How many here were scared to death and still completed OW classes?

[NAUI Wowie]

Yes, going down an anchor line the first time (to 70+ feet in Gulf of Mex.). Not too scary, but I just kept my eyes on the line vanishing into nowhere. Was nice for sure when the bottom first appeared.

Was that your first dive after OW or during OW? 70 feet or more?

 

[NAUI Wowie]

I did my OW training just prior to my 58th birthday. I was never scared during OW or AOW training as I had done some Discover Scuba dives over the previous 12 years so was very comfortable during training. But for whatever reason, and I'm not really sure why, since then I have had a couple of anxious moments while diving, and generally it has been while just beginning descent on ocean dives. I suppose it was that the viz was somewhat low and I couldn't see the bottom when submerging even though I had an anchor line to go down. But I was able to quickly get my senses about me, get over the anxiety, and continue with the dive without incident. Now, instead of just dumping my air and going under, I will stick my face into the water for a few seconds, look around, get used to breathing, and then dump my air. It's usually so quick nobody notices I'm doing it. And it's only on the first dive of the day. After that, i'm fine on subsequent dives.

One incident, tho, was worse than others. Me, my wife, and another lady were diving together in a local quarry. We had been in the water only about 6 minutes and were following lines at 30 ft to a sunken sailboat at the far end of the quarry. There are many tees off the line to different things in the water and I realized I had missed the tee I needed to follow. Just as I turned around to go back, I started hyperventilating. My only thought was to get to the surface, which I did. I don't know why I started hyperventilating; I wasn't scared or uncomfortable, it just happened. We decided to not continue for the day, and for the next few dives, I had that incident in the back of my mind and had to work my way thru anxiousness for a few dives, especially around the 6 minute mark of the first dive of the day. It was just a mental thing I had to work thru.

lol that hyperventilating for no reason sometimes happens, I had a monterey dive two months ago and viz was about 2 feet and tried to go down following two other divers first dive of day. older mask kept leaking and after going down two feet several times I gave up. Felt really freaking no viz and leaky mask. I clear my mask at 75 feet deep no prob no worries but that rattled me and aborted first dive.

Second dive of day put on my new mask no worries and was pissed as heck at myself. Turned on a big light , because was needed and went down to the 60 foot seabottom leading the two others and had zero nerves or anziety. Even 10 minutes later when they decided to go up without telling me. I was 60 ft deep two foot viz all alone on dive 29 of my career. no bigge I slowly ascended no worries.

 

[TMHeimer]

Was that your first dive after OW or during OW? 70 feet or more?

I had 2 dives in Springs to 20', but that was my first boat dive. On the Florida panhandle in "winter" boats don't go out very often since the locals don't like the "frigid".....water. This was my only chance that snowbird trip. There was a NAUI instructor doing an AOW course on board (she was in a DRYSUIT, my first viewing of one of those). She asked if I would be comfortable going 70+ feet if she buddied me with her very experienced husband. I said I guess so. It went fine, despite the fact that the very experienced husband left me alone down there to chase after 3 lobsters (Whoa--Crap, I'm alone down here--where'd he go?). I little disconcerting--I managed to hook up with 2 others to continue the dive.
60 feet alone & 2 feet viz like in the post above sounds a bit more scary, but he did have 29 dives.

 

[Kimela]

I got dry suit certified at the same time I got OW certified - in March - in a quarry in Illinois (Mermet). It was cold topside and cold in the water and my suit leaked. I was TERRIFIED that I would somehow fall underneath one of the training platforms and get stuck and nobody would know where I was. Truth be told, that idea STILL terrifies me a little bit - ok, a lot! I can just see myself sinking below, somehow scooching sideways under the platform, with too much air in my BC and basically getting stuck against the underside, not knowing where any of the four sides are (because it's dark green water with little to no visibility in this particular nightmare scenario - well, it's dark green water in real life too!).

I think I whined so much that they let me skip the final "fun dive" and certified me anyway! I only grudgingly agreed to go to the Keys. I really didn't think scuba was for me until I hit warm, blue, clear water. Ahhhh, yes!

