Anxiety
- Thread starter amerz
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
on this board
not feeling the love
Doc Intrepid told me something a couple of years ago that I've never forgotten. He said, "Diving is about 90% mental." We were talking about buoyancy control, but it holds for descents and the like, too.
When I was a new diver, I had a number of occasions where, driving to the dive site, I'd feel my throat get tight with anxiety. A couple of times, I wondered if I would even end up diving, when I got there. I always did, and as my experience and my skills improved, the anxiety gradually lessened, although it can come back when I plan a dive outside my comfort level.
Going underwater isn't a natural act -- I think part of our brains knows that you can't breathe under there, and it's not a good place to be. It has to be overriden with conscious thought and repeated, reassuring experience. Your instructor addressed this perfectly, I think.
When I was a new diver, I had a number of occasions where, driving to the dive site, I'd feel my throat get tight with anxiety. A couple of times, I wondered if I would even end up diving, when I got there. I always did, and as my experience and my skills improved, the anxiety gradually lessened, although it can come back when I plan a dive outside my comfort level.
Going underwater isn't a natural act -- I think part of our brains knows that you can't breathe under there, and it's not a good place to be. It has to be overriden with conscious thought and repeated, reassuring experience. Your instructor addressed this perfectly, I think.
mooseman17
Registered
Hey Amerz,
It's happened to me on a few occasions as well. When diving in very clear deep water, looking down before I descend can be intimidating. I cancelled one dive simply because I wasn't comfortable at the time. We took my boat to a shallower reef, and in I went. I was determined that I was going to dive that day, and going to a shallow reef made me feel much more comfortable. I don't have many dives accumulated yet, but I get more comfortable each time. For me, diving with people I trust who will accommodate a newer diver makes all the difference in the world. I'm searching out new dive sites around Key Biscayne and areas south that are fairly shallow and also enjoyable.
Take care, and dive safely
Gary
It's happened to me on a few occasions as well. When diving in very clear deep water, looking down before I descend can be intimidating. I cancelled one dive simply because I wasn't comfortable at the time. We took my boat to a shallower reef, and in I went. I was determined that I was going to dive that day, and going to a shallow reef made me feel much more comfortable. I don't have many dives accumulated yet, but I get more comfortable each time. For me, diving with people I trust who will accommodate a newer diver makes all the difference in the world. I'm searching out new dive sites around Key Biscayne and areas south that are fairly shallow and also enjoyable.
Take care, and dive safely
Gary
I totally agree alot of it is mental. I never have issues once I am under but getting in the water and the first few feet are a killer each time. I only have about 30 dives although some of them are fairly deep and depth is never a problem for me but the anxiety at first is always a killer.. good luck and never give up but always be comfortable with saying I think I will sit this one out..
la_diver
Contributor
Amerz the best thing that i did on my first dives was to dive for 5 days 2 tanks. The day before dive was fresh on my mind and the problems and feelings were still fresh on my mind. Don't know your age but I' am use to breathing air above water for 54 years, breathing underwater just wasn't natural. On my second dive trip I was much more relaxed and breathing underwater was as breathing on land. On first dive trip wife had a few small problems but the lds divemaster was with us and guided and stayed with her and helped work out her probems. So you were fortunate to have a divemaster to help you work through your aniexty. Good luck
DennisH
Contributor
Hi Amerz,
I started diving with a new buddy, and without a DM, a little while ago. As new divers, my buddy and I both looked at each other on dive #1 and realized we were both a little nervous about submerging deep. Where we dive, you can't see the bottom (often even in 15 feet). Something about dropping down 40-60' in that murk gave us both the heebie jeebies.
So, we decided to submerge shallow and swim out to the dive site. For our first 20 dives or so together, we usually dropped in between 10-20' of water, established our buoyancy, and went merrily on our way. It was a helpful "baby step" that we no longer use, but boy, did it make our diving less stressful for a while. Now that we know we can get our buoyancy under control before we hit the silty bottom, we feel much safer and less stressed about dropping in 60-90'. It took us a while to get there, so give yourself time and be nice to yourself about taking baby steps.
I started diving with a new buddy, and without a DM, a little while ago. As new divers, my buddy and I both looked at each other on dive #1 and realized we were both a little nervous about submerging deep. Where we dive, you can't see the bottom (often even in 15 feet). Something about dropping down 40-60' in that murk gave us both the heebie jeebies.
So, we decided to submerge shallow and swim out to the dive site. For our first 20 dives or so together, we usually dropped in between 10-20' of water, established our buoyancy, and went merrily on our way. It was a helpful "baby step" that we no longer use, but boy, did it make our diving less stressful for a while. Now that we know we can get our buoyancy under control before we hit the silty bottom, we feel much safer and less stressed about dropping in 60-90'. It took us a while to get there, so give yourself time and be nice to yourself about taking baby steps.
Similar threads
