were you scared?

[spectrum]

Clarissa1,

You've done your pool work and your instructor wouldn't be taking you out if you weren't ready. Remember everything from class. Between now and then visualize a dive.

Remember as others have stressed to respect your ears. You ears may be the slowest part and it will get easier with experience so gtke whatever time you need going down.

I can realte to it all except for the boat, we did all of our training from the ocean shore. Being able to just jump in will save you a lot of work crossing a rocky beach and traversing the surf. Excited, anxious yes but I wasn't really nervous. Your instructor should anticipate your anxiousness but be sure to communicate. You may feel challenged but you should also feel prepared.

Have you been in the ocean skin-diving? If you have the time, gear and access before your dives go for a skindive in a nice cove. It may help to get some sense for what the ocean bottom looks like in person. Your dive site is sure to vary but it's very different from a pool or freshwater location.

At some point be sure to at least get an orientation about shore diving if it's not done as a latter certification dive.

Relax and have some great dives!

Pete

 

[mongoose]

Hi Blox

Well maybe the term "BEYOND nervous" was a bit of an exageration I am not scared to death ..just nervous about what to expect. The main reason I asked the question was because most people here can remember what it felt like the first time they dived and whether it was worse/better than they expected.

I am expecting to feel intimidated by the ocean. I also feel scared that I might panick down there and then want to shoot up to the top! hehe

I also know that there are (obviously) differences in practising in a 8m pool versus diving in a HUGE ocean and small things are going to feel and be much different. I these unkown factors scare me.

Like, will my ears hurt so bad that I can't stand it?
Will my throat get that dry that I want to get out?
Will I have trouble staying with my buddy?
Will I get lost! (Big worry!! haha)
What happens if I feel sea sick
What if I cant get my mask cleared!!?? (battling with this one!)

I am even scared of doing a backroll from the boat!! (even though I have done it from the poolside!)

Overall I am a person who LOVES being in the water but have had some instances happen to me that reminded me of how dangerous and overpowering water can sometimes be. so I think that is where my fear comes from? I know I'll be fine. I just need people to tell me I'll be fine as well!

Let me preface everything I am saying with this: Listen to the instros & DMs before you listen to me. Everything below is simply what I have to say.

I will say, IMHO, that a person should not dive when they are literally frightened. This will make you a safety liability. I look at the water with awe and reverential respect, and it cartainly intimidates me, but I am not terrified of it. In short, the water demands either your respect or your life... it is perfectly happy with either one. I would suggest to let those scary experiences make you a better/safer diver, and increase your awareness of, and respect for, the water.

That having been said, I remember my OW class was very busy, and it took a bit of concentration to keep up, and that can add a tad of stress. Pay close attention to your instructor, and do exactly as they say. If you were able to handle the pool okay, I don't see why you would panic in open water. Just have to remember...bolting upstairs is not an option. Breathe in, breathe out... and take care of business.

As far as the specific things you mention:
-- Never go into the pain. Diving should never hurt. Signal your buddy/instro, point to your ears, come up a bit, and try to equalize again.
-- Drink plenty of water before your dive. Cram every single molecule of water into your stomach that you can fit in there. You should be thinking, "Oh, god no more drinking water... please." Your body will use the water. At the risk of being gross, if your urine is not crystal-clear, you are not properly hydrated. Speaking of urine, pee in the wetsuit. There are two types of divers...those who pee in their suits and those who lie about it.
-- You won't have a problem staying with your buddy if you stay with your buddy. That sounds goofy, I know, but stay within arm's reach of them. Before you head downstairs, make sure you talk things over with your buddy & make sure you guys agree to stick with each other. If you have a problem with a buddy running off, bring it to the attention of the DM/instro. In the real world, if your buddy runs off...get another buddy. Buddy abandonment is unacceptable.
-- You will not get lost. If that instro is even remotely worth her salt, she and the DMs will simply not allow that to happen. In all likelihood, you'll go down and come up as a group. At least that's how my OW was.
-- Sea sickness in the boat... get to the center of the boat, outside, where there is fresh air, breathe deep and slow, and stare at the horizon. Personally I like to drink ice-cold water when I feel queasy. Don't read inside the boat. Don't eat the Denny's 5-egg sausage, bacon, prime rib, jalapeno, goat cheese, and anchovy omelet for breakfast.
-- If you feel like you are going to hork underwater, then hork away... right through the regulator. No matter how repulsive anything is that is coming out of our stomach, just send 'er right through that regulator. KEEP THE REG IN YOUR MOUTH NO MATTER WHAT. NO MATTER WHAT, THAT REG STAYS IN. Bite down and hang on. Hold it in with your hand if you need to.
-- Make sure the instro knows that you're having a hard time with the mask-clearing. If you can do it in the pool, you can do it in the ocean. Just remember...surface-bolting is not an option... gotta take care of it downstairs. Keep that reg in, breathe in & out, and solve the problem...you'll knock that skill out like it's second nature.
-- For the backroll off the boat, just keep that reg in and you will breathe... it's as simple as that.

