Trying to get certified...Can't seem to get there....

[DivemasterDennis]

You have a great attitude. But before you think tech, think recreational scuba, think warm water, good visibility, pretty fish, and underwater meditation. Don't think "I can do this," Think :" I love doing this." It's not a battle to be won, it is a new skill to be acquired. Don't rush to tech, and don't rush now. That may be an additional issue in your stress factors. I'll look for your post announcing your successful certification AND how much fun you have on your next dive!
DivemasterDennis

 

[carolw]

TSandM,
I read your dive journal and just chuckled all the way through it. I loved the horse references...as I am also a horse person....ride cutting horses and trail class mostly. I am also bifocal wearing, so I could definiely relate to your journal. I am a newly certified open water diver, and I too, have had some issues with buoyancy and floating. I am beginning to realize that this is very much a common beginner issue and am feeling much better about it. My son seemed to think that I wasn't getting all the air dumped out of my BCD (using rental euqipment which I'm sure wasn't the best) and that caused me to have some difficulties. I would certainly love to have any more suggestions as to how to help with this. Also, I'm thinking I probably need to get my own BCD...any suggestions for a beginner with floating issues?

 

[Divedoggie]

Sonjarms:
It seems like the instinct to "take care" of others, the mothering instinct, is at the core of this challenge. How can you protect your family if you can't save yourself? You don't trust the equipment to take care of you, and you know that the surface is just right above you, so up you go. For now, it will be best to eliminate the "family" variable. Go back into the pool with your instructor and all you have to do is focus on your self. Before jumping back in though, be better prepared.

Make sure that you are truly comfortable with all skills in the pool before attempting your required open water dives. Stay focused on what you CAN control...your own actions. Fear can be conquered by mastering the environment with education and training. Instinct is the variable that you have to conquer.

1. Get equipment fitted properly and become intimately familiar with the function, before you get back into the water.
2. Go with an attentive instructor, and with no other family members.
3. get neutrally buoyant in the shallow end and then when comfortable swim a lap, just a couple of feet underwater.
4. Don't be so hard on yourself. Minimize your expectations. Think baby steps and small victories. Swimming laps neutrally buoyant..just barely under the surface may be enough for one day's work.

5. Re-read the material, so that you truly know the information: Boyle's Law, Neg/Pos/Neutral Buoyancy, propulsion, hand signals, etc. Re-watch the video and pay attention to the execution of the basic skills that you will be doing underwater. Use the video and then picture yourself doing these skills successfully to visualize yourself accomplishing each movement when you actually go underwater.

Work something out with your LDS and your instructor to make sure that you aren't pushed too hard or too quickly through the course. The instructor's time and the pool time will cost you, but if you are dedicated to the goal of scuba diving, it will be worth it.

 

[lsorenson]

Thank you all for your replies. Will try to reply to all without typing a book.

I ride motorcycles. I have my own. And I think of diving like I do riding. I know every time I mount my motorcycle, I might die that day. I know everytime I put on gear something could happen and I might die. I also know that in the process I could cause my buddy to die. So I understand that because of the hazards some people are not meant to dive. So for those who said it might be best not to continue diving, i get it.

Dear Sonjarms...

Darling, your thinking about dying way to much (maybe) I grew up on bikes myself... I had a really nasty accident up in Jamaica Queens when a woman hit me broadside... I was lucky; very lucky and that could have been my magic moment...! Kept riding for several years after that and never gave it much thought... Work is what got in the way of riding as I traveled 350 days a year and I still miss it till this day...

Now please let me say this... Your not going to die!!! You know why? cause you will know what to do when a problem arises...! Just like riding a bike, you know that if you find yourself in gravel you don't use the handbrake... Now how did you know that...? You learned from experience and talking with others... Same with diving... First time on your bike I bet you were not out running around the Jersey turnpike in the middle of rush hour traffic... Probably more like up at the school or mall parking lot practicing...

As in riding a bike, scuba takes practice... at this stage, in my opinion, you should be doing more pool work... Low vis lakes or quarry's are not the place just yet... If the vis it good, fine but right now you need to be practicing at the school parking lot...

As for those who are encouraging you to get new equipment.... I say no, not yet... Good fitting mask I would say is a must and a decent set of fins... Other than that, I would wait until you figure out if this is a passion or a passing moment. If all the dive shop has is crap then maybe there is another LDS that has gear you could rent for a day or two. That is how me and the wife decided what gear we wanted. We did our open water at Ginnie Springs and received our OW. We stayed an extra day and rented from the shop 2 Transpac's... That is what my wife dives with ever since and I dive with a plate... but I would honestly wait to invest to much unless the money is growing off trees and if that's the case, well... That's a hard argument for me to win...!

Best of luck, be patient, and if you need small breaks; take them... Relax...!!!

