1st day in the pool...Yikes!

[Banyan]

At least you're doing better than columnist Dave Barry did.

In my experience, nearly everyone has a very primitive part of their brain that starts screaming "You're drowning!" as you hang out underwater at first. When I first started diving, my conscious brain has to throttle that panicky voice by reminding myself that I was fine because of my gear, training, etc. After a while, your unconscious brain will recognize scuba as "normal" and stop trying to force you to bolt to the surface.

If you can clear your mask (which really freaks out some people), I would be very surprised if you didn't eventually get used to diving. Tell your instructor that you'd like to stay shallow for a while to build up confidence, and re-read the sections of your manual that explain how to dive safely so you're reminded about how to solve any problems that may occur on a dive like you describe. Panic happens when people think they can't handle a situation.

 

[BonaireDan]

Your experiences are quite common so don't worry about taking the time you need to adapt to the underwater world. I part your worries are making you worry more. As stated above - just relax and breathe normally. Start in the 3 foot area and work yourself deeper as you feel comfortable. Practice the shallow water skills as in a Discover Scuba class -breathing on the regulator, mask flooding, regulator removal and recovery and basic swimming underwater.

Sometimes the fear comes from concerns that the deeper you go the harder it will be to breathe. The reality is that the design of our regulators is and always has been done to insure that you feel NO pressure effects at depth other than equalizing yoru ears. Breathing is as easy at 3 feet as at 130 feet or deeper.

Practice shallow water techniques and gradually work yourself deeper in the pool. With a patient instructor there is no defined time limit to gain basic confidence to become certified.

Best luck and happy diving!

 

[danvolker]

Today was my very very first day in the pool with my instructor. Technically, classes don't start until next week but since I had time, he took me in, we worked on clearing the mask and he got me breathing at the bottom of the shallow end with the scuba gear.
Everytime we started crawling towards the deep end, I panicked. My breathing went crazy (he said I would breath 3 times for every 1 breath he took). Since I left the pool, I keep saying that it'll get easier and that i'm sure the panic is normal, but I'm freaked out.

I really want to dive. I've been snorkeling for a long time and thought this would be an easy transition, but I'm scared that maybe I won't be able to do it now. Is this normal?

Any advise or stories of your issues would be greatly appreciated.

One thing that is crucial to new divers, is that any fear ( like you are expressing) is addressed and removed...A scared student will learn little, and a diver that get certified, and is still scared/paniced, will never be a good diver, and really should not be certified, if you ask me...
However, this could all be moot...you may just be able to fix this underwater breathing issue very easily, then get comfortable, and able to learn.... See if you can just get in the pool with the instructor to be with you, and just go under water for an hour....dont swim or crawl, just think about how easy it is to breathe, how your guages work, how easy it is to check every thing, and how long it takes for the tank to go from full, to half full, and so on....see if you can get "bored"....If you can get bored, more than likely, you adjusted to the underwater issues that were scaring you on the first dive. If after this, you feel very calm, then you may end up becoming as good a diver as you want to become, and finding it a very easy and stress releasing activity.

But, if you feel phobic underwater, you have to fix this, before going further. Every diver I have ever seen who tries to dive with a "phobic level" fear of diving, is a terrible diver--and one who should be choosing a differrent sport.

 

[CamG]

Greetings sillyal it has been said so very well by Markrobert heed his words as he has been there, RIGHT NOW!
His comments are spot on. SLOW DOWN AND RELAX!
It will get so much better.
TAKE YOUR TIME, PRACTICE , PRACTICE, AND PRACTICE SOME MORE!
Commit to training and trust your gear and instructor it will be just fine.

I like so many found the pool to be almost traumatic on my first session.
I was asked by the instructor if I wanted to continue to schedule a private session to work on mask skills.
Being a nose breather my brain is like in steroid overdrive when water hit my nose.
It took a lot of will power to push beyond and train my brain that I was going to be ok.
It worked and it has served me well the struggle I encountered in the pool.

I have been faced with several situations in my diving where you have to gain mastery over your brain and the cycle of anxiety that leads to panic.
This is part of the training that will allow you to overcome obstacles underwater and resolve issues safely.
RELAX, RELAX, RERLAX!
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
HAVE FUN OR IT IS NOT WORTH IT!

CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

 

[TSandM]

Are you comfortable swimming on the surface of the deep end? If that's the case, one approach that can be tried is to have you just swim around on the surface while breathing off your regulator. Bit by bit, you can let air out of the BC -- you'll swim a little lower in the water with each vent, until you are eventually submerged. This process may be much easier than swimming down underwater, if the depth makes you nervous.

But I am with Dan Volker. Don't go to open water until you have calmed whatever portion of your brain was upset at the thought of swimming to the bottom of the pool. NOTHING in diving gets BETTER in open water, and panic is the best way to get hurt diving.

 

[tacky]

I had a very hard time during the pool session of my open water. Barely got through the drills.

In the sea it was all different and it just felt much more natural. Hard to explain.

 

[PatW]

Sillyal,

Don't be so hard on yourself. When you dive, you have all sorts of stuff on you: BC, Regulator, Mask, Fins and probably wet suit and weights. Then you jump into the water and go down :shocked2:. Being a bit stressed is normal.

Also comparing yourself with your instructor is not a good idea. The instructor is probably somewhat bored and totally relaxed. You are task loaded and doing a whole new thing. Having a much higher breathing rate is to be expected.

You can fix this with simple repetition. If you have access to a pool and can rent some equipment, you can go to a pool (once you have certification) and just spend time on the bottom until you learn to relax. Keep at it and it will almost certainly happen.

Good luck to you,

Pat

 

[soltari675]

I found that one thing that seems to disorient some people is the weight of the scuba gear. You carry your tanks and equipment to the location. Put it all together. Then put it on and walk in it to the water, or in the case of the pool, lift it all again and set it in the pool. Once you get in the water, you strap all this weight on.

Now, logically we know that the BC floats with air in it. And that the weight of the equipment feels weightless once in water. However, there is a part of our brain that is thinking of putting on all that weight and then going into water over our heads. It's not natural. The brain knows this isn't right, and can make you panic in order to keep you from doing it.

I had a friend deal with this. She put on the equipment, and then went and floated in it on the surface at the deep end for a little bit. What it did was convince the less logical part of the brain that you can be at the surface with all that equipment. That it won't hold you on the bottom if you put air in it. It was just a matter of proving to your brain that you are ok. After that, she was able to start at the shallow end underwater, and go to the deep end and not panic, because the brain now knew for certain she could surface despite the weight.

Maybe this will help?

 

[snowdog]

The key to learning “ANY” new skill is “Desire”, “Proper Instruction” and “Practice”.
I have to assume you have the first two, the third you will have to work at.
Some individuals take to new skills, as if they have been doing them their entire life. Others just need to put more time in.
As we all become more skilled, we naturally become more relaxed, and that’s when everything will start falling into place.
You will get it.

 

[skierbri10]

Well, I have to say I wasn't like that at all.... I grew up surfing and being in the water, either ocean or pool. Now that is not to say that I wasn't apprehensive the first time breathing underwater, but I got used to it really fast. It is just something that you need to do a few times to get used to it. This is why they put you in swimming pools (confined dive) prior to going out into open water. Don't sweat it, you will be fine.