Respect the water, breathe in & out, stay focused, pay attention, and knock out your skills. You will build confidence (not OVERconfidence), and you will be fine.

Regards,
--'Goose

 

[clarissa1]

thanks guys for all the tips/advice and reassurances! I feel better already. It can't be that bad!!

Mongoose--> LOL about the pee thing, never even thought about that!

 

[clarissa1]

thanks guys for all the tips/advice and reassurances! I feel better already. It can't be that bad!!

Mongoose--> LOL about the pee thing, never EVER thought about that!

 

[octgal]

You know, when i did my advanced a few weeks ago, the thought of going to 100' scared me so bad. I thought about it waaaay too much the night before, by moring and time to dive i had the "dear in the headlights" look LOL I took my instructor aside to tell him EXACTLY how i was feeling, and we went down VERY slow always making sure i was ok every minute. I was fine because of this procedure and when i got down there, i thought, well this isn't so bad!!! I felt so proud of myself after too,and you will too, and u should! Your mind sometimes can be your worst enemy!!! Talk it through with the instructor before hand.

About the clearing your ears issue. I had some trouble in the past with this and i always remember being on a dive and the DM asking me to get down to the bottom, i gave the " NO trouble with ears" sign, i needed to go slow as my sinus' were hurting. I took my sweet ol time with my understanding buddy, but that stupid DM kept telling me to come down, after saying no a few times i felt like giving her the finger LOL!!! Don't do anything you aren't comfortable with ever, no matter who is telling you too.

Can't wait to hear how it goes!

 

[octgal]

Let me preface everything I am saying with this: Listen to the instros & DMs before you listen to me. Everything below is simply what I have to say.

I will say, IMHO, that a person should not dive when they are literally frightened. This will make you a safety liability. I look at the water with awe and reverential respect, and it cartainly intimidates me, but I am not terrified of it. In short, the water demands either your respect or your life... it is perfectly happy with either one. I would suggest to let those scary experiences make you a better/safer diver, and increase your awareness of, and respect for, the water.

That having been said, I remember my OW class was very busy, and it took a bit of concentration to keep up, and that can add a tad of stress. Pay close attention to your instructor, and do exactly as they say. If you were able to handle the pool okay, I don't see why you would panic in open water. Just have to remember...bolting upstairs is not an option. Breathe in, breathe out... and take care of business.

