Disappointing Open Water Dive certification...

[CanadaScubaRN]

Passed my pool classes, and enjoyed the experience. Went dive shop to suit up in prep for OW weekend in Gilboa, OH. Pool classes consisted of bathing suit , and BCD.... So what a shocker to try and move about in a double layer 7mm suit/hood etc....i was exhausted just getting geared up! ha ha !...got in pool for weight check and had some constriction issues with hood on my neck.... and felt alittle overwelmed with everything...had a issue with trying to descend, they added more weight...got a abit panicky with tight hood, etc... started hyperventilating... but was able to work it out myself... and get to the bottom, and practice my stuff....then came open water....got geared up and was overheated and exhausted, just getting down to water....everything was bothering me....the hood was tight the BCD was too tight, the suit etc...my weight belt ended up around my knees in the water.... we swam out to the bouey...waiting turn to descend.... i was so hot.... started hyperventilating, and could not get myself settled down enough to descend....so i was asked to get out. I was pretty bummed....the water was so clear, and i just wanted to get down there....with everyone else...later, while others were up for break , the lady who taught me in pool, approached me to ask if she could take me out, and do a descent, to deck below... i got ready to go... she tryed to keep me calm ,and relaxed,,, she loosened up my gear...and we chilled in water abit...and then we attempted to go down, and again began to hyperventilate, while only down a few feet.... i fely like i was going to faint....i never thought i had an issues with anxiety... but i guess i must??... generally pretty calm person, and not afraid of water...I felt so unwell, and weak , i had to be towed back ! lol... so embarassed....so much anticapation, and preparation... I ended up just driving all the way back home...mad at myself. I later made inquiry at dive shop for more pool time...etc...or what my options are... i really dont want to give up.... they havent returned any response yet....my goal is to do some recreational diving while we vacation for the winter in hawaii....perhaps i should just do my OW testing there....however i think u have to do the dives within 6 months of the pool time... and i think i will be over 7 months before I am there....

 

[buddhasummer]

That's a shame, but not an uncommon experience. You have the right idea, approach your shop for more pool time. Don't be too hard on your self its takes some people longer to feel comfortable in the water than others absolutely nothing to feel embarrassed about. My very first pool session I freaked out and almost gave up. Hang in there and give it another shot in a safe controlled environment. Hyperventilating can be controlled with some conscious slow relaxed breathing it does take some mind control but is certainly possible with some practice. Discuss this with your instructor and when in the "pool" next time if you start to hyperventilate again try and sit with it and control it. Good luck.

 

[BUGBAGGER]

More pool time sounds like a very good idea. Even though it was likely the heavy wetsuit and hood which initiated your feelings of confinement and anxiety, this time. It just as well could be any other unfamiliar circumstance, environmental change or challenge, marine life surprise, unfamiliar buddy action etc during a dive that could trigger anxiety and possibly escalate to panic in the future.

Some people can learn to recognize and respond appropriately in the face of symptoms of anxiety before they become compounded. Some people learn that in the underwater world their instinctive response to this kind of anxiety is too strong and that diving just is not a smart choice given the potential consequences if they are not able to develop a consistent, safe response even under stress.

So, first I would recommend double checking the fit of the wetsuit and hood with an instructor. Then, properly fit, I would highly recommend more pool time in the wetsuit and hood. More practice of some of the skills that you are least comfortable with especially using the hood, suit, and gloves with the goal to overcome some of your discomfort and anxiety.

I would recommend talking with an instructor who has a lot of experience about what you felt and experienced. Then, discussing with that instructor how you might practice, under their supervision, some small unexpected but likely skills challenges and then slightly more challenging conditions in a pool. I DO NOT recommend what used to be known as fright night in the pool where numerous DM's and Instructors used to subject a class of students to ripping off their masks or fins, unexpectedly releasing their weights, and other such things without any briefing and frequently when the pool facility lights were turned off.

If you find that you can reliably and repetitively respond to temporary discomfort and/or unexpected or anxious moments with self rescue skills (calming yourself, staying in the moment mentally, keeping situational awareness and making good decisions. AAnd, that you follow through with safe diving practice then decide if you still want to proceed. Make sure that you learn and practice: stop, breath, think, act .( I used to teach Safety Better Top All as a pneumonic to help students to remember the steps to avoid panic) If you demonstrate that you can apply this rule in a safe and consistent manner that allows you and your buddy to proceed and enjoy diving, then go forward if you wish.

Then, you should be able to proceed with completing your OW dives either in a cold water location, temperate water location like Hawaii, or a warmer water location. Most folks here, in Hawaii use full wetsuits (though usually thinner) and sometimes light weight hoods as well.

Though you may need to participate in a refresher course if more then 6 months passes between your most recent section of your classroom and pool class and the OW dives, you can proceed with training as long as you resume training within 1 year of the last class, pool, or dive signed off in your OW training record.

If you are able to develop the skill to respond safely when faced with anxiety you would be wise to plan a review of your skills with the instructor with whom you plan your OW dives anyway. This review will give you an opportunity, in pool like conditions, to get familiar with any equipment differences you will encounter, any stylistic differences you will encounter with a new instructor, and a chance to further reinforce your understanding and performance of your course skills. Taking things in smaller steps is how many divers who are initially a bit more anxious learn to mitigate their natural mammalian reponses to the unfamiliar triggers of being underwater.

