nereas
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underwater and breathing fears
- Thread starter jzdiver
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- I'm a Fish!
Take up bowling ... Just kidding! You know why your in class? So you'll be trained not to let anything bad happen to you. Think about it do you drive a car? That is way more dangerous you can't control the other guy. In diving you are responsible for yourself ... isn't that the BEST?
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We know what we can do and what we can't. Diving is basically don't hold your breath. Don't come up to fast. You can dive so long at that depth. Once we understand the rules we can play! So have fun, don't worry, enjoy. It's not always we can control what happens so be thankful and do it.
During my first pool dive, with some of the discomfort involved, I could definite see some people thinking "screw it, this is not for me!!". Stick with it. Don't decide to bail out until you've done a couple more pool dives. Just try to stay calm and get used to how all the equipment works.
Jzdiver,
After a terrible start last class (September class) and two pool sessions, then dropping out due to fears (see my previous post), I just finished the first pool session of the October class. I had a very good experience. All of the fears were gone. As many have suggested, it is just a matter of time and experience. In fact, I had a great time! I really wasn't sure if I could do it, but after enough time in the pool during the past two weeks practicing with snorkel, mask off, mask clearing, etc, all was very good. I have to say, now I can see, or at least get a glimmer of, where all the passion for the sport comes from. I can't wait to go on real dives. Seriously, stick with it, just give it time. It is a skill just getting used to it all, and skills take practice. I'm not the most credible source for all this, as I was a quivering piece of protoplasm during the september class, but I had a blast last class. Lying on my back in the deep end, watching the rain hit the pool, lightning (far off!, florida at night...) illuminating the outer world, watching the bubbles shimmer in the lights from above the pool. It was cool (and no laughing from the experts on the board - laugh silently!). I can't wait for the real deal.
After a terrible start last class (September class) and two pool sessions, then dropping out due to fears (see my previous post), I just finished the first pool session of the October class. I had a very good experience. All of the fears were gone. As many have suggested, it is just a matter of time and experience. In fact, I had a great time! I really wasn't sure if I could do it, but after enough time in the pool during the past two weeks practicing with snorkel, mask off, mask clearing, etc, all was very good. I have to say, now I can see, or at least get a glimmer of, where all the passion for the sport comes from. I can't wait to go on real dives. Seriously, stick with it, just give it time. It is a skill just getting used to it all, and skills take practice. I'm not the most credible source for all this, as I was a quivering piece of protoplasm during the september class, but I had a blast last class. Lying on my back in the deep end, watching the rain hit the pool, lightning (far off!, florida at night...) illuminating the outer world, watching the bubbles shimmer in the lights from above the pool. It was cool (and no laughing from the experts on the board - laugh silently!). I can't wait for the real deal.
Parysa
Contributor
I second the thing about loosening your fins. I had been really cranking down on my fin straps and my feet and legs cramped so bad. Once I loosened the strap, it was fine and I had no more problems. You don't want it loose enough to slip, but you definitely don't need them cranked down. For me, if it's hard to get the fin strap off, it's too tight.
TNdiver6387
Registered
tceylan, I want to say first, that if anyone adopts ANY diving practice because of reading it in one post, they really need to have their head examined. I'm still looking for the information about the over expansions, but its been close to a year I'd say since i saw the information, so it may be a while before i find it again. This post, by Kirk Krack, an internationally known freediving instructor who has worked with and trained multiple world record holding freedivers advocates exhaling a few feet from the surface for several reasons.
nereas, the reason I made the points I made is because I dont like seeing people say things are ALWAYS or NEVER done, when there are many well documented examples of the opposite. I fully understand that you were talking about shallow diving and that some of what I've had to say doesnt nesicerally apply to that, but you should specify that the points you're making apply to the cases your discussing and not ALL freediving.
I will be back with the other information as soon as I find the links.
DalTexDiver
Guest
IF you can afford the expense, you might consider private lessons. Then the instructor can spend more time addressing your particular needs and concerns. Just a thought. If it is any consolation, I have over 200 dives and every time I get in open blue water, I have to tell myself I know how to do this. Have to get used to it all over again. After I hit the bottom, I am a diver again. Diving is a great sport and you can meet a lot of really cool people among divers. If you can, hang in there. My only regret is I did not start 20 years earlier.
