Everything went wrong today. Advice needed.

[tbone1004]

every time you have a problem you will resolve that problem. More learning takes place diving that in any class room.

I wasn't much of a fan of my last problem resolution.... Surface at Challenge and hurl, feel very very bad. Have 3 options, do I try to struggle to Olsen with the flow, go against the flow back to Orange Grove where I at least have stairs, both a minimum of 30 minutes, or do I climb out with all of my gear up a cliff, which will suck but at least I'm at the surface... The climb sucked, was a not fun learning experience, but now I will never eat cheap frozen pizza's again....

 

[beachbummer28]

Beachbummer28.

We've all been there. Not every dive will be the best dive ever. Some will just down right suck. But its worth the bad ones for all the great ones. And fortunately the great will vastly out number the bad. Relax. Diving is for fun. The skills will come.

Communication was a problem with Eric and I as well. Eventually we developed a set of common signals and you will too. For me, getting his attention underwater was nearly impossible. You are a step ahead of the game if you don't have that problem. Decide the signals you need most right now. Practice them on land and at unexpected times. And yes, there is a signal for drill.

Thank you so much for this encouragement, it really helps. There were other divers there today - a training class and then a group of clearly experienced divers - and everyone of course looked completely relaxed with perfect buoyancy and not stirring up any sand (haha! can you tell I hate not being perfect at something the first time I try it??), and I was seemingly the only one who was having a bad, uneasy dive. It sucks to feel like that, especially when you want to be good at something and you otherwise find it enjoyable. Our first OW dive at the ocean reef was a super simple dive but we haven't stopped talking about it since, and I found it exhilarating but also a great way to unwind, have fun, you never know what you'll see, etc. It's a perfect mixture of adventure and relaxation, and I was so disappointed in myself that I had anxiety issues for seemingly no reason today. It really does help us newbies to hear stories of less-than-perfect dives from experienced divers who have been there and decided to keep going instead of giving up on the sport altogether.

 

[CT-Rich]

I think you will have fun you are doing it for the right reasons. But you need to realize that some of the fun occurs topside. When I want to dive a new site, I go to google earth, Youtube and look at all sorts of stuff so that I can get a lay of the land. part of the fun can be looking at a picture and saying "I wonder what is over there?" If you do it with your husband the night before or even at the dock, you are planning it together. Reading someone else's review of a dive spot will tell you what you might want do or hunt for.

On the dive, stay abreast of your buddy. If you end up in four feet of water, at least you got there together. You will also learn to communicate better. When I dive with others, I want to see what they are doing and let them know what is going on with me. I hate diving with someone that follows because they are always in my blind spot. If they need me to wait, I won't know it. set aside time for skills at a predetermined part of the dive.

Do you need to hop into a fundies class right away? I won't tell you not to, but it sounds more like you are just trying to master the skills you already know. I would suggest you and your husband do a nice easy dive, settle down on the sand at some point. don't worry to much about buoyancy or fin kicks or anything else. Close your eyes and listen to how you breath. Just focus on breathing. Don't try to accomplish anything. No racing to the next feature, no instructor, no hand signals, just you and your breath. When you are relaxed, open your eyes and take your time. The beauty of diving is that you disconnect from everything else. As a couple you can make your own decisions about pace.

When you end up it four feet of water, laugh about it and turn around. When you are relaxed and having fun, the rest will come easy. You can control the stress, but that means you have to think about it.

 

[diver 85]

Man-------or woman in this case-------I'd go back to the basics-----do a review of what ever books you have around the house(?OW manuel)--front to back...........When you get to a part that says "Plan your dive---& dive your plan", stop & soak in as much of that section as possible.........Other thing I can think of is (re)learn your UW dive signal section---possibly taking the AOW course(back in '86 when I took it, I found out about a few more UW signals in the course--ie they should be easily found in the AOW book--remember my PADI AOW book had them)-& yes AOW can be taken with as few dives as you each have.....The more time UW--esp with an instructor--the better--for you(& anyone for that matter)...

Also, might want to get a writing slate, most people have no problem writing things(?questions) down to convey to their buddy UW---that or learn sign language???......Sounds like you're around some fairly simple diving destinations---ie you're not diving in Low Viz & little if any current--& able to keep your max depth fairly shallow(under 40 feet)......Things can be pretty simple, even though you're a novice diver---& I'd keep it that way for a while--till you both feel REAL comfortable in the water(& some things become 2nd nature)........Good luck in your diving future--report back after several more dives & tell us how things are going.......

 

[kwinter]

"Rite in the Rain" paper and a laser printer. Print out all kinds of drills and skills in very large font on 1/4 sheets, both sides. Then bind them together with wax string and you have an instant multi-page notebook of flash cards. Use them at safety stops or any time during a stress-free time of the dive. Because they are preprinted, there is no confusion about whether it is a drill or not. In fact I prefer the element of surprise rather than pre-planned drills. I've used these for years for every level from OW to Cave to CCR. They fit easily in a pocket and cost less than multi page slates. Of course the paper is expensive, but comes in handy for dive tables and the like.


iPhone. iTypo. iApologize.

