Angelo Farina]

Hello everyone, I am new to scuba diving, finished my two days training in the pool, I had some challenges learning how to breath, clear the mask, etc but it went well and the instructor gave me confidence that I am ready for the first open water dive as part of the training. It was one to one, shallow water and the minute he signaled to go under water, and I looked around I panicked, could not breath or use the regulator, I wanted to inhale from my nose and I felt as if suffocating. We tried several times and I could not make it and called it a day. Every time I think of being under water I have anxiety attack now and I feel really bad for failing. Is this Normal for new divers? Can I get better and overcome my fear or scuba diving is not for everyone and should not be forced and just accept the fact that it is fine if I can’t learn it. Would benefit from others experience and advice. Thank you!

Not being able to breath is a frightful experience.
And panic is not good for a diver, people suffering of panic attacks should not dive at all, in my opinion.
But let's evaluate another perspective.
The explanation you provided, is that you panicked (a psychological event) and the panick caused a glottis blockage, which impeded you to breath (a physiological consequence).
It is a perfectly reasonable explanation.
But let's analyze another possibility, which I witnessed at least three times.
A glottis blockage can occur as a spontaneous reflex, known as the perinatal reflex.
All childrens have this reflex up to 3 months.
It is triggered by some neuroreceptors around the nostrils. When they are stimulated by the contact of (cold) water or by an intense air flow, the glottis closes and you cannot breath.
This of course can trigger a consequential panic situation...
The fact that you had problems breathing underwater already in the pool suggests that you could suffer of glottis blockage triggeted by the neonatal reflex.
As said, I have seen this a number of times, typically when the mask is suddenly removed or flooded, and water hits the neuroreceptors around nostrils.
Despite still having the regulator in mouth, the diver cannot breath, spits the regulsmator and zooms to surface, risking lung damage due to air expansion.
You can discover easily if you suffer of this glottis blockage. Take your snorkel, no mask, start breathing through it, and then submrrge your face in cold water. You can do this at home in a basin.
If you experience difficulty or impossibility in breathing through the snorkel when you place your face under water, then the glottis blockage reflex is confirmed.
This is not the end of your diving career, indeed...
Whilst undeserved panic attacks are a big problem, instead the glottis blockage reflex is a much smaller problem. It can be fixed perfectly with a couple of months of daily exercises, in the basin at home or in a cold swimming pool.
Talk with your instructor, make the test for assessing if this is your problem, perhaps also make some other tests with a psychotic disturbances professional, for assessing your risk of suffering of panic attacks.
If you are lucky, it will end up that the problem was not an undeserved panic attack, but an episode of glottis blockage.
So a real physiological problem, the panic was just a perfectly normal consequence, and nothing that will repeat once you manage how to avoid the glottis blockage.

 

[Angelo Farina]

A couple of years ago I saw this happen to a diver with over a 100 dives. It was our first dive of the holiday and just an easy dive off the jetty to about 12m in warm water, yet she just could not go beneath the surface. After about 10 minutes she had to try again several times before getting her breathing OK. After that she was fine doing boat dives to 30m +.

Glottis blockage reflex. I also have seen this at least three times.