Comfort and confidence will come with experience, stick to what your comfortable doing and the confidence to go deeper will come. Don't let others push you to do anything your not comfortable with. Know plenty of very experienced divers that generally stay in the 20 meters and shallower. If the guide is saying they need to go deeper...find another guide / dive master who is willing enough to cater to your wishes. Enjoy the dives and safe bubbles
Anyone else really nervous in the beginning?
- Thread starter nldunn
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Don't look up.
I'm serious, not being snarky. There's really no practical difference between 20 feet and 60 feet, (there are differences, but nothing you need to focus on).
You check your gear before entry, you verify on entry that your buddy's there and that you're both ready to descend, you dump any air in your bc and you descend to the pre-determined height, and then swim your pre-determined path - which might just be "wander".
You keep an eye on your buddy, and check your air regularly, and at end of pre-determined time, or pre-determined pressure, you signal and slowly ascend. You do a 3 minute safety stop, finish ascending, exit the water and done. Until the next time.
The only difference between shallow and deep, (unless you run into a problem), is the amount of water on top of you - and if you don't look up at the surface - it's just a number on your gauge.
I was drifting along a wall one time, and I deliberately swam away from it, maybe 100 feet or so. As I looked around, and DOWN - the view went on forever. It was fascinating - and mildly overwhelming.
Don't take that look until you're ready.
One final note on looking up. When you're doing your final ascent - DO LOOK UP - and listen - don't pop up in front of an oncoming boat.
I'm serious, not being snarky. There's really no practical difference between 20 feet and 60 feet, (there are differences, but nothing you need to focus on).
You check your gear before entry, you verify on entry that your buddy's there and that you're both ready to descend, you dump any air in your bc and you descend to the pre-determined height, and then swim your pre-determined path - which might just be "wander".
You keep an eye on your buddy, and check your air regularly, and at end of pre-determined time, or pre-determined pressure, you signal and slowly ascend. You do a 3 minute safety stop, finish ascending, exit the water and done. Until the next time.
The only difference between shallow and deep, (unless you run into a problem), is the amount of water on top of you - and if you don't look up at the surface - it's just a number on your gauge.
I was drifting along a wall one time, and I deliberately swam away from it, maybe 100 feet or so. As I looked around, and DOWN - the view went on forever. It was fascinating - and mildly overwhelming.
Don't take that look until you're ready.
One final note on looking up. When you're doing your final ascent - DO LOOK UP - and listen - don't pop up in front of an oncoming boat.
Great idea! At this point, my husband and I aren't experienced enough to go out on our own except maybe to a place like Cas Abou in Curacao which has a sandy area before the wall starts but it's not deep. I need to find a place like you said.
And you are so right that diving is 90% mental. My husband has way more issues equalizing and with buoyancy than I do. I just clear my ears and keep going, at least to 60 feet in three dives. He has to go up and down and up and down, and then his mask fills (he has a mustache!) and his sinuses hurt but he is totally calm. Physiologically, I'm way better suited for diving that he is but he was a FDNY firefighter before being put out on disability after 9/11 and he is totally calm in the water except when he loses sight of me. It's pretty remarkable. He would be a great instructor if he could figure out his ears/sinuses/buoyancy.
Wheeler925
Contributor
I'm pretty new myself, only 22 dives now since being certified in May. So I can't profess to be an expert. Perhaps this is a horrible way of thinking, but for me to get over the nerves it was a little bit of thinking "Ok, I know what I'm doing, I've done this several times before, nothing is new, I'm with people I trust."
I found it also helped to take a couple normal breaths from my regulator on the boat, just to tell myself everything is working as intended. Of course this is beyond my normal checks and buddy checks.
I found it also helped to take a couple normal breaths from my regulator on the boat, just to tell myself everything is working as intended. Of course this is beyond my normal checks and buddy checks.
I saw one of your comments that indicated an issue at 20ft is much different than an issue at 60ft. It really should not be that different. Start to consider what can go wrong and mitigate it at depth. When scuba diving, the surface should always be your last option and in my book, the least desirable option. Plan and train to fix all issues at depth, you have a buddy with more gas, buoyancy, and anything else you might need. Plan for things to go wrong, then when they don't you can enjoy the dive. I am not advocating for you to stress over what can go wrong, but rather a plan if is does. Planning should help alleviate the anxiety.
I agree with other, this should always be fun! Dive a depth where you are comfortable. But start to plan to resolve everything at depth and the surface is not your lifesaver, your plan is your lifesaver, even at 20ft.
I hope this helps, keep diving and keeping it fun!
I agree with other, this should always be fun! Dive a depth where you are comfortable. But start to plan to resolve everything at depth and the surface is not your lifesaver, your plan is your lifesaver, even at 20ft.
I hope this helps, keep diving and keeping it fun!
I like that self-talk! Going again tomorrow with the excellent dive master and I’ll tell myself that during the five when/if I get anxious.
I really fo love being underwater so I want to keep it positive and safe!!!
Thank you!
Since you are on Curacao I would suggest going to Playa Porto Marie it's a really nice shallow compact reef structure. There is a nice map at the on site dive shop. They can do a guided dive for you then you and your husband could go and do it again.
Also if you free dive at all practice going deeper, if you can get to bottom and back at 20 feet you will have no problem getting to the surface from 40-50 feet if you ditch your weights. It's a hard fight down and an easy float back up.
The sand in the middle is about 30-35 for deep. And you can follow the reef balls back to the beach.
Also if you free dive at all practice going deeper, if you can get to bottom and back at 20 feet you will have no problem getting to the surface from 40-50 feet if you ditch your weights. It's a hard fight down and an easy float back up.
The sand in the middle is about 30-35 for deep. And you can follow the reef balls back to the beach.
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