As far as the specific things you mention:
-- Never go into the pain. Diving should never hurt. Signal your buddy/instro, point to your ears, come up a bit, and try to equalize again.
-- Drink plenty of water before your dive. Cram every single molecule of water into your stomach that you can fit in there. You should be thinking, "Oh, god no more drinking water... please." Your body will use the water. At the risk of being gross, if your urine is not crystal-clear, you are not properly hydrated. Speaking of urine, pee in the wetsuit. There are two types of divers...those who pee in their suits and those who lie about it.
-- You won't have a problem staying with your buddy if you stay with your buddy. That sounds goofy, I know, but stay within arm's reach of them. Before you head downstairs, make sure you talk things over with your buddy & make sure you guys agree to stick with each other. If you have a problem with a buddy running off, bring it to the attention of the DM/instro. In the real world, if your buddy runs off...get another buddy. Buddy abandonment is unacceptable.
-- You will not get lost. If that instro is even remotely worth her salt, she and the DMs will simply not allow that to happen. In all likelihood, you'll go down and come up as a group. At least that's how my OW was.
-- Sea sickness in the boat... get to the center of the boat, outside, where there is fresh air, breathe deep and slow, and stare at the horizon. Personally I like to drink ice-cold water when I feel queasy. Don't read inside the boat. Don't eat the Denny's 5-egg sausage, bacon, prime rib, jalapeno, goat cheese, and anchovy omelet for breakfast.
-- If you feel like you are going to hork underwater, then hork away... right through the regulator. No matter how repulsive anything is that is coming out of our stomach, just send 'er right through that regulator. KEEP THE REG IN YOUR MOUTH NO MATTER WHAT. NO MATTER WHAT, THAT REG STAYS IN. Bite down and hang on. Hold it in with your hand if you need to.
-- Make sure the instro knows that you're having a hard time with the mask-clearing. If you can do it in the pool, you can do it in the ocean. Just remember...surface-bolting is not an option... gotta take care of it downstairs. Keep that reg in, breathe in & out, and solve the problem...you'll knock that skill out like it's second nature.
-- For the backroll off the boat, just keep that reg in and you will breathe... it's as simple as that.

Respect the water, breathe in & out, stay focused, pay attention, and knock out your skills. You will build confidence (not OVERconfidence), and you will be fine.

Regards,
--'Goose

Man i love this guy, you are soo funny! had me in tears with this post! i have a funny story or two about people "horking" through the reg too

 

[lorien]

Well, I was honestly pretty close to terrified when it was time for my OW dives. However I told myself that I had done all this before, I just was doing it in a lake instead of a pool. Did not help much and I also had trouble sleeping. For me the first dive was the toughest and once I got through most of the skills and saw that I really could do them I started to calm down somewhat. I think it was more a fear that I would not be able to actually do the dives and complete the skills. If you could do them in the pool you will be able to do them in open water. Just try to relax and I would agree that it would be a good thing to communicate your concerns to your instructor ahead of time.
Remember to clear your ears early and often. Never wait until you feel pain. Clear early and you will be fine. Your dives will probably not last long enough for your throat to get really dry. make sure you hydrate yourself well before the dives (drink water).
Your instructor will probably have you lined up in very close proximity to your buddy and to the sintructor as well during skills. Your instructor will be keeping an eagle eye on you throughout.
If you were able to clear your mask in the pool you wil be able to do it in OW, just remember to relax and take your time, it is not a race. Remember to exhale through your nose.
You will be fine and once it is done you can start to really enjoy the underwater world which is why you are getting certified in the first place!

 

[cgilyeat]

Clarissa1,
As I mentioned in the new divers foruim, I just completed my OW certification dives this past weekend (yesterday (10/30)). Doing the dives was no problem, my nerves were abiout the BC remove and replace. I had had some problems with it in the pool (was the last one done) and was worried about it for the certification. and again, I was the last one done, and was a little frustrated about how long it took me. The best advice I can give you, is to have fun and enjoy it.

 

[Blox]

Don't eat the Denny's 5-egg sausage, bacon, prime rib, jalapeno, goat cheese, and anchovy omelet for breakfast.

Wait.... that's bad advice (I think)

That sounds just like the perfect breakfast

Ermm... well... maybe not, but the truth is that your chances getting seasick are one helluva lot bigger with an empty stomach than with a full one.

 

[mongoose]

thanks guys for all the tips/advice and reassurances! I feel better already. It can't be that bad!!

Mongoose--> LOL about the pee thing, never even thought about that!

Peeing in the suit is nothing. Just...whatever you do, don't search for the Warhammer maneuver. I'm telling you.. be afraid... very afraid.

(cue sound of scubaboard's disk drives revving up as everyone searches for it)

Let's just say it has to do with the omelet thing. In fact, no, let's don't say that. Let's just never speak of it.