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.

 

[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

 

[Boarderguy]

Looking over my shoulder for a buddy I thought was following me and now they're gone... I'm not concerned for me or them but now I'm having to look for them instead of the critters I planned to bother. I solo often so this is frustrating to me. My normal buddy continues our dive plan when we get separated (it happens often enough for us) and we normally link up again along the way.

 

[dfcliff]

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

In his message, he said, "without scuba." You're warning is valid if your breathing compressed air, but a surface breath, submerging, then standing up would not cause an AGE.

 

[TimPB]

Two for me.

First, accidentally swimming into a wreck in dark, low viz conditions.

Second and scarier, my wife finding how much I've actually spent on gear!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

In the past 18 years of diving, I've had 3 true "oh crap" moments I can recall:

1. Having my regulator kicked out of my mouth by a buddy I was following in low viz under ice
2. Having a buddy run out of gas at about 40' while diving together in a quarry
3. Having another diver, who was not technically my buddy, run out of gas at 100' on a shipwreck in Lake Michigan and literally attack me for my regulator

Neither of these were pleasant but I learned something from each one. Thankfully, I am still here so in the end, each turned out OK.

 

[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.

 

[Wibble]

... I know that buoyancy control may be the most important skill at this point.
...my biggest fear is having a panic attack when something goes wrong.
...losing my mask is my biggest fear because I struggle keeping water out of my nose

...focus my practice on those scenarios that I already know will likely induce panic.

Welcome to the wonderful world of scuba diving.

In the beginning, there's so much to learn. After a while things become a lot easier as you know what is going on around you.

The key to getting on top of both the worry about panicking and actually panicking is to get familiar with what's happening. In the case of the mask, learn how to efficiently clear the mask; take it off and put it back on again. Agreed, if the water's cold it's not nice. But if the water's moderately warm, do the practice. Every time you do, the worry will reduce. Eventually you'll be able to clear it with one hand and hardly blow any bubbles. Maybe a good session in a pool.

Similarly buoyancy. It is a challenging skill to master, but you will master it in the end. Again, time in a pool floating 6" off the bottom will pay big dividends. Face the side of the pool and practice going up 3 feet and maintaining that depth; then descend 3 feet and repeat. All the time you spend doing this is less time spent worrying about it.

We often refer to the "Core Skills" -- buoyancy, trim (flat) and finning (effectively). Master those and diving is a walk in the park. OK, maybe not. But it makes your confidence grow and everything seem so much more simple. And no dragons.


Have fun.

 

[billgraham]

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.

This sounds crazy, but I've seen it happen! The old advice about breathing off each reg while looking at the pressure gauges prevents it.

 

[flymolo]

realizing you forgot something at home while driving to the dive site

 

[Eric802]

Not realizing that I have heinous, multi-colored, slimy dive booger crawling out my nose like an octopus while I’m trying to chat with a/some cute girls while waiting on the boat always spikes my stress level.

Lost mask, broken fin, dead DC battery, OOG…those are easy.

I was in St. Kitts last week, and as I climbed the ladder after the first dive the mate was frantically gesturing me "wipe your nose"! Sometimes when you take the mask off it seems to drag the snot out...