Unreasonable fear of depth

[Fuzzmutton]

Hey Doc!

My hubby and I moved off from CA to Utah about 1 1/2 yrs. ago:-( Hoping to get back someday, until then we drive back and dive Monterey on our vacations.

I have gotten somewhat more comfortable in deeper water. I went through my Rescue Diver course out here, I gather a lot of info. from reading in my spare time, and before diving I mentally rehearse what I would do if anything went wrong in that particular area/dive. My husband and I do practice some of our skills on our dives but not intensively. I've read blogs from people who go out on weekends and almost half their dives are drills, but they do more technical diving.

 

[dive1]

Take a tape measure and measure off 60 feet on land, walk it a few times and then 80 and so on. You'll find out it isn't really that far, or that deep if you think about it that way. That's what I do with my students when they have that fear. It may or may not work for you, Try it what have you got to lose.
I did not read all the posts so this might be a repeat.

 

[DocWong]

Hey Doc!

My hubby and I moved off from CA to Utah about 1 1/2 yrs. ago:-( Hoping to get back someday, until then we drive back and dive Monterey on our vacations.

I have gotten somewhat more comfortable in deeper water. I went through my Rescue Diver course out here, I gather a lot of info. from reading in my spare time, and before diving I mentally rehearse what I would do if anything went wrong in that particular area/dive. My husband and I do practice some of our skills on our dives but not intensively. I've read blogs from people who go out on weekends and almost half their dives are drills, but they do more technical diving.

Glad it's improving! Also, a thorough pre-dive briefing with each other and checking each other's equipment makes for a much more comfortable dive.

No need to go overboard with practicing skills, but do them till they are very comfortable for both you and your husband, then do them periodically to keep them fresh. Buoyancy skills are also vital to a safe diving life. On every ascent I do, I try to be as accurate as possible in my stops and rate of ascent. It becomes a fun game for me to see how well I can hold a stop.