 

[uncfnp]

Thank you so much for this encouragement, it really helps. There were other divers there today - a training class and then a group of clearly experienced divers - and everyone of course looked completely relaxed with perfect buoyancy and not stirring up any sand (haha! can you tell I hate not being perfect at something the first time I try it??), and I was seemingly the only one who was having a bad, uneasy dive. It sucks to feel like that, especially when you want to be good at something and you otherwise find it enjoyable. Our first OW dive at the ocean reef was a super simple dive but we haven't stopped talking about it since, and I found it exhilarating but also a great way to unwind, have fun, you never know what you'll see, etc. It's a perfect mixture of adventure and relaxation, and I was so disappointed in myself that I had anxiety issues for seemingly no reason today. It really does help us newbies to hear stories of less-than-perfect dives from experienced divers who have been there and decided to keep going instead of giving up on the sport altogether.

Type A perfectionist. I so know how you feel. You can learn to work through this disability. Time and age is a great cure (speaking from experience). Learn what is important. Let go of the rest.

 

[tbone1004]

I would suggest you and your husband do a nice easy dive, settle down on the sand at some point. don't worry to much about buoyancy or fin kicks or anything else.

don't do that, there is never any excuse for not being neutrally buoyant unless you are intentionally trying to crawl across the bottom. Useful for hunting for things in rivers, but then you're not really diving, more excavating underwater. NB is not hard and diving is much more relaxing while being weightless. The point of fundies is that their skills are likely not the best skills and are clearly causing frustration, getting into a fundies class will break any bad habits, build better ones, and create a better overall comfort with being underwater because now things like neutral buoyancy, and proper propulsion techniques are not second nature instead of something you have to think about

 

[beachbummer28]

Type A perfectionist. I so know how you feel. You can learn to work through this disability. Time and age is a great cure (speaking from experience). Learn what is important. Let go of the rest.

Yes, that's exactly what I am! It's an awful ailment, isn't it? Haha! I'm also fairly athletic so the fact that I'm presented with an active sport that I'm not yet able to do well is ... quite frankly, really annoying. And humbling, and necessary, and probably just a part of it! In addition to everything else that was giving me anxiety today, every time I accidentally stirred up the bottom I gritted my teeth and felt really bad for the experienced divers who were around. There needs to be a signal for "Sorry, I'm new" ... but that signal is probably my fins pointing straight down and me flailing my arms to try to not touch the bottom, lol. I do want to actively work on skills so I know I'll get better with it, and that it just takes patience. I think after today I finally figured out what weight I need for fresh water though, which is good for next time.

After today's dive I was really discouraged and felt like maybe it wasn't normal to have such a bad dive in a controlled environment like a freaking spring, and also disappointed in myself because we were really looking forward to it and I kinda ruined everything by being anxious over tiny things. I do think I'll dust myself off though and get back on the horse, so to speak; I would hate to give up after just one bad experience. Maybe diving is the perfect cure for a die-hard perfectionist!

 

[Brandon]

every time you have a problem you will resolve that problem. More learning takes place diving that in any class room.

I've really come to enjoy the dives that don't go perfectly, but are still done safely and without excess risk. I like to think of them as free learning opportunities; exposure to a bit of diving stress without the consequences of an actual emergency or serious error. I'm with you - I learn more from those dives than anything else.

To the OP - a Fundies class may be a hair overkill at this point (I am a GUE T1 diver and have assisted with numerous Fundies courses), and you're unlikely to do well in the course until you get a few of the new diver jitters out of your system. Unless money is no object, I'd recommend instead just spending more time in the water. $1300 in combined tuition (+ the inevitable gear changes) buys an awful lot of tank fills and spring entry fees. Fix the gear issues first (your alternate not working, tank position, wetsuit not fitting correctly), and find dive sites that keep things super simple. If navigation is a challenge - don't dive a site that requires anything more than rudimentary navigation skills. Find a site that has good visibility and easy access. Keep it shallow (20-30') for these first few dives after OW - not because you can't dive deeper, but because there's no real reason to. And the increased ambient light / longer bottom times / shorter surface intervals is a nice thing.

Here's an idea from my limited Florida experience - If Ginnie Springs is close to you, grab a couple of tanks and hit the basin with your buddy. The basin is <20' deep, crystal clear and warm, and it's near impossible to get lost (especially if the barrier is up). With the stairs/benches it's very easy to get in/out of the water there, and if there are any gear issues that need to be addressed, it's trivial to get back out and make the adjustments. Do your dive plan, review signals you're going to use during the dive (but don't get carried away), then spend 15-20 minutes making a couple of laps around the basin. Occasionally cut across and notice how your buoyancy changes when you get deeper and come back up. Surface, discuss, and do again. By time you're swapping over to the second tank, you'll likely be feeling a lot more comfortable in the water together. When you can easily and comfortably do that dive, with good buoyancy control, move on to something else.

For the next dives, find a different site with slightly more challenging conditions and do the same thing again. Blue Grotto would be an ideal candidate. Take advantage of the easy natural navigation... it's basically downhill/uphill. You can do a bunch of dives here as you get more comfortable by extending the bottom time and/or depth. Make a dive plan and stick to it - pay special attention to however you calculate no-deco time and gas supply and use this time to build good dive planning habits. When this gets old, go back to Ginnie and check out the Ballroom, or go visit Mother Ocean.

Be easy on yourself for the first dozen dives or so, then find some additional training when you realize you've fallen in love with diving. Fundies is a great course and would serve you well over a lifetime of diving, but at a minimum seek AOW/Rescue/Nitrox from a solid instructor.

My $.02... it's an awful lot of fun being a new diver; best to get comfortable and settle in for the long haul. =)

-B

 

[uncfnp]

Great post Brandon!

I would add that if at all possible, start buying your own gear. We actually started during our OW course. It makes a world of difference. Was the ill fitting wetsuit yours or a rental?