First lesson today, now I'm freaking out! Some questions...

[stairman]

Wow! with all that advice it sounds like alot of folks want you to succeed safely. Not everyone can master the skills at the pace usually set fourth. You will need some one on one with a patient divemaster. This will cost a little more, maybe in the form of a tip, but its whats needed. Do not step off the back of a diveboat with all this anxiety. The task loading comes more automatic with experience and a pool session or 2 isnt enough for many. If you have to sit this trip out and wait till the next, so be it. No biggie Good luck with this and I hope you get the mentoring that you need.

 

[scubadiveilat]

Yup!

Hey! don't think of getting burnt if your not in a fire.....Your facing what many face. enjoy the course and have fun. Alternative take a more relaxed and one-on-one course to ease the tension.

Have fun and enjoy it!!!!

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Blue Sparkle, you are exactly right! Our first class session was yesterday and yesterday was when I received my learning materials. So the only "dive theory" I knew was what they discussed in our 3 hour class yesterday. We were given our materials and rented our scuba gear the day before our pool lesson. I definitely would have preferred to have studied the material BEFORE the dive lesson.

I think the instructors are very nice and helpful, I just felt the class size was too big. I would have liked it to be more one on one. There was about 15 people in the class and 2 instructors. Maybe that is normal? But I would have liked a class size of 5 or less. I don't think it was so much the instructor's fault but that I can be very shy have a little bit of trouble speaking up in situations... And I already felt bad in that they had to go over things with me privately after they had already gone over it with everyone else because I was the only one not getting it right away (which made me feel like an idiot! LOL). So i felt really reluctant to bother them every time I felt I wasn't doing something right. And I went to the class alone, so that made it a little overwhelming for me also.

But I took all your guy's advice and emailed the instructor asking for more pool time. Hopefully with some more practice (and studying) my nerves will calm down and I can just enjoy it!

I just want to understand- Did you mean that you have had no theory? You didn't do the classroom portion online or at all before pool work? So, they gave you the theory manual and classroom materials, but didn't actually teach it? It is different if you had the online learning section, but to just start in the pool? I can certainly understand all of your fears and concerns.

Is this a vacation or weekend course? And where? I think you need to slow down, take your time, find a class that does not overload itself 15 -2 is far too many.You need theory and more pool and skill practice. Diving is a an amazing experience. Take the time to fully understand and master your skills.

You hang in there and assert yourself.You will be steamrolled if you don't, and you deserve better than that.

 

[Kimsey0]

Heya;

Honestly, I suggest just dropping your class (if you can afford it) and get private lessons (pool sessions, and open water). You can do your open water dives AT ANY TIME once you complete your pool sessions, just get the staff members your getting you lessons at to fill you out a waver, and tell them you want to do your open dives later. I would never have dreamed of doing public lessons... nevermind with 15 people. You say you're socially awkward, well I'm a little on the shy side myself. I don't think my mind would be able to function well with 15 people jammed near me going thru the same course I was. That would make it hard to concentrate for a non-shy type, nevermind someone who's shy. Even if you haven't made these distinctions consciously in class, try private lessons, with unrushed, competent instructors, with no-one in the class but you... it would seem like a completely different world, and it would be a completely different experience.
I mean, heck, depending on the instructors, PRIVATE classes can suck! So, I can only imagine how bad public ones can be, with nice, yet crappy/incompetent instructors.
My poor mother had nice, yet crappy/incompetent instructors, a husband and wife duo; their methodology was horrible for my mother; they rushed her thru the class without even giving snorkeling portion of the lessons first, till she choked, and gagged enough, and they finally woked up to the prospect that she needed that portion of the class just as much as the diving part... they continued to rush her, and my mom's one of these types who thinks she's 20 at 67, and the instructors rushing her, inadvertently caused her knee to get injured, when performing an underwater maneuver, in a manner like they did. From the way my mom described, her class sounded just like yours.
So if you feel rushed, drop the class like a rock (if you can afford it, heck lessons are only about $200, and you only have to do them once) and find a class/instructors you're comfortable with. Heck, I had an instructor wouldn't shut up about how horrible depth gauges were, and kept trying to make it out like computers were so superior, and she even tried guilt tripping tactics to get me to buy a computer, saying about how a computer user would have to leave earlier before their bottom time was up blah blah blah. this went on for about 20 minutes; and we were supposed to be in the water those 20 minutes ago. *shrug* I just got up from the chair, got my gear, and walked out. I had better things to do.
I was going to use a computer during class, and she knew it, she just wouldn't shut up with the sales tactics.
a couple of days later I found an instructor who was a MILLION times better than any I had yet. He was quiet, mild mannered, didn't rush whatsoever, and everything went perfect, no sales BS, ETC. Just shop around (if you can afford it) But at any rate, definitely try to find unrushed, private lessons; it's just plain well worth it!
P.S. Unfortunately, yes, you can injure your lungs, in so much as ascending less than a foot underwater if you hold your breath. Just make a conscious effort to always breathe, no matter what while scuba diving, and never hold your breath.