What is a known panic point for you while diving?

[Buoyant1]

Oh I forgot, while diving Key Largo this past March, I decided to dive a little deeper and take a look beneath a coral shelf, thinking I would see a shark, and when I did I saw this huge green Moray Eel. Looking me directly in the face. I swear that eel was as big as a basketball in diameter, and at least 6 or 7 feet long. I kinda freaked out a bit but not panicked, and went up a few feet to bring my girlfriend down to see it also. It then wiggled backwards further beneath the reef messing up the visibility, to where she could not see how large it was. A couple minutes later we saw another large one, not at large but damn near, outside the reef.

I never knew Eels could get that large.

I felt the same way about the 'cuda! I was just getting used to the little 2 ft guys then WHOA!

 

[mwhities]

Oh I forgot, while diving Key Largo this past March, I decided to dive a little deeper and take a look beneath a coral shelf, thinking I would see a shark, and when I did I saw this huge green Moray Eel. Looking me directly in the face. I swear that eel was as big as a basketball in diameter, and at least 6 or 7 feet long. I kinda freaked out a bit but not panicked, and went up a few feet to bring my girlfriend down to see it also. It then wiggled backwards further beneath the reef messing up the visibility, to where she could not see how large it was. A couple minutes later we saw another large one, not at large but damn near, outside the reef.

I never knew Eels could get that large.

I dove in Belize and I saw my first Moray Eel. He was HUGE. Had to be every bit a foot or more top to bottom. Couldn't see the end of him.

Then I dove in Cozumel and saw another one. This one made the one in Belize look SMALL. Talking about scarey!!

On both occaisions I stumbled upon both of them. Been my first time seeing them, I was VERY startled. Never imagined that they were so big. Still, I have yet to experience the true sizes of other fish too. I'm sure each one will be a "startling" experience. Ohh on the same Cozumel dive, I saw my first shark. My DM said it was a 7' Nurse Shark. I was so excited, I tried to swim to it. (Of course, it was 30+ feet away and moving fast.)

Michael

 

[Brandon]

I don't like jellyfish. They don't make me freak out... but I'm very leery of them.

-B

 

[TSandM]

And, I STILL don't enjoy taking a giant stride off into black water at night.

I don't like giant stride entries any time. Didn't like them in class, and don't like them now. I DO them, but something in the back of my mind is convinced I'm going to take the back of my head off on the boat on the way down.

Reading Kevrumbo's description of vertigo on deco made me shiver. But I think I might make it through vertigo if I could see. It's getting vertigo when I CAN'T see that makes me crazy. No visual reference, and your ears are telling you you're doing somersaults when you're not. Ugh.

 

[MissyP]

when I am not making any headway in a current

This one gets me too~ especially when I'm being pulled further away from where I'm trying to go by the current I'm fighting.... Doesn't "panic" me~ but it stresses me quite a bit.

 

[Jim Ernst]

Sometimes on a Solo night dive, once or twice I have scared myself thinking something was behind me.

Quickly looking around with my light and well........ Nothing there and I have had to slow my breathing down and sit back and laugh at myself.

Also while working as a rescue diver on a movie set in rock cuorry (solo)
-0- Vis and complete unknown black darkness and had to drop down, This I did do and wont do again, I forced them into hireing a back up diver or lose me as well and I was being paid VERY well. they saw things my way!!

Not enough to die!!

 

[lifeisfullofgooddives]

Cold makes me way more likely to panic....I once called a dive before I even surfaced because my body gave me the "if you go you die"...vibe.

But I learned from that and always dive with a hood or more exposure than I need...no problems since.

 

[CJ Waid]

When I am up on shore, just about the time before we start suiting up in a cold, damp wet suit (from the day before), getting ready to go into 40 degree water when I am already cold from standing on shore waiting for everyone to get there and get ready.

That always sends me into a panic (nothing to do with the actual dive, just the thought of having to put on the cold wetsuit), although I have been dipping it in hot water lately, but once in a while we leave the dive shop without remembering the water, and that really sucks....

As far as diving goes, lately I have been a little apprehensive about what is going to be simulated during our drills/scenerios, so far it hasn't been bad at all, but it does put you on the edge of your seat to wonder what the other divers plotted against you.

 

[tonyafrica]

Hi
I become stressed the longer we stay on the surface,almost all the diving on the east coast of southern africa is done from a rubberduck,and often the DM will instruct divers to wait for his signal before descending. I am always fearful of being run over by a boat whilst bobbing in large swells. When I hit the water, I wanna go down........ I concentrate on relaxing whilst on the surface, but it still gets me...............

 

[fyh]

I've only had one panic situation. It was on my first OW checkout dive.
I'm not sure why or how, but I got a VERY wet breath through my reg. I started choking and wanted to bolt to the surface.

We were kneeling on a platform at about 25 ft. and my instructor was facing me two feet away. When I felt the water hit my lungs, I started to panic and I gave her the thumb to say "I'm outta here!!!" and before I could stand and start for the surface, she grabbed my arm.

She calmed me down and I worked through the problem and choked and coughed until I was ok.

I went on with the rest of the dive and perfomed all the skills without any problems.

I'm actually very grateful that this happened during my OW class. I feel it actually helped me learn how Not to panic.