 

[TMHeimer]

I got dry suit certified at the same time I got OW certified - in March - in a quarry in Illinois (Mermet). It was cold topside and cold in the water and my suit leaked. I was TERRIFIED that I would somehow fall underneath one of the training platforms and get stuck and nobody would know where I was. Truth be told, that idea STILL terrifies me a little bit - ok, a lot! I can just see myself sinking below, somehow scooching sideways under the platform, with too much air in my BC and basically getting stuck against the underside, not knowing where any of the four sides are (because it's dark green water with little to no visibility in this particular nightmare scenario - well, it's dark green water in real life too!).

I think I whined so much that they let me skip the final "fun dive" and certified me anyway! I only grudgingly agreed to go to the Keys. I really didn't think scuba was for me until I hit warm, blue, clear water. Ahhhh, yes!

I've only been on one platform once-- during taking AOW. How big was that platform that you couldn't get out from under by just picking a direction and swimming?

 

[MJS1946]

I never should have read this thread! I have my first confined water dive tomorrow and my OW dives in about a month in Hawaii. After reading this I now have an irrational fear of running out of air at 60 ft as well as a rash from the wet suit or some other equipment malfunction. Perhaps I’ll just forget the whole thing and return all the stuff to the dive shop. I will then just continue to snorkel!

 

[TMHeimer]

I never should have read this thread! I have my first confined water dive tomorrow and my OW dives in about a month in Hawaii. After reading this I now have an irrational fear of running out of air at 60 ft as well as a rash from the wet suit or some other equipment malfunction. Perhaps I’ll just forget the whole thing and return all the stuff to the dive shop. I will then just continue to snorkel!

Do a lot of simple shallow shore diving. I've only been low on air twice I think, due to unforeseen currents. Then, you'll have a buddy. If it really is a concern get a pony bottle. Practice the skills learned in the pool. I didn't until I took the DM course (dumb move). Unless you're just joking... Don't go back to snorkelling--I did that for 40 years and maybe 3 times the last 13 since I got certified. I don't like the idea of running into a shark, but most will say go seek them out....

 

[Marie13]

I got dry suit certified at the same time I got OW certified - in March - in a quarry in Illinois (Mermet). It was cold topside and cold in the water and my suit leaked. I was TERRIFIED that I would somehow fall underneath one of the training platforms and get stuck and nobody would know where I was. Truth be told, that idea STILL terrifies me a little bit - ok, a lot! I can just see myself sinking below, somehow scooching sideways under the platform, with too much air in my BC and basically getting stuck against the underside, not knowing where any of the four sides are (because it's dark green water with little to no visibility in this particular nightmare scenario - well, it's dark green water in real life too!).

I think I whined so much that they let me skip the final "fun dive" and certified me anyway! I only grudgingly agreed to go to the Keys. I really didn't think scuba was for me until I hit warm, blue, clear water. Ahhhh, yes!

Hah! I've been to Mermet once. Did you see the man-sized catfish?

 

[saxman242]

I never should have read this thread! I have my first confined water dive tomorrow and my OW dives in about a month in Hawaii. After reading this I now have an irrational fear of running out of air at 60 ft as well as a rash from the wet suit or some other equipment malfunction. Perhaps I’ll just forget the whole thing and return all the stuff to the dive shop. I will then just continue to snorkel!

Keep in mind that this thread is a very focused sample of people that had a lot of fears going in. And so far, it seems all of them got over it and loved it.

Instead of letting your fear of running out of air keep you from diving, use it to make you a safer diver. Be diligent in keeping track of your air. Keep your buddy close. Consider carrying a pony in the future for redundancy.

 

[Marie13]

I never should have read this thread! I have my first confined water dive tomorrow and my OW dives in about a month in Hawaii. After reading this I now have an irrational fear of running out of air at 60 ft as well as a rash from the wet suit or some other equipment malfunction. Perhaps I’ll just forget the whole thing and return all the stuff to the dive shop. I will then just continue to snorkel!

Wear a skin under the wetsuit if you're that concerned about a rash. Or buy your own wetsuit.