Had my first pool dive and it was horrible

[TSandM]

Lupita, have you ever snorkeled? If you haven't, or haven't done it much, you might try snorkeling for a while as a way to get comfortable with breathing "through" something, without the stress of actually being underwater. Some people just have issues with having their faces in the water (especially those who are not good swimmers) and time sometimes eases that.

Do not let your instructor push you into doing anything complicated underwater, until you are really okay with being there.

I was the world's worst diving student in my OW class -- BUT, I was always okay with being underwater. If you aren't, don't go there. Stay on the surface until you are a happy snorkeler.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

I have had students who had great fear of breathing underwater. We actually practiced breathing off the reg above the water. Not floating at the surface, kneeling in the 3ft end with our upperbody completely out of the water. We then started in the 3 ft deep shallow end steps. I had them just lay down forward and breath. Just hang out. They could surface by just picking their heads up. And we breathed. It took as long at it took. they breathed. Nice and slowly, in and out...... We didn't even do a skill beyond comfort in the with the gear. Every other skill was tried and practiced on teh surface, like the mask skills, and reg skills. Slowly and easily. And lots of times.

They also learned the panic cycle. This is very important to controlling your fears and yourself. I'll look for Walter's post about the panic cycle. It is excellent and will definitely help you. Don't rush, take your time, and you'll get there. Be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day.

 

[JKPAO]

+1 for Walter's post! Look it up!
See you topside! John

 

[diveprof]

Lots of good advice so far. Do let your instructor know of your apprehension. Kneeling in the shallow end with your regulator and mask in place, lean forward until your mask is underwater. Breathe slowly and relaxed. It is ok to take small steps forward. Do not let folks rush you. My first few pool sessions were a challenge too. I bolted to the surface on more than one occasion. Did I mention that I am now a scuba instructor?

 

[Cave Diver]

Also, there are several excellent articles stickied at the top of this forum for new divers to read:

New Divers and Those Considering Diving - ScubaBoard

 

[Walter]

The article to which bygolly posted a link should help. I would add that when you are breathing through the snorkel with no mask, you should think about drinking through a straw. This is the first skill I have my students do after they complete their swim test.

A couple of folks have suggested learning about the panic cycle. That's a good idea for any diver. Here's a link to a post I made about it. Panic Cycle You can read more about it in Dennis Graver's book SCUBA Diving.

Most people love it the first time they breathe through a regulator underwater. I didn't, but, like you, I had always wanted to SCUBA dive and I was determined to get past the terror I felt while breathing underwater. Slow, deep breathing kept me calm and allowed me to get to the point where I was merely uncomfortable, but not terrified while breathing underwater. Learning lots of skills actually pushed being uncomfortable while breathing underwater out of my head. There is light at the end of that very long tunnel you see ahead. For one thing, it's not all that long, it's a surprisingly short tunnel. The light is, if you are determined and if you dive often, breathing underwater will become the most relaxing thing you've ever done. It is for me. I was never a water person and came very close to drowning as a child. Now, I'm happiest underwater. You can be as well.

 

[Bob DBF]

Lupita, have you ever snorkeled? If you haven't, or haven't done it much, you might try snorkeling for a while as a way to get comfortable with breathing "through" something, without the stress of actually being underwater. Some people just have issues with having their faces in the water (especially those who are not good swimmers) and time sometimes eases that.

Do not let your instructor push you into doing anything complicated underwater, until you are really okay with being there.

I was the world's worst diving student in my OW class -- BUT, I was always okay with being underwater. If you aren't, don't go there. Stay on the surface until you are a happy snorkeler.

TS&M has it on the mark.

Snorkeling and free-diving will give you most of the skills you will need for SCUBA without all the cumbersome gear. The free-diving need only be to 5 or 10 feet for buoyancy and dealing with being underwater and snorkel clearing. I have yet to meet anyone with free-diving skills who had any problem with SCUBA because they were already comfortable on and under the water.


Bob
---------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[SoccerJeni]

Awe!!! I hope today goes better for you. I don't have any advice, just want to offer encouragement and support.

 

[explorer08]

I have always wanted to scuba dive so i signed up for the open water course. Today i had my first pool dive it was the worst. I was so scared and paniced. I just cant seem to get over being able to breathe underwater.. I'll stay down for a while but then start getting so scared i have to come up. I cried all the way home because i was so upset that i just couldnt do it. Tomorrow i have another pool dive and im not feeling very confident right now.. any tips would be great..

-Lupita

Is it really for sure that YOU want to scuba dive? Or is it that you want to do it because your friend or your husband does it?

Very often I encountered problems like yours with people who wanted to scuba dive because of others instead because of themselves.

Anyway, you got a lot of good advices here. Try them and the most important thing is sufficient time to relax. In 99% with enough time you will do it. One of my most critical students was - my own wife. It took me about 1 ½ hour in a pool, shallow enough to stand in, to have her stay with her head under water. But after the knot has been broken once, it was ok.
And sooner or later nearly all of my students got it.
Only once, in nearly 25 years of teaching diving I had a student who has not been able to do it. It was a young woman who wanted to do the course together with her husband, who has been the thriving force behind.
She started as my wife did. First she shot up immediately as her head has been under water. After some time she stayed under water for a few seconds. We could extend her time under water to a few minutes – all without any exercises, just breathing. After she did it for about 15 minutes, I thought she got it, but failed. Again she panicked and shot up. We tried it several times and on different days. At the end she stayed for half an hour, before she panicked again. At that point, all three together, we decided that she did break off the course and her husband did it alone.

Good Luck!

 

[LupitaM]

Im not doing this for anyone but myself explorer08

I love the ocean and I wanted to do more than just looking at it. I wanted to see what else there was to it which is why I took up scuba. Plus each time id see all the divers I would get jealous because I wanted to do what they were doing so badly!!