I wasn't very comfortable for the first several pool sessions. I remember the first time we were asked to clear our masks (in shallow water), I had a hard time breathing through my mouth while my mask was filled with water, and I couldn't do it. Then the next step was to take our masks off and I refused. At that point, I thought my scuba 'career' was over. I remember wondering if they could give me any kind of refund for the classes.
A day or so after that, I was back to wanting to learn to scuba dive, so I scheduled time to come in to the pool and practice mask clearing. It really sucked the first few times, but I kept doing it over and over. The next class session we were to go to the deep part of the pool, which sent a touch of panic through me. Somehow I made it through the skills, but I was not comfortable in the least. Again, I scheduled extra time in the pool by myself to just spend time underwater, practicing buoyancy, doing some skills but mostly just hanging out and getting used to how it felt.
It really seemed like every time I got in the water it felt better and I was more at ease. It was cool to see how my air consumption improved dramatically the more relaxed I was.
The first open-water dive I did brought back all of those feelings of anxiety, but each dive since has felt better and better. I only have 13 logged dives, but I can say that I feel SO much more at ease than I did at first -- it keeps getting better and more fun, and I'm so glad I didn't 'hang up my gear' at first like I was tempted to do. We did our first post-certification ocean dives a couple of weeks ago in the Virgin Islands, and it was so incredible that it still blows my mind to think about it. This is a great hobby. I think about diving all the time, and I want to keep practicing and getting better. There will always be something new to learn, which makes it very exciting.
It's true that diving isn't for everyone, but if it's something you really want to do, stick in there and take it at your own pace. Talk yourself through the anxious moments, and take a break if you need to. You can do this.
Angie