Are there people who just CANNOT dive?

[lowwall]

Colombo,

Have you had anyone try to address your kinesthetic/proprioception issues, either formally or informally? Even if you can master the basic skills, both your safety and your enjoyment of diving are going to compromised if you don't have decent awareness and control of your body positioning.

I would deal with that first. It should help you with all physical activities, which may in turn lead to some positive mental changes as well.

 

[Belzelbub]

There are certainly some people that are just not cut out for diving. Unfortunately, some of them get certified anyway.

No disrespect meant, but you seem to have some issues that may not be compatible with diving. I’m not certain if they are mental or physical in nature. You may be able to overcome them, but then again, maybe not.

If the problems are mental, that needs to be addressed first.

Not being able to breathe with a mask off is certainly problematic, and potentially dangerous, but it’s not unheard of.

How are your swimming skills? Based on your description of past activities, I’m not sure if swimming was something you had some success with or not. I’d say this is a prerequisite. You should at first be comfortable in the water, then you should be able to build on that. Try swimming with a mask and snorkel. Get comfortable with it. Then try swapping the mask for goggles. This will expose your nose, but still allow you to see clearly. Then move on to just breathing through the snorkel.

The place where my daughters got certified often teaches SCUBA to people with disabilities. Amputees, paraplegics, etc.

In the end, though, you need to ask yourself if it’s worth it. Mentally, it could be good for you, as it can be a good stress reliever. However, if learning how to do it is causing more stress than it’s worth, it may not be for you. No shame in that.

If you do decide to go forward with it, it may be better for you to look for private instruction. At least that way, you can progress at your own pace without the pressure of other students.

 

[TMHeimer]

It's difficult to say whether you can become a successful diver. My layman's guess (I'm not a psychologist) is probably yes.
A couple of things stand out to me. One is the maskless problem. There are numerous ways to fix this. My suggestion is to practice completely closing off your nose and mouth, one at a time, both together, etc. Do this on land. Many people have "airway" problems.
The other thing is you mentioned that you swam the length of the pool with eyes open (underwater?). What kind of swimmer are you? Do you do a "proper" stroke or just tough it out any old way to get where you want to go?
Being able to swim doesn't line up with your not having good control of what your body is doing on scuba. Maybe some swim lessons?

My wife can't dive due to extreme claustrophobia. Not of being underwater, she swims well and can do that fine. She could not tolerate being restricted by a tight wetsuit. So yes, some people just cannot dive.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I would suggest contacting Ryan @custureri. He's VERY GOOD at resolving these kind of issues. He's based in Ft. Lauderdale. AQUI Water Sports Fort Lauderdale

 

[Esprise Me]

I do believe there are people who can't learn to dive safely and independently. In practice, it's hard to say who they are. All we really ever know for sure is who hasn't gotten there yet; we never know what results further efforts might have yielded. Maybe the third time will be the charm for you; maybe it will take more. The question is whether you can get there in the amount of time, money, and effort you're willing to expend--how much is it worth?

I do think you should try a different instructor. There might be nothing wrong with your guy, but he may not be the right one for you. I also agree with springing for private lessons, and finding someone who has some better ideas on how to help than just having you repeat the course over and over. If you tell us where you are, some folks might have suggestions.

 

[johndiver999]

Yes, and there are people who do, and shouldn't.

 

[mc42]

It seems a little unusual - maybe this is how some shops and instructors practice this - to have you go straight through the end of the OW course and fail.

A good shop, upon recognizing you aren't meeting the skill performance requirements, should be taking you aside to suggest extra time in the pool to work on skills. Pushing you along before you're ready and piling more skills on top of shaky foundations isn't going to help. Obviously there would be an understanding of the extra expense from the instructor and pool time, but hopefully less than paying for the course multiple times over. Did you have a discussion about needing extra time and/or feedback from the instructor?

There may be practical things around the way your gear is set up for you and the weight distribution isn't optimal. These may result in you feeling discomfort underwater and fighting a tendency to go head first, butt first, float around, etc. that aren't your fault. A good instructor should recognize these difficulties and address them from the start.

What sort of class sizes did you have? Private instruction would certainly be a good route and should be much more effective than big group lessons that limit the attention you get. At least establish if you can take the group class, then what it might take to have extra 1-1 sessions (if offered), or just whether a private class is best.

I admire your perseverance and I think you have the right mental attitude to succeed. I second all of the suggestions about just going to the pool with the same mask and snorkel you use in the OW class and getting comfortable with snorkelling skills. It can only help to have comfort in water now that you should be familiar with the skills you need to have. There are also some tips and exercises you can search for about breathing without your mask.

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree about the one-on-one instruction. Works better for learning any musical instrument, and probably for anything.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

There are also some tips and exercises you can search for about breathing without your mask.

In my blog. Link in signature

 

[boulderjohn]

As some have said, most of the best instructors now do not have divers on the knees at all.

Next, the sequence of scuba instruction that just about every agency I know uses is carefully designed to work students sequentially from easy skills to slightly harder, ets, a little at a time. I don't know what agency your instructor is using, but what you are describing is NOT what is done by probably 99% of the instructors in the world. There is a reason for that.

So what agency does your instructor represent?