I hope you find that this sport can be both safe and enjoyable for you. If so, you will grow with each experience if you choose wisely. If it feels neither safe nor enjoyable, for whatever reason, then it is not worth trying to "soldier on." There are so many choices of things to do in life that, no matter how geat our desire, pursuing something that we are not equipped to do and putting one's self and companion divers at risk is not worth it.

Best wishes. You will likely hear from many who had similar experiences-some who found they could continue with diving enjoyably and some who found other paths.

 

[stairman]

Good advice so far. A 7 mill is confining as is a hood. Unless its really cold Id opt for a 3mill and no hood. Openwater and all this new gear can be overwhelming. I dove a couple years in the springs and the first time I jumped off a boat in the ocean it was like starting all over. I too overbreathed my reg from adrenlin and had to surface. You will get used to it when you realize that its really peacefull below the surface with the fish. You have to breathe in fully and breathe out fully while diving. For some it takes longer to become acclimated. Hang in there and dont give up, youll be way more appreciative when you get er done and recieve your c card.

 

[gcarter]

I did my cert in warm water, then came home to cold water diving. Suffice to say I had some issues with the constricting nature of the 7mm john & hood as well

In addition to double checking the fit, what I did - and it did help a lot - was wear the wetsuit while watching tv. Because I wasn't moving around, it let me get used to the snugness without getting too hot. When I did get too warm, I just took it off for a while. Repeat. Same thing with the hood. Felt silly, looked silly, but it DID help. Even at that it took a few dives to get comfortable.

 

[supergaijin]

It may be worthwhile spending time in the 7mm wetsuit and go swimming. Breathing properly with thick wetsuits (I used to dive in a double 7mm in southern NZ) takes some time as you have noticed.

Don't beat yourself up about it. It may be worthwhile checking with the dive shop whether you can do a referral. PADI has a system where you can start the course with one instructor and finish with another in a certain time frame.

Good luck

 

[Jim Lapenta]

As someone who was just there Gilboa right now is entirely possible in a 3 mil. As long as you stay above the thermocline and are fairly resistant to the cold. I'm not. A 5 mil, a well fitting one, would be a better choice. Down to about 15 feet it was mid 70's. Below that it dropped to about 68. At 30 we were reading low 60's and for me anyway that is drysuit temps. Going from no suit to one that is too tight and as thick as a 7 mil can be a shocker. Coupled with the record heat we have been having you have a good recipe for anxiety for just about anyone new to this. If you have to go back under similar circumstances you might try having someone pour water over you while getting suited up and before putting the hood on and any other gear, jump in the water and float for a few minutes and just relax. Pull the neck seal and let some water in. Gearing up for cooler water in temps like this should have instructors allowing time for students to do this. It will increase the comfort level, add a margin of safety, and make things easier on everyone.

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[halocline]

If you have the financial means, you might take a trip to a dive center in tropical waters to do your OW dives. There are some great ones that specialize in training, and you'll be able to get recommendations on this forum. I've always felt that diving, like any complex skill set, should be first learned in the most forgiving environment possible, with gradual introduction to more challenging conditions. The fact that you were fine in the pool suggests that you might do well with an in-between environment; warmer clearer OW with far less restricting exposure protection.

There is the argument that divers should train in the environment where they live so that they can dive locally. I wholeheartedly agree, but I just think that if the local environment is challenging, many divers ( most, probably) would do better and have more fun if they first learned in easier conditions and then continued training at home.

There are excellent instructors in Roatan, Bonaire, Cozumel, and south Fl, (lots of other places too) where the conditions are much easier and you're likely to feel less anxiety. Cozumel is probably not the absolute best choice because there is very little shore diving and the currents can be a challenge. To me, Bonaire is the ultimate in excellent conditions to learn diving.

 

[tstormdiver]

Unfortunately in temperate waters, your situation is all too common. Yes, thick, heavy wetsuits are a pain & uncomfortable (that is why I went to a Drysuit as soon as I could). Those 2 pc. 7mm suits are basically the most of the rental fleets of most shops in temperate regions. The hood being too tight can actually be a safety issue. It took me 2 yrs & having to buy about a dozen hoods to find one that decently fit me (I still hate wearing hoods to this day- a necessary evil). That is very good that the instructor was able to get you in the pool for a weight check. I've tried several times to do that & could never get everyone going for their evaluation dives to agree on a date/ time to do it, so I waste 1-2hrs during their first OW dive day getting them prepared. Because the 2pc. 7mm is my shop's rental fleet, & with the record heat right now, I tell my students to set their gear up first, then I will brief the dive, then they suit up. I encourage them to get into the water (the area is only knee deep) & to flood their suits to cool off. I am right there with them cooling off, myself. I agree, the more time you can spend in the water getting used to the suit, the better off you'll be. It does take some time.

 

[diverrex]

Passed my pool classes, and enjoyed the experience. Went dive shop to suit up in prep for OW weekend in Gilboa, OH. Pool classes consisted of bathing suit , and BCD.... So what a shocker to try and move about in a double layer 7mm suit/hood etc....i was exhausted just getting geared up! ha ha !.......

I have half joked before that had we not already signed up and paid for our OW classes my wife probably would have cancelled after she had tried on the rental 7 MM suit she wore for the pool sessions. For some people just getting into a 7 mm is really exhausting and very uncomfortable. What you experienced is not unusual. Both my wife and I did extra pool time in our class. The best thing that happened to us was the instructor saying "let's not worry about doing skills right now, just swim around in circles till you are really comfortable". Until doing that class had been a chore, then all of sudden it became fun. Do some xtra pool time, take it slow, it will come.