Pulling for you whether you decide you love it as much as I do or decide not to... You tried it, more than what most folks do... Besides, some of us like liver... me, I love good liver!!!

lee

 

[spectrum]

Sonjarms,

What I am hearing between your description and your husbands is that you are presently gear sensitive. My wife was the same way. She's not an off the rack gal and inevitably the shop BCs fit her like a bag of worms. She swore she would not do her check-out dives until she was in a BC of her own that she felt secure in. Hence we went shopping and test diving in shop pools. She found something she liked and off we went. As time went on she still wasn't satisfied and is now very content in a DSS back plate and wing. The bottom line is that your gear needs to fit.

Another friend was reduced to tears with a weepy mask. A visit to a well stocked dive store got that under control. In the end she was fine with the skills, leaks and so forth but it was not in her to cope with it all initially. Besides a persistently weeping mask is just an invitation to a cascade of problems.

I suggest you identify gear that really fits and lock it down. Buy it, reserve it, whatever it takes. You may then want to go back to confined water and really get accustomed to the stuff.

Remember that as long as you have air to breathe any other problem is just an inconvenience. If you feel you can do this keep at it and make the steps manageable. You can do it and the journey is worth the effort.

Pete

 

[tstormdiver]

3. Yes, have been fighting issues with gear. If money was no object, even though I do not yet have certification, I would probably already have my own gear. Spent time in a shop with a wonderful lady who showed and fitted me with different gear. She probably spent an hour just explaining gear. It seems, though, that I have expensive taste. Lol. The gear I want total cost is around 2 grand.

Not so much expensive taste, you know what is comfortable to you. You do not necessarily need to be certified to get your gear. In fact, I strongly recommend that you get it while you are learning to get used to it & make it second nature.

My long term goal for scuba is to get at least a Tech Cert. I want to be able to go to some wrecks. I have no desire to go inside. But I would like to photograph and say I have seen it. I would like to touch a bit of history.

You have some big dreams,.... in no way do I want to discourage you, but I do want you to realize that tech diving is a whole other level of diving. Generally, most tech diving is defined by the fact that you can not just ascend to the surface at any time. Typically there is a ceiling, whether real (like a cave or the inside of a wreck) or virtual as in mandatory decompression stops, that you can not ascend above with out a very real risk of serious injury or worse. Before you ever consider tech diving, you need to know 100% that your anxiety attacks are under control at all times. Going to the surface during a tech dive is usually not an option. An anxiety attack during a tech dive that has a ceiling WILL result in a very serious repercussions. Take your time as you progress. I believe you can make it, but give yourself time.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

What Tammy said is true, however (and you may already know this) it is possible to dive to wrecks as "just" a recreational diver (i.e. not tech). They just need to be wrecks that are suitable (depth, etc.).

Also, there is the possible intermediate step of some wreck training that is still not tech, if that interests you down the line.

 

[Frosty]

Sonjarms please forgive me if this is a tadd to earthy No disrespect intended.
I agree that at this point in time SOMEONE should be fitting you with good fitting gear. be it rental or be it your own.
But I'd suggest you may want some pre dive stress relief of the kind only your hubby can offer.
Or whatever else not intoxicating that leaves you totally chilled out.
I'd also suggest you need to be away from your family knowing they are safe whilst you do your next couple of dives so you aren't worried about them.
Again no disrespect intended

 

[masizemore]

Sonjarms please forgive me if this is a tadd to earthy No disrespect intended.
I agree that at this point in time SOMEONE should be fitting you with good fitting gear. be it rental or be it your own.
But I'd suggest you may want some pre dive stress relief of the kind only your hubby can offer.

That may be the funniest response I have seen yet

 

[masizemore]

Wow -- two different stories, two entirely different sets of data. I am beginning to think that the OP and I have more in common that I would have suspected. From the husband's account, it doesn't sound as though there was ever panic, but rather anxiety or apprehension which was kept under control, which is a completely different kettle of fish.

Diff in living it and seeing it happen I guess. She kept it under control until at the surface.

We have both kept up with everyone's suggestions and ideas and they are very much greatly appreciated.

Our dives have all been in a fw quarry and the standard is 5mm wetsuit even in the southern July. We are going to be contacting another outfit about maybe getting some actual pool time if nothing else to burn through a couple of tanks and get more used to being under.

We have already discussing if Sonja should go out solo with instructor while our son and I stay on the surface to see if that helps.

Willing to do a handstand on a train trestle in high wind if that would help lol.

Dear Sonjarms...

Darling, your thinking about dying way to much (maybe) I grew up on bikes myself... I had a really nasty accident up in Jamaica Queens when a woman hit me broadside... I was lucky; very lucky and that could have been my magic moment...! Kept riding for several years after that and never gave it much thought... Work is what got in the way of riding as I traveled 350 days a year and I still miss it till this day...
lee

Nah, not thinking about it too much, just being grounded in reality. The kind of thing that hits you when you get white lined between two cars not paying attention, or run off the road by a semi at 70, or in my case picking myself up and tumbling down the interstate in rush hour and looking up to see three lanes of traffic actually stopped rather than running over me. We still ride and good lord willing will still dive, life happens.

Marc