Anyone else really nervous in the beginning?
- Thread starter nldunn
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@nldunn
I think you should stay on the path you’re on. Further, you’re probably doing better than you think.
I think there’s been some great advice already (and some that makes me think the author didn’t read your post
) so I’m not going to offer any advice.
I would like to share with you an experience I had one time that may (hopefully) take some pressure off.
I had well over a hundred dives under my belt, technical training and decompression dives from 200 fsw / 60 msw along massive coral walls before I felt like I had truly become a real diver.
However, that moment of realization didn’t happen on some super deep dive with exotic scenery…not at all. It happened at a relatively shallow 33 fsw / 10 msw and that was the max depth for the day.
My good dive buddy and I were doing a casual lap around a reef crown with the reef at our right shoulder when he indicated I should look left. When I did, I was eye to eye with a male dolphin with a pod of 11 dolphins further off to his left. Amongst them were a couple of cows and their two newborn calves. The dolphins swam with us for about 10 more minutes. What was supernatural about this moment was the male would make deliberate eye contact with me, sprint ahead and then circle back around and put himself between me and the pod. When he would come back alongside me, I could tell there was cognitive thought going on just as surely as if in an encounter with another human. I realized that I was truly in this creature’s realm, not my own. I still can’t put into words how magical it was, but magical it was.
Anyways, that was the day I felt like I became a real diver and it happened 8 meters shy of the max depth of a Basic OW certification.
If you stick with what you’re doing, you’re going to have a magical moment, too, when you feel an invigorating sense of confidence and identity as a diver and it probably won’t have anything to do with depth. There could be any number of reasons that make your moment magical but it’s going to happen.
Keep kickin’ butt, sister.
I think you should stay on the path you’re on. Further, you’re probably doing better than you think.
I think there’s been some great advice already (and some that makes me think the author didn’t read your post
) so I’m not going to offer any advice.I would like to share with you an experience I had one time that may (hopefully) take some pressure off.
I had well over a hundred dives under my belt, technical training and decompression dives from 200 fsw / 60 msw along massive coral walls before I felt like I had truly become a real diver.
However, that moment of realization didn’t happen on some super deep dive with exotic scenery…not at all. It happened at a relatively shallow 33 fsw / 10 msw and that was the max depth for the day.
My good dive buddy and I were doing a casual lap around a reef crown with the reef at our right shoulder when he indicated I should look left. When I did, I was eye to eye with a male dolphin with a pod of 11 dolphins further off to his left. Amongst them were a couple of cows and their two newborn calves. The dolphins swam with us for about 10 more minutes. What was supernatural about this moment was the male would make deliberate eye contact with me, sprint ahead and then circle back around and put himself between me and the pod. When he would come back alongside me, I could tell there was cognitive thought going on just as surely as if in an encounter with another human. I realized that I was truly in this creature’s realm, not my own. I still can’t put into words how magical it was, but magical it was.
Anyways, that was the day I felt like I became a real diver and it happened 8 meters shy of the max depth of a Basic OW certification.
If you stick with what you’re doing, you’re going to have a magical moment, too, when you feel an invigorating sense of confidence and identity as a diver and it probably won’t have anything to do with depth. There could be any number of reasons that make your moment magical but it’s going to happen.
Keep kickin’ butt, sister.
Your story gave me goosebumps!! Thank you for sharing that. You should publish that in a diving magazine. I love dolphins, I would have died from joy if that happened and I appreciate your perspective on what makes one feel like a real diver. It is a different world down there, and I really have moments during the dives we have done this week where I'm saying to myself, "Wow! I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be down here!" Of course, those are interspersed with "Am I crazy? I'm going to die down here!!" LOL!@nldunn
I think you should stay on the path you’re on. Further, you’re probably doing better than you think.
I think there’s been some great advice already (and some that makes me think the author didn’t read your post
I would like to share with you an experience I had one time that may (hopefully) take some pressure off.
I had well over a hundred dives under my belt, technical training and decompression dives from 200 fsw / 60 msw along massive coral walls before I felt like I had truly become a real diver.
However, that moment of realization didn’t happen on some super deep dive with exotic scenery…not at all. It happened at a relatively shallow 33 fsw / 10 msw and that was the max depth for the day.
My good dive buddy and I were doing a casual lap around a reef crown with the reef at our right shoulder when he indicated I should look left. When I did, I was eye to eye with a male dolphin with a pod of 11 dolphins further off to his left. Amongst them were a couple of cows and their two newborn calves. The dolphins swam with us for about 10 more minutes. What was supernatural about this moment was the male would make deliberate eye contact with me, sprint ahead and then circle back around and put himself between me and the pod. When he would come back alongside me, I could tell there was cognitive thought going on just as surely as if in an encounter with another human. I realized that I was truly in this creature’s realm, not my own. I still can’t put into words how magical it was, but magical it was.
Anyways, that was the day I felt like I became a real diver and it happened 8 meters shy of the max depth of a Basic OW certification.
If you stick with what you’re doing, you’re going to have a magical moment, too, when you feel an invigorating sense of confidence and identity as a diver and it probably won’t have anything to do with depth. There could be any number of reasons that make your moment magical but it’s going to happen.
Keep kickin’ butt, sister.
