Introducing, a diving Bear!

[TheDivingBear]

My wife decided she wanted to get certified and dive when we went to Hawaii in 2002. I like to swim, but never have been that strong at it. I HATE getting water in my eyes. But, she wanted to do this, so we signed up for classes. There were two dive shops in town that we knew about and after talking to them both, it came down to a coin toss. We went and got some of the standard equipment, fins, mask, etc. and went to class. The instructor was nice and we got through the book stuff pretty easily. I was still anxious, though. I felt more concerned for her and watching out for her safety that I was not paying as much attention to my skills and needs; I fell behind in the confined dives. The instructor, while he seemed fine and is really a nice guy outside the water, turns rather, well, militaristic and firm inside the water. It drove my anxiety levels up even further. There were skills I could not master, like swapping the snorkel for the regulator and back. And, the more he pushed, the harder it got. Sure, given free time to swim in the deep end, I was fine. There was no pressure (other than the water). I was good at keeping myself neutrally buoyant. But, if the seal on my mask broke, or if I got water in my mouth or nose, I panicked and popped to the surface. I was so far behind that I was considering paying for some private time to catch up. My wife? She made it through her skills no problem. When it came time for us to go to Hawaii, she had her recommendation and I had most of my skills signed off on. But, on the flight there, I started to get a pain in my ear. Yep, an ear infection; there would be no diving for us. I was not complaining though as rained A LOT while we were there and according to the local dive shops, the viz was lousy.

That was then, 2002. We snorkel some, but we are planning another trip, a cruise and my wife wants to dive again. Back then, I found out that mouth breathers sometimes have trouble diving. The first regulator I used made me feel like I was breathing through a straw. On my last confined dive, I was able to get an adjustable regulator and it made a world of difference. So, this time, my wife decided that she would get us some equipment, like a regulator and such. We decided to give the other shop a try; not because of the instructor (who is still in the other shop), but because they had a Saturday (all day) class (for three weeks). The instructor is different in his personality, more laid back yet still firm. The class is smaller too. I’ve completed my confined pool sessions and now am ready for the open water sessions this weekend. I still feel anxious, but it is something I am controlling. I have learned that the fear and panic that I feel when something goes wrong under water does not have to be a bad thing, but that I can stop and think and solve the problem without popping to the surface. The fact that my closest air supply is not up there, but on my back is getting more in my mind.

So, open water dives are this weekend, wish us luck.

Peace,

Bear

 

[baitedstorm]

Hey Bear..... stop, relax and breathe! Your going to do just fine. Remember your in control of your own emotions, don't let them get the better of you. We are humans not made for life in the water, so everything your feeling is perfectly normal. The most important thing to remember when these little anxious moments come into your mind is to relax. Fight every urge you might have to panic. Make sure your Instructor knows exactly how you feel. If he's worth his salt, there's a good chance you'll be right next to him or a DM.

I promise you that after you get down there and start breathing at a normal pace and relaxing, your going to love it. Don't let what happened in the pass keep your belly in knot. I'm sooooo excited for the two of you, this is going to be an amazing adventure for you both.

Please feel free to send me a pm if you have any questions are just need someone to bounce stuff off of, we are all here to help.
Keep us posted on your progress, and Welcome to the board!


Cheers,

 

[dlndavid]

Hey bear welcome to SB. There are all kinds of dives as there are divers. I try and go for the fun relaxed dive with the like divers. We are still serious, but have our fun too. That's what it's about for me. So get the training and seek out the kind of diving you want to do.
David

 

[DandyDon]

Glad you've joined us, and good luck on your weekend check-out dives. Hope you have fun, but even if you don't at first - it'll come to you. :light:

don :cowboy2:

 

[tx.lakerats]

Welcome to the boards!!