Mr. Brown/Scuba:
Is it?
Pete
Terror in the water
- Thread starter Bicster
- Start date
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Is it?
Pete
wetrat
Contributor
Bicster,
Welcome to ScubaBoard. Doc had some great advice for you as did others. I just wanted to re-emphasize TAKE YOUR TIME. There's absolutely no reason to hurry at all. It's not like the nation depends on us getting our next certification or anything. Amidst the flurry of equipment buying and the goal of becoming certified, some instructors and students miss that fact I think.
Good luck and keep us posted. We are all pulling for ya!
wetrat
Welcome to ScubaBoard. Doc had some great advice for you as did others. I just wanted to re-emphasize TAKE YOUR TIME. There's absolutely no reason to hurry at all. It's not like the nation depends on us getting our next certification or anything. Amidst the flurry of equipment buying and the goal of becoming certified, some instructors and students miss that fact I think.
Good luck and keep us posted. We are all pulling for ya!
wetrat
I agree ..... I,m new to this too. Advanced open water certified.Ive done my deep dive and night dive training all very successfully . All in a space of only six months. There were times when i felt I was OVER MY HEAD- But common sence rules...If you know your not comfortable no-ones got a gun to your head. Find yourself a good instructor and go at your own pace. This can be a life changing experience.Mr. Brown/Scuba:
There is nothing natural, reassuring, or easy about breathing underwater. We are simply not meant to be there, and we know it at a visceral level. Having marginal equipment simply emphasizes that.
But there is something intoxicating, euphoric and utterly addicting about being under water, too. I didn't expect that; learning to dive was something I did because my husband wanted me to, and we had a trip planned where diving would be fun. I was no natural . . . I did "remedial everything" in my certification class, and I think the people supervising me occasionally despaired at ever getting me through to a pass. (If you want some amusement, read my journal of my OW class!) My first four dives, for my OW cert, weren't fun. They were cold, in poor visibility, and just short of terrifying, and I never made any sense out of the chaotic impressions that literally inundated me during them. Why I perservered still puzzles me.
About my third dive in the AOW class, I finally achieved neutral buoyancy and found out what it was to be weightless and effortless underwater. I haven't looked back since. I've logged 32 dives in two months, and it's not enough. This is, without a doubt, the most worrisomely addicting thing I have ever done.
Stick with it. If you need to find a different shop, with better quality or better maintained equipment, do it. We were very lucky that our local dive shop is one of the best ones in the area, but we didn't know that when we signed up. I can tell you that it is worth it.
But there is something intoxicating, euphoric and utterly addicting about being under water, too. I didn't expect that; learning to dive was something I did because my husband wanted me to, and we had a trip planned where diving would be fun. I was no natural . . . I did "remedial everything" in my certification class, and I think the people supervising me occasionally despaired at ever getting me through to a pass. (If you want some amusement, read my journal of my OW class!) My first four dives, for my OW cert, weren't fun. They were cold, in poor visibility, and just short of terrifying, and I never made any sense out of the chaotic impressions that literally inundated me during them. Why I perservered still puzzles me.
About my third dive in the AOW class, I finally achieved neutral buoyancy and found out what it was to be weightless and effortless underwater. I haven't looked back since. I've logged 32 dives in two months, and it's not enough. This is, without a doubt, the most worrisomely addicting thing I have ever done.
Stick with it. If you need to find a different shop, with better quality or better maintained equipment, do it. We were very lucky that our local dive shop is one of the best ones in the area, but we didn't know that when we signed up. I can tell you that it is worth it.
OP
Bicster
Contributor
I'm excited about getting back in the water this weekend. Thanks again for all the help!
Keep in touch, have fun, we'll all be here for you.
Pete
Pete
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I recently learned a little about how bad some shops can be in Houston. Here's a link to my thread, if you're interested: Well, we TRIED to support her local dive shop
gbeegle
Guest
just a thought on script masks,my wife needs glasses to,well basicly to see,when I look thru them it's like looking thru coke bottles but underwater she can see very well because of the way the water works,did you guys try some regular masks underwater before you purchased the scripts?? I am also a brand new diver and just recently did my ow cert,let me tell you it's perfectly normal to be nervous and being conscious of your equipment is always good,I burned thru my tanks in the pool skills because I was nervous and taking huge breathes,not good,our instructor was quite good,master diver cert and very patient,we started the first pool session by just swimming around under water just getting the feel of it.It is very tough to take a perfectly good reg out of your mouth and push it away from you or to flood your mask with water or even completely take it off!!! I was very nervous,but by taking your time and working with the instructor on each skill you will get thru it,now mask clearing and reg retrival is no biggie,take it slow and think about what you are doing !!!! that's what our instructor taught us,to me it's all about the lds and the instuctors,so far I have had success with both,we were lucky and had a small group(8) ,we did the ow cert at a quarry that had platforms and that made it much easier,it's still way different then a pool.when you do your skills if you are struggling the instructor should spend extra time with you aside from the class and make sure you can do the skill before you move on, if you aren't comfortable with the skill or any of the skills do a private pool session or refresher,the skills seem a bit frightening in your open water but trust me you need to know them they can save you and your buddy.I'm up to 14 dives and feel much more comfortable underwater,even got a full hour bottom time from one tank,when you do get certified I would suggest doing a nice easy drift dive,that's what we did,30-40 feet of water(niagara river,canada) and no work,good dive to work on your breathing and buoyancy,it's a blast,take your time and remember diving is fun,good luck-don't give up !!!!!
OP
Bicster
Contributor
So much for this weekend. Darn hurricane :-(
Wayward Son
Contributor
I wonder if some time in the pool with a snorkel might help you? Just swim around the top snorkeling, get used to breathing while your face is UW?
On your octo breathing hard, many models have a knob or level to control how easy they breath. Usually they're makred "Dive" and "Predive", with "Predive" having the most resistance. This setting it to reduce the possibility of free flows. Turn the knob or move the lever to the "Dive" position and they breath much easier. Look your rental rig over to see if it has this.
My wife had the same problem with a rental rig. Said it breathed real hard. Her instructor never even looked at it, but when I told her about this she went back & yep, it had it. Changed the stting, it breathed fine & she was set from that point on.
On your octo breathing hard, many models have a knob or level to control how easy they breath. Usually they're makred "Dive" and "Predive", with "Predive" having the most resistance. This setting it to reduce the possibility of free flows. Turn the knob or move the lever to the "Dive" position and they breath much easier. Look your rental rig over to see if it has this.
My wife had the same problem with a rental rig. Said it breathed real hard. Her instructor never even looked at it, but when I told her about this she went back & yep, it had it. Changed the stting, it breathed fine & she was set from that point on.
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