Thank you again for your beautiful story and perspective.
fred32176
Contributor
If your husband has trouble with his mustache letting water in his mask, he can get a 2oz container of trident silicone grease ($18 on Amazon, $13 at divers supply). And rub silicone grease in his mustache. Won't help equalizing his ears but will seal his mustache.
mcohen1021
Contributor
I wasn't nervous until the day of my open water cert dives and I put my face down in that cold murky lake! And 3' of visibility... Lucky for me they ran a guideline to make it to the platform lol
For u, it wouldn't hurt to dive with someone more experienced who can guide, teach, and calm you. I did exactly that with my wife and she's turned into a great diver after 14 years and ~400 dives
With experience, you should get over those jitters and you will be coming regardless of depth.
For u, it wouldn't hurt to dive with someone more experienced who can guide, teach, and calm you. I did exactly that with my wife and she's turned into a great diver after 14 years and ~400 dives
With experience, you should get over those jitters and you will be coming regardless of depth.
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On the boat I suggest they to do their 60ft dive like a 30ft dive and those that get it surface changed divers
We are hiring guides for now or doing guided dives. None of my family or friends scuba dive.
First off, thank you for sharing your feelings about this! It's great for new or returning-after-a-long-hiatus divers who may have similar feelings to know those feelings aren't unusual...
I'm also a fairly new diver so won't offer advice, just my own personal experience. I still vividly remember my first dive to 60ft in our OW course. This was in Roatan - West Bay. I don't remember what skills we were doing on that dive but we were sort of "in the blue", a ways out from the reef (it was still just visible) but we were looking out towards the deep at the instructor and I remember thinking "this is kinda freaky down here this far"...
... and then a spotted eagle ray that was by far larger than any I have ever seen since went by slowly, just a little ways behind our instructor. When we finally got him to turn around (he couldn't figure out at first what all of our gesturing was about!) I will never forget his reaction. He immediately went vertical and threw out his arms and legs in awe. We were talking about it with a group of experienced divers diving off the same boat with us that day that also saw it and they also said it was the largest ray they had ever seen. That dive was a mental game-changer for me. The depth just no longer matters for me; it's about the wonders underwater. I think you are already most of the way there to have that same mindset.
I do think this tidbit posted above bears repeating:
This has been the key for everything "new" that I have done underwater - that first 60ft dive, our AOW deep cert dive to 27 metres at Mary's Place with its cool crevices, our first (also part of AOW) night dive (which happened to include the String of Pearls phenomenon) - every single time I've done something new I've been "with people I trust" and that eases any fears. If there is an emergency, I am 100% confident that we will all handle it together.
And with that said - would you be willing to share the name of the operator and dive master that you went back to? The one that is so respectful of your personal limits? If I ever find myself with an opportunity to dive in Curacao that's who I think I will want to dive with.
I'm also a fairly new diver so won't offer advice, just my own personal experience. I still vividly remember my first dive to 60ft in our OW course. This was in Roatan - West Bay. I don't remember what skills we were doing on that dive but we were sort of "in the blue", a ways out from the reef (it was still just visible) but we were looking out towards the deep at the instructor and I remember thinking "this is kinda freaky down here this far"...
... and then a spotted eagle ray that was by far larger than any I have ever seen since went by slowly, just a little ways behind our instructor. When we finally got him to turn around (he couldn't figure out at first what all of our gesturing was about!) I will never forget his reaction. He immediately went vertical and threw out his arms and legs in awe. We were talking about it with a group of experienced divers diving off the same boat with us that day that also saw it and they also said it was the largest ray they had ever seen. That dive was a mental game-changer for me. The depth just no longer matters for me; it's about the wonders underwater. I think you are already most of the way there to have that same mindset.
I do think this tidbit posted above bears repeating:
This has been the key for everything "new" that I have done underwater - that first 60ft dive, our AOW deep cert dive to 27 metres at Mary's Place with its cool crevices, our first (also part of AOW) night dive (which happened to include the String of Pearls phenomenon) - every single time I've done something new I've been "with people I trust" and that eases any fears. If there is an emergency, I am 100% confident that we will all handle it together.
And with that said - would you be willing to share the name of the operator and dive master that you went back to? The one that is so respectful of your personal limits? If I ever find myself with an opportunity to dive in Curacao that's who I think I will want to dive with.
CG43
Contributor
Hello
What kind of freediving do you do?
Is 30 feet the depth you are used to from freediving?
You are a certified diver and you have skills, but along the way there is something left in your body or soul.
A slow but very thorough way to learn to dive is with no or very little gear.
It is a good thing if you have a ladder, rod or rope on which you can pull and hold on.
Nothing to distract you from being with yourself and the water. You can close your eyes and try to sleep or just enjoy not having to breathe for a while.
Interesting that you write "I can free dive of sorts".
What kind of freediving do you do?
Is 30 feet the depth you are used to from freediving?
You are a certified diver and you have skills, but along the way there is something left in your body or soul.
A slow but very thorough way to learn to dive is with no or very little gear.
It is a good thing if you have a ladder, rod or rope on which you can pull and hold on.
Nothing to distract you from being with yourself and the water. You can close your eyes and try to sleep or just enjoy not having to breathe for a while.
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