Experienced Divers: What are the most common "oh, crap!" situations?

[Litefoot]

Hello. Thanks for letting me ask a basic question. I'm a brand new recently-certified OW diver. I know that buoyancy control may be the most important skill at this point. But my biggest fear is having a panic attack when something goes wrong. In your experience, what is the most likely problem I will face? Right now, in my limited experience, losing my mask is my biggest fear because I struggle keeping water out of my nose. Is that the answer? That is, focus my practice on those scenarios that I already know will likely induce panic. What do you say?

Note: I am reading and learning form the "What would you do?" thread that is pinned at the top of the forum.

 

[DAJ]

In your experience, what is the most likely problem I will face?

Finding a parking spot close enough to your dive spot so you’re not humping your gear a half a mile. While having a specific issue in the water varies and may not be considered likely, parking at good dive spots is always an issue.

 

[inquis]

Odds are you will eventually jump in the water without your air on. Hopefully you always mount your tank where you can reach the valve.

 

[Soloist]

Odds are you will eventually jump in the water without your air on. Hopefully you always mount your tank where you can reach the valve.

@Litefoot, while monitoring your SPG, take three breaths off your reg and confirm pressure is constant. This should prevent an “oh crap” moment…if done BEFORE you hit the water!

 

[lowwall]

Hello. Thanks for letting me ask a basic question. I'm a brand new recently-certified OW diver. I know that buoyancy control may be the most important skill at this point. But my biggest fear is having a panic attack when something goes wrong. In your experience, what is the most likely problem I will face? Right now, in my limited experience, losing my mask is my biggest fear because I struggle keeping water out of my nose. Is that the answer? That is, focus my practice on those scenarios that I already know will likely induce panic. What do you say?

Note: I am reading and learning form the "What would you do?" thread that is pinned at the top of the forum.

Mask issues are probably the most common contributing factor to diver panic. But it's completely avoidable. You just need to practice the hell out of mask clearing, mask removal and replace and breathing without the mask. A pool is the best place for this at the very beginning, but safety stops are good too. Let your buddy know before the dive that you will be practicing on the safety stop. Get neutral first so you don't ascend or descend too much while practicing. Eventually you'll want to do the practice earlier in the dive while you are moving along normally.

I used to do a full flood and clear or remove and replace on every dive. Now, I do it on the first dive of a trip and whenever I want to give my nose a good blow.

 

[JohnN]

Do you have access to a swimming pool? You can practice mask drills in a swimming pool without scuba.

Get a weight belt. I put about 13 # on. Go to the shallow end, mine is 3 1/2 feet. Put your dive mask on. Sit down. Partially flood mask and clear. Stand up. When that is good do full remove and replace and clear underwater and stand up. I would do sets of 10 in between swimming laps.

Next with fins on attach a snorkel to the strap of a pair of swimming goggles. Put the swimming goggles on your forehead, not over your eyes. Kick for 1 minute, then build up to 3 minutes breathing from a snorkel with nothing over your nose or eyes.

There is no reason you can't bring an extra mask with you on your dives. The solo course teaches this.

A word of warning. An AGE (Arterial gas embolism) is possible from even those depths. Please be careful and don't stand up after taking in a full breath, better yet consciously exhale while you stand

 

[tursiops]

A word of warning. An AGE (Arterial gas embolism) is possible from even those depths. Please be careful and don't stand up after taking in a full breath, better yet consciously exhale while you stand

He is not using scuba in the pool.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Not fully zipping up your dry suit.

 

[TMHeimer]

I haven't lost a mask yet in 900+ dives. I suppose if a strap broke underwater I'd have time to grab the mask before it fell, but who knows. Some divers actually carry a spare mask with them on the dive, but that seems a little overboard. I have had a regulator mouthpiece almost blown out of my mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. I bungee it in my mouth (around my head with the bungee cord)-- also a hedge against problems as I usually dive solo now. I also use a "molded" mouthpiece for comfort.
I try to dive in the best conditions possible-- walk right from car to beach, etc. at my age of 68. I guess my biggest worry is conditions changing and having to crawl out on rocks, which I've done a couple of times recently.

 

[Tournesol2000]

Throwing up in my reg after a particularly rough boat ride and remembering to keep the regular in my mouth. It was also a deciding factor in buying regs after I got my OW cert