Been Diving for awhile - Now experiencing panic?

[boat sju]

teresa,

By now you're probably realizing there're a hundred possible reasons why you were not getting enough air. I'm not a doctor but my understanding is that as the co2 builds in your blood you have a physiological response - "fight or flight" - that occurs. That's why it's suggested that you stop, relax, take a deep breath. You need to clear that co2 out. The "fight or flight" response can put you in a vicious cycle where you want/need more air, can't get it, more co2 builds up, and you can really start to freak. If you want to experience this in a pretty benign situation put a blanket over your head for awhile and see how long you can stay like that. As the co2 builds up you'll feel panic start to set in.

I've experienced or witnessed what you're describing a few times, I don't think it's that uncommon. Sometimes the underlying problem can be subtle like the constricting wetsuit or a reg that is slightly detuned. Also, a constricting neck seal will reduce blood flow through your carotid - I have to ask my wife to "spot me" when I trim a new drysuit neck seal.

boat

 

[Gary Nease]

For the first couple of years after restarting diving in 2005, I had minor or major panic attacks before nearly every dive after an interval of more than a few days. Also happened when viz was so bad I couldn't see my hand (Puget Sound). Over time I have figured out a lot of clues that have helped me. In my case, hardware was decidedly secondary.

1. Anxiety attacks are the result of cumulative anxiety, not whatever you are consciously focused on during the attack.
2. Self-talk that reinforces fear of a future event is a predictor of an anxiety attack. Focus on developing competency you can trust.
3. Familiarity deflates anxiety. Become familiar with everything you can about the dive. Read reports, look at satellite view of the site, visit the site and walk around the week before the dive.
   
4. Leaving home late or arriving late for a dive substantially increased anxiety, so make a realistic plan to arrive as much as an hour early.
5. As mentioned earlier, get your own gear and practice setting it up until you could do it in the dark.
6. Practice getting in and out your entire rig (dry suit, everything) twice in a row, starting at least two days before an upcoming dive makes a huge difference.
7. If you have a dive computer, it can be hard to remember its menus between dives if you don't dive often, so go to a nearby pool and snorkel around make sure you know where to look for what you need to know.
8. If you need perscription lenses to see your gauges and your environment (submerged and surface), get them. We take vision for granted but when it is constrained it increases anxiety. And getting separated from your buddy is bad enough, but not even being able to see/recognize him/her (or your float, or identify the right boat) at a distance on the surface is dangerous.
9. One instructor I know tells his students to call off any dive where three things go wrong before it starts, including little things like arriving late, falling while approaching the water, forgetting your sandwich, etc.
10. The context of all of this is your life. If you are dealing with threats to your job, your marriage, your family's health, etc, this multiplies the probability of anxiety issues (and accidents).
11. Meditation (simple breathing exercises) daily not only reduce anxiety but improve your air consumption and breath-awareness.

 

[Saboteur]

This may seem like a very strange situation, but I'm looking for HELP! I've spent most of my life in water. My childhood was spent ALL day long in pools, I was on swim team throughout high school, certified scuba diver. Recently, when scuba diving (we don't dive often - maybe 2-3 times a year) I have experienced a panicky feeling when diving. It feels like not enough air is coming through the regulator and I feel like I'm gasping for breath. Have had to call two dives short due to panic while diving with a divemaster. I'm wondering if there are regulators where the breathing isn't so difficult? (I know...it sounds stupid...) We dove with great whites in Guadalupe last year, using hooka, and I didn't have a problem at all. We are scheduled for a dive trip to Cozumel in September (with about 8 people in our party) and I don't want to be the "panicky diver that ruins everyone's dives" this trip. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated!

I would agree with some of the other comments that it may have been a poorly tuned reg. Several years ago in Hawaii the family did a SNUBA excursion. I don't know the brand of regs but they are set up with two second stages on one first stage on about 25 feet of hose. The whole dive I felt anxious because I felt I could not get enough air. It wasn't hard to get a breath, it just felt like the air was too 'thin'. I was an ex- diver at the time (late 70's/80's), no scuba guru, but had done drift dives, altitude and ice diving. Fast forward 8 years and I stroll into a dive shop in Provo and go on 4 dives with a guide, no issues. It may be worth renting a very good regulator known to be in tune and see if the same thing happens.

 

[dbnewton]

All good suggestions. Get a balanced easy breathing regulator and set it up in you living room and make sure you are comfortable. Add a well fitting wet suit and do it again. Add a well fitting BCD and again test in comfortable top side lication.

Then jump in a pool and ensure comfort. Do this over and over.

