Downing
Contributor
I was really nervous on my first boat dive. Until then, all I had done was shore dives, including my OW cert dives and then a few cenotes with a local instructor while we were on vacation in Playa del Carmen. By the time we got to Cozumel, my wife wasn't feeling well (yes, Montezuma's revenge), so I went to the boat by myself. This was a number of firsts for me: a boat, no instructor, and no one I knew on board. I had maybe ten dives under my belt.
I still remember going over and over in my head all the stuff I had learned in class as we were motoring along to our dive site. Everyone else appeared to be relaxed, so I didn't want to show how nervous I was. When it came time for me to stand up I was terrified I was going to topple over as I had never walked on a boat with all my gear on before. I shuffled my way to the back of the boat, did a giant stride into the water, relied on my training and had a great time.
Having gone through that experience made me a better diver. I actually prefer boat diving now, although I still do a shore dive every now and then. I gained a lot of confidence by being self-reliant with no instructor to watch over me. And I certainly don't mind diving with a group of strangers--they're just friends I haven't met yet. I've done a bunch of boat dives since then under the same conditions and haven't thought twice about it.
I really think you just made yourself a better diver by having a bad experience. You're analyzing what went wrong and how to address the issues. Next time it's bound to go better, and you'll get a true sense of accomplishment.
I still remember going over and over in my head all the stuff I had learned in class as we were motoring along to our dive site. Everyone else appeared to be relaxed, so I didn't want to show how nervous I was. When it came time for me to stand up I was terrified I was going to topple over as I had never walked on a boat with all my gear on before. I shuffled my way to the back of the boat, did a giant stride into the water, relied on my training and had a great time.
Having gone through that experience made me a better diver. I actually prefer boat diving now, although I still do a shore dive every now and then. I gained a lot of confidence by being self-reliant with no instructor to watch over me. And I certainly don't mind diving with a group of strangers--they're just friends I haven't met yet. I've done a bunch of boat dives since then under the same conditions and haven't thought twice about it.
I really think you just made yourself a better diver by having a bad experience. You're analyzing what went wrong and how to address the issues. Next time it's bound to go better, and you'll get a true sense of accomplishment.