Superhuman Unknown
Registered
Hello!
Scuba diving has been something that piqued my interest since I was a kid. Watching shows on public access TV with people diving deep in the water in the mornings was a highlight for me. For many years I've considered finally taking the plunge (no pun intended) but several things have prevented me from actually getting certified:
1. I'm steadfast on finding someone local and around my age who I can befriend, who either wants to learn to scuba dive, or someone who already knows how. I find it great to have a friend who also dives for encouragement and for pointers.
2. I'm very quick to the trigger when it comes to experiencing anxiety or becoming frustrated, especially while training. My fear that during a dive, my frustration will turn into panic, thus risking my life and others. After talking to a few people at various shops it seems like there is no clear cut answer to teaching how to avoid anxiety or what to do if you are experiencing anxiety/panic while on a dive, which concerns me.
3. San Diego seems to have several dive shops, which for me makes it hard to choose which one to get certified. They all seem to be the same to me, but they all offer classes at different prices, offer different perks, have different class sizes and offer different discounts. I don't know if paying extra for "better" teachers is the way to go or just go with what's more convenient.
4. I don't drive. I have somewhat of a moral and a economical reason I don't drive, and I understand that this creates a few problems, namely with transferring equipment, let along getting from dive shop to pool to the dive site(s). To me it's more a hassle for everyone else, and thus I don't want to create that for anyone.
5. It seems like there is so much equipment out there, it's extremely hard for me to tell what's good, what's bad, etc. for me. Are there any pointers that you could give as to what to check for, for example, masks, snorkel or a wetsuit?
Scuba diving has been something that piqued my interest since I was a kid. Watching shows on public access TV with people diving deep in the water in the mornings was a highlight for me. For many years I've considered finally taking the plunge (no pun intended) but several things have prevented me from actually getting certified:
1. I'm steadfast on finding someone local and around my age who I can befriend, who either wants to learn to scuba dive, or someone who already knows how. I find it great to have a friend who also dives for encouragement and for pointers.
2. I'm very quick to the trigger when it comes to experiencing anxiety or becoming frustrated, especially while training. My fear that during a dive, my frustration will turn into panic, thus risking my life and others. After talking to a few people at various shops it seems like there is no clear cut answer to teaching how to avoid anxiety or what to do if you are experiencing anxiety/panic while on a dive, which concerns me.
3. San Diego seems to have several dive shops, which for me makes it hard to choose which one to get certified. They all seem to be the same to me, but they all offer classes at different prices, offer different perks, have different class sizes and offer different discounts. I don't know if paying extra for "better" teachers is the way to go or just go with what's more convenient.
4. I don't drive. I have somewhat of a moral and a economical reason I don't drive, and I understand that this creates a few problems, namely with transferring equipment, let along getting from dive shop to pool to the dive site(s). To me it's more a hassle for everyone else, and thus I don't want to create that for anyone.
5. It seems like there is so much equipment out there, it's extremely hard for me to tell what's good, what's bad, etc. for me. Are there any pointers that you could give as to what to check for, for example, masks, snorkel or a wetsuit?
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