Does Irrational Panic Fade with Experience?

[diverzach]

Hi,

I live in the Ocala area and am recently certified as a basic open water diver. My first dives were in a pool and in the Rainbow River and they went fine. My final certification dives were at Troy Springs. Looking up at 70' I was suddenly overcome by a desire to breathe out of my nose and wanted to rocket to the surface. I exhaled deeply and told myself how irrational I was being and it faded. This was on the first dive there. The rest of that dive and the second dive I was fine.

Next dive me and someone with a lot of experience went to Blue Grotto. First dive I went to 53 ft for 47 minutes and was great. I used less air than my advanced buddy. The second dive there, we went to the bottom which was cramped and black if not for our lights, and I felt panicky again. This was at less than 90 ft. Started breathing rapidly, mouth got really dry, felt like it was hard to breathe. Basically, I was sure I was going to drown. Again, I overcame but I was very mentally uncomfortable until it was brightly lit again. I feel that if I were to do that dive again, I could do it and not panic.

Did anyone else have these issues when they were starting out? I think I'm going to enjoy diving as long as I can control the irrational anxiety.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

My short answer is 'yes'.

Scuba diving is strange and unnatural. It takes time to get comfortable with all the equipment and the experiences underwater. Breathing through your nose is natural. You'll eventually get used to just breathing through your mouth. You did the right thing by taking deep breaths and calming yourself down. As you experienced, you didn't have the irrational panic for the rest of the dive and the next dive.

That next dive (<90ft), you didn't mention your depth. You might have been diving past your comfort zone. Also, it was dark, like a night dive. That comfort will come with training and experience.

I used to be semi-panicked when doing the mask removal in cold ocean water, but you just calm yourself down and take deep breaths. Now I have no problems with that. My first drift dive was supposed to be done at extremely slack tide (according to the tide tables). However, when we were ascending, the conditions were getting rough. I was panicking a little, as I getting moved significantly by the water and I was somewhat tangled in some fishing line. I grabbed onto a bare rock, closed my eyes, and took a few deep breaths. I then cut the fishing line, and continued the ascent to the safety stop, where I did everything normally.

It's fine to feel mild panic sometimes during any dive (even with experience), just as long as you don't allow the panic to control you and make you act irrationally.

 

[diverzach]

Thanks scuba noob. Funny, your username is the one I tried to get first!

 

[g1138]

I believe that depending on a person's personality they may be more prone to panic than others. I think it's a tendency in one's flight or fight response when they're in an uncomfortable situation.
Experience can help to sway you more towards one side or the other.
So in short, the more experience and mental training you put yourself towards to avoid panic, the better you'll get at it. This applies to things outside of scuba as well.

Just stick with it and try to have fun. From what you've posted I can already tell you're good at overcoming your fears. That's always the hardest part.

 

[Bob DBF]

I used less air than my advanced buddy. The second dive there, we went to the bottom which was cramped and black if not for our lights, and I felt panicky again. This was at less than 90 ft. Started breathing rapidly, mouth got really dry, felt like it was hard to breathe.

In addition to to the other good advise.

Being an air hog is not necessarly a bad thing. Watch your breathing, you need to be breathing in and out regularly and fully. Breathing rapidly, or shallow, or skip breathing to make the air last longer, will increase the co2 on your system and it can make your body think you are not getting enough air and predispose you towards panic.


Bob
--------------------------------
I may be old, but I&#8217;m not dead yet.

 

[Steve50]

To deep to dark to soon. Baby steps would be better to slowly extend your comfort zone.

 

[bkotheimer]

I've struggled with this myself on occasion, much less so since I took the Rescue class and learned to look out for my fellow diver and in general to be more situationally aware underwater. I've also found that one trick is to concentrate on something small.... go look close up at the wall/reef and check out the small critters there.... take a picture or video of something.... chase a fish.... check your air and depth but don't obsess about it.... ask your buddy if THEY are okay and relax knowing that you are being a good buddy to them. You will calm down immediately.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

In my experience of working with new divers over the past 12 years, I find that as each gains experience both the frequency and intensity of what you describe as panic attacks go down. At some point depth becomes a passing thought, other than monitoring to assure compliance with your planned profile. Dark places and night dives become a treat. I second Steve50's right to the point comment. Expand you experience and competence in a reasonable progression.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Superlyte27]

Yes, I agree that you went too deep, too dark, too soon. Ultimately Blue Grotto (albeit a crappy one) is a cavern dive. And you are a brand new OW diver. Hang out where you are comfortable. If that happens to be 30-40', then so be it. This is supposed to be a life long hobby. Sadly, people rush into it and according to PADI 98% of OW divers quit diving within the first 3 years.

Slow down, enjoy what you enjoy. It sounds like Deep and Dark isn't what you enjoy right now. But that may come later.

 

[grantwiscour]

+1 to Steve50. Too deep, too dark, too soon. I think the OW cert is for less than 60 fsw.