Justwander
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jz-
i completely understand how you felt underwater. my first pool dive was with an instructor who rushed through everything (his wife was giving birth that day) and I was with three guys who all had been diving before. I felt uncomfortable and cramped in our ONE lane in the pool and thought my career was over. I pushed on and did the open water elsewhere with just myself and an incredible instructor who went as slowly as i needed. He kept my eyes locked with his as we went down and stayed with me as I spent a long time clearing my ears as we descended. He also had me stay still on the bottom for a bit until I felt calm and ready. Someone above said you may not be cut out for diving, which I suppose is true but i hope you keep trying before you give up. I was miserable, uncomfortable, and sometimes scared during my pool dive. I felt 100 times better during my open water. If you or anyone else ever needs an excellent ow instructor in RI -Chris Parker. I can give you his info if needed.
i completely understand how you felt underwater. my first pool dive was with an instructor who rushed through everything (his wife was giving birth that day) and I was with three guys who all had been diving before. I felt uncomfortable and cramped in our ONE lane in the pool and thought my career was over. I pushed on and did the open water elsewhere with just myself and an incredible instructor who went as slowly as i needed. He kept my eyes locked with his as we went down and stayed with me as I spent a long time clearing my ears as we descended. He also had me stay still on the bottom for a bit until I felt calm and ready. Someone above said you may not be cut out for diving, which I suppose is true but i hope you keep trying before you give up. I was miserable, uncomfortable, and sometimes scared during my pool dive. I felt 100 times better during my open water. If you or anyone else ever needs an excellent ow instructor in RI -Chris Parker. I can give you his info if needed.
Justwander/ Jessman,
It sounds like your both doing great now.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me.
My second pool dive actually went a lot better than my first pool dive. I was able to complete all the required exercises except had a lot of problems clearing my mask. I could not seem to breathe through my nose to clear my mask. The instructors really breezed through everything. My buddy said outside of that I did really well. I did not feel as confident. I was dreading my third confined pool dive. Again, I completely all the exercises except had a problem with the free flowing regulator and skindiving to the bottom of the pool. I came back up panicking. I thought I was going to run out of air. I managed to clear my mask better this time than in my previous pool dive. We are scheduled to do our Open Water dives this coming weekend at Dutch Springs, PA. I am really dreading it because now I will be in a different environment. I will be in deeper and colder waters. I know that if I don't do it now I may not complete my open water dives in the near future. I was able to complete the pool dives because I kept saying to myself I am in a pool what can posssibly happen to me. I am so afraid of panicking underwater. I had one experience where I had to retrieve my mask underwater and started breathing so hard I thought I was going to run out of air. I knew then I was starting to panick. I kept telling myself that I will be fine. I managed to get my breathing under control. My buddy thinks I will do fine in the Open Water dives. I just don't feel good about it. The mask clearing is a real struggle for me. When I questioned my instructor about my weaknesses he told me that with practice I wil be fine. I just don't know if I am cut out for scuba. I still don't know if I like it.
It sounds like your both doing great now.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me.
My second pool dive actually went a lot better than my first pool dive. I was able to complete all the required exercises except had a lot of problems clearing my mask. I could not seem to breathe through my nose to clear my mask. The instructors really breezed through everything. My buddy said outside of that I did really well. I did not feel as confident. I was dreading my third confined pool dive. Again, I completely all the exercises except had a problem with the free flowing regulator and skindiving to the bottom of the pool. I came back up panicking. I thought I was going to run out of air. I managed to clear my mask better this time than in my previous pool dive. We are scheduled to do our Open Water dives this coming weekend at Dutch Springs, PA. I am really dreading it because now I will be in a different environment. I will be in deeper and colder waters. I know that if I don't do it now I may not complete my open water dives in the near future. I was able to complete the pool dives because I kept saying to myself I am in a pool what can posssibly happen to me. I am so afraid of panicking underwater. I had one experience where I had to retrieve my mask underwater and started breathing so hard I thought I was going to run out of air. I knew then I was starting to panick. I kept telling myself that I will be fine. I managed to get my breathing under control. My buddy thinks I will do fine in the Open Water dives. I just don't feel good about it. The mask clearing is a real struggle for me. When I questioned my instructor about my weaknesses he told me that with practice I wil be fine. I just don't know if I am cut out for scuba. I still don't know if I like it.
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