Then clear you mask over and over.

Then take the mask off. Keep breathing. Relax, calm yourself. Make sure you are comfortable again. Repeat until comfortable.

Then return to the ocean. If your DG races ahead, abandon tge dive dojng a well controlled assent and never dive with that DG again.

Point is one step at a time building confidence and fitting your equipment to your needs.

 

[chrisch]

This is getting silly. So many people so quick to look at the equipment. Go back. Read the OP. Which regulators are you criticising? Which regulators was the OP using? What if they are the same make as yours and equally well tuned/serviced? There is an obvious answer here and it is not equipment.

 

[CT-Rich]

This is getting silly. So many people so quick to look at the equipment. Go back. Read the OP. Which regulators are you criticising? Which regulators was the OP using? What if they are the same make as yours and equally well tuned/serviced? There is an obvious answer here and it is not equipment.

Anxiety attack while diving are not unheard of, but they usually come before you get a lot of experience. Looking at gear seems like one of several possibilities and can be reasonably tested. At overly tight wetsuit, bcd harness, or drysuit collar could well create the right conditions for CO2 build up. So could a crappy regulator. A combination of one of these and another stressor like a current, swell or low visibility could create a anxiety attack that might end badly. And all the equipment issues can/ need to be addressed topside. The psychological aspects can be looked at separately once physiological triggers are ruled out.

 

[TMHeimer]

For the first couple of years after restarting diving in 2005, I had minor or major panic attacks before nearly every dive after an interval of more than a few days. Also happened when viz was so bad I couldn't see my hand (Puget Sound). Over time I have figured out a lot of clues that have helped me. In my case, hardware was decidedly secondary.

1. Anxiety attacks are the result of cumulative anxiety, not whatever you are consciously focused on during the attack.
2. Self-talk that reinforces fear of a future event is a predictor of an anxiety attack. Focus on developing competency you can trust.
3. Familiarity deflates anxiety. Become familiar with everything you can about the dive. Read reports, look at satellite view of the site, visit the site and walk around the week before the dive.
   
4. Leaving home late or arriving late for a dive substantially increased anxiety, so make a realistic plan to arrive as much as an hour early.
5. As mentioned earlier, get your own gear and practice setting it up until you could do it in the dark.
6. Practice getting in and out your entire rig (dry suit, everything) twice in a row, starting at least two days before an upcoming dive makes a huge difference.
7. If you have a dive computer, it can be hard to remember its menus between dives if you don't dive often, so go to a nearby pool and snorkel around make sure you know where to look for what you need to know.
8. If you need perscription lenses to see your gauges and your environment (submerged and surface), get them. We take vision for granted but when it is constrained it increases anxiety. And getting separated from your buddy is bad enough, but not even being able to see/recognize him/her (or your float, or identify the right boat) at a distance on the surface is dangerous.
9. One instructor I know tells his students to call off any dive where three things go wrong before it starts, including little things like arriving late, falling while approaching the water, forgetting your sandwich, etc.
10. The context of all of this is your life. If you are dealing with threats to your job, your marriage, your family's health, etc, this multiplies the probability of anxiety issues (and accidents).
11. Meditation (simple breathing exercises) daily not only reduce anxiety but improve your air consumption and breath-awareness.

Agree with all except perhaps No.9. I think I have a few times had three things go wrong before a dive-- not resulting in an anxiety problem with the dive(s) itself.
Not sure about Meditation, but as a layman in the area I guess it can't hurt.

 

[Lorenzoid]

A classic must-read: Panic in the experienced diver?

 

[stevensamler]

This may seem like a very strange situation, but I'm looking for HELP! I've spent most of my life in water. My childhood was spent ALL day long in pools, I was on swim team throughout high school, certified scuba diver. Recently, when scuba diving (we don't dive often - maybe 2-3 times a year) I have experienced a panicky feeling when diving. It feels like not enough air is coming through the regulator and I feel like I'm gasping for breath. Have had to call two dives short due to panic while diving with a divemaster. I'm wondering if there are regulators where the breathing isn't so difficult? (I know...it sounds stupid...) We dove with great whites in Guadalupe last year, using hooka, and I didn't have a problem at all. We are scheduled for a dive trip to Cozumel in September (with about 8 people in our party) and I don't want to be the "panicky diver that ruins everyone's dives" this trip. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated!

Personally 2 to 3 dives per annum is not enough bottom time to maintain any comfort level, muscle memory , skill set, you need to be in the water. I don't think it has anything to do with equipment just get more water time it will sort itself out.