My Wife is finally giving Scuba a try - what can I do to help her succeed?

[rx7diver]

... she _LOVES_ snorkeling, is very comfortable in the water ...

Does she dive down, several feet below the surface, and slowly tour around or linger awhile, "correctly" weighted for this? Or does she remain on the surface peering down into the water? I'm thinking that the more comfortable she is doing the former, the easier will be her introduction to scuba.

In the few weeks before you two leave for the Caribbean, will you two be able to get in some pool time, wearing mask, fins, snorkel, and weight belt, and the thin wetsuit you'll be wearing in the Caribbean? I'm thinking that surface swimming (snorkeling) in this snorkeling gear will prepare her legs, and snorkeling in the deep end (diving to the bottom to gently kick around there) will prepare her to be more relaxed underwater and allow her to practice her snorkel clearing and mask clearing. Doesn't take much: A couple of pool sessions a week, each of the next few weeks almost certainly will be enough.

rx7diver

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

As a female diver who has dived with a bunch of women who's husband/significant other got them into diving, then controlled almost every aspect of it, encourage her to find her own dive friends. Most women who dive, as much as they love their husbands, don't love the way they dive. Let her find her niche. And if it's different than yours, that's oK.

 

[andrewmcc]

Nothing…
I took care of everything for my wife. Put the tank on the bcd, hooked up the regulator, helped her get her gear on, cleaned her mask. One dive she had to do it all, didn’t know how exactly and blamed me because I always did it. Let her struggle at first, give her compliments when she does something right and let her be proud of her own accomplishments.

 

[andrewmcc]

FYI…that is my same recommendation for daughters.

 

[baggins_69]

Go easy. Don't push her in to diving any more than you already have done and don't impress your vast skills and knowledge. Let her work things out for herself at her own pace. Fanatics can be tiresome to others.

'vast skills and knowledge' lol... I'm a pure rec diver

 

[baggins_69]

How old is she? In decent shape?

57 and has had 2 back surgeries(T10-L5 fusion), 3 knee surgeries (2 ACL, one TKR), 2 ankle surgeries (one of the little interior bones)...

So she's not physically strong but a whole lot better than a lot of people I've fallen off boats with

 

[baggins_69]

Does she dive down, several feet below the surