Anyone else really nervous in the beginning?
- Thread starter nldunn
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@nldunn
I think you should stay on the path you’re on. Further, you’re probably doing better than you think.
I think there’s been some great advice already (and some that makes me think the author didn’t read your post
) so I’m not going to offer any advice.
I would like to share with you an experience I had one time that may (hopefully) take some pressure off.
I had well over a hundred dives under my belt, technical training and decompression dives from 200 fsw / 60 msw along massive coral walls before I felt like I had truly become a real diver.
However, that moment of realization didn’t happen on some super deep dive with exotic scenery…not at all. It happened at a relatively shallow 33 fsw / 10 msw and that was the max depth for the day.
My good dive buddy and I were doing a casual lap around a reef crown with the reef at our right shoulder when he indicated I should look left. When I did, I was eye to eye with a male dolphin with a pod of 11 dolphins further off to his left. Amongst them were a couple of cows and their two newborn calves. The dolphins swam with us for about 10 more minutes. What was supernatural about this moment was the male would make deliberate eye contact with me, sprint ahead and then circle back around and put himself between me and the pod. When he would come back alongside me, I could tell there was cognitive thought going on just as surely as if in an encounter with another human. I realized that I was truly in this creature’s realm, not my own. I still can’t put into words how magical it was, but magical it was.
Anyways, that was the day I felt like I became a real diver and it happened 8 meters shy of the max depth of a Basic OW certification.
If you stick with what you’re doing, you’re going to have a magical moment, too, when you feel an invigorating sense of confidence and identity as a diver and it probably won’t have anything to do with depth. There could be any number of reasons that make your moment magical but it’s going to happen.
Keep kickin’ butt, sister.
I think you should stay on the path you’re on. Further, you’re probably doing better than you think.
I think there’s been some great advice already (and some that makes me think the author didn’t read your post
) so I’m not going to offer any advice.I would like to share with you an experience I had one time that may (hopefully) take some pressure off.
I had well over a hundred dives under my belt, technical training and decompression dives from 200 fsw / 60 msw along massive coral walls before I felt like I had truly become a real diver.
However, that moment of realization didn’t happen on some super deep dive with exotic scenery…not at all. It happened at a relatively shallow 33 fsw / 10 msw and that was the max depth for the day.
My good dive buddy and I were doing a casual lap around a reef crown with the reef at our right shoulder when he indicated I should look left. When I did, I was eye to eye with a male dolphin with a pod of 11 dolphins further off to his left. Amongst them were a couple of cows and their two newborn calves. The dolphins swam with us for about 10 more minutes. What was supernatural about this moment was the male would make deliberate eye contact with me, sprint ahead and then circle back around and put himself between me and the pod. When he would come back alongside me, I could tell there was cognitive thought going on just as surely as if in an encounter with another human. I realized that I was truly in this creature’s realm, not my own. I still can’t put into words how magical it was, but magical it was.
Anyways, that was the day I felt like I became a real diver and it happened 8 meters shy of the max depth of a Basic OW certification.
If you stick with what you’re doing, you’re going to have a magical moment, too, when you feel an invigorating sense of confidence and identity as a diver and it probably won’t have anything to do with depth. There could be any number of reasons that make your moment magical but it’s going to happen.
Keep kickin’ butt, sister.
Your story gave me goosebumps!! Thank you for sharing that. You should publish that in a diving magazine. I love dolphins, I would have died from joy if that happened and I appreciate your perspective on what makes one feel like a real diver. It is a different world down there, and I really have moments during the dives we have done this week where I'm saying to myself, "Wow! I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be down here!" Of course, those are interspersed with "Am I crazy? I'm going to die down here!!" LOL!@nldunn
I think you should stay on the path you’re on. Further, you’re probably doing better than you think.
I think there’s been some great advice already (and some that makes me think the author didn’t read your post
I would like to share with you an experience I had one time that may (hopefully) take some pressure off.
I had well over a hundred dives under my belt, technical training and decompression dives from 200 fsw / 60 msw along massive coral walls before I felt like I had truly become a real diver.
However, that moment of realization didn’t happen on some super deep dive with exotic scenery…not at all. It happened at a relatively shallow 33 fsw / 10 msw and that was the max depth for the day.
My good dive buddy and I were doing a casual lap around a reef crown with the reef at our right shoulder when he indicated I should look left. When I did, I was eye to eye with a male dolphin with a pod of 11 dolphins further off to his left. Amongst them were a couple of cows and their two newborn calves. The dolphins swam with us for about 10 more minutes. What was supernatural about this moment was the male would make deliberate eye contact with me, sprint ahead and then circle back around and put himself between me and the pod. When he would come back alongside me, I could tell there was cognitive thought going on just as surely as if in an encounter with another human. I realized that I was truly in this creature’s realm, not my own. I still can’t put into words how magical it was, but magical it was.
Anyways, that was the day I felt like I became a real diver and it happened 8 meters shy of the max depth of a Basic OW certification.
If you stick with what you’re doing, you’re going to have a magical moment, too, when you feel an invigorating sense of confidence and identity as a diver and it probably won’t have anything to do with depth. There could be any number of reasons that make your moment magical but it’s going to happen.
Keep kickin’ butt, sister.
Thank you again for your beautiful story and perspective.
fred32176
Contributor
If your husband has trouble with his mustache letting water in his mask, he can get a 2oz container of trident silicone grease ($18 on Amazon, $13 at divers supply). And rub silicone grease in his mustache. Won't help equalizing his ears but will seal his mustache.
mcohen1021
Contributor
I wasn't nervous until the day of my open water cert dives and I put my face down in that cold murky lake! And 3' of visibility... Lucky for me they ran a guideline to make it to the platform lol
For u, it wouldn't hurt to dive with someone more experienced who can guide, teach, and calm you. I did exactly that with my wife and she's turned into a great diver after 14 years and ~400 dives
With experience, you should get over those jitters and you will be coming regardless of depth.
For u, it wouldn't hurt to dive with someone more experienced who can guide, teach, and calm you. I did exactly that with my wife and she's turned into a great diver after 14 years and ~400 dives
With experience, you should get over those jitters and you will be coming regardless of depth.
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On the boat I suggest they to do their 60ft dive like a 30ft dive and those that get it surface changed divers
We are hiring guides for now or doing guided dives. None of my family or friends scuba dive.
CG43
Contributor
Hello
What kind of freediving do you do?
Is 30 feet the depth you are used to from freediving?
You are a certified diver and you have skills, but along the way there is something left in your body or soul.
A slow but very thorough way to learn to dive is with no or very little gear.
It is a good thing if you have a ladder, rod or rope on which you can pull and hold on.
Nothing to distract you from being with yourself and the water. You can close your eyes and try to sleep or just enjoy not having to breathe for a while.
Interesting that you write "I can free dive of sorts".
What kind of freediving do you do?
Is 30 feet the depth you are used to from freediving?
You are a certified diver and you have skills, but along the way there is something left in your body or soul.
A slow but very thorough way to learn to dive is with no or very little gear.
It is a good thing if you have a ladder, rod or rope on which you can pull and hold on.
Nothing to distract you from being with yourself and the water. You can close your eyes and try to sleep or just enjoy not having to breathe for a while.
mcohen1021
Contributor
We are hiring guides for now or doing guided dives. None of my family or friends scuba dive.
And hiring a guide is ok too. At least you will be in clear waters! You could always get some practice in a dive shops pool - they should be able to help for a nominal fee.
I'm not gonna lie, myself and I am sure many others on this forum became good divers by diving in crappy lakes - and - making every mistake in the books along the way.
Just don't push what you think are your personal limits. My sister does not like to go beyond 80 ft and that is her choice - and she hired a guide for an easy shore dive in Fredriksted pier.
Me, I will go deeper if the site calls for it, risk is mitigated, if theres something of interest or on like my last blue hole trip, I dipped to 139' for a few seconds just to record my deepest dive in 36 yrs.
I did that several times in Belize this past trip, its freaky as hell. Future tip - be sure you take a compass heading when going out into the blue. It can get disorienting and you can lose your sense of direction and which way it is back to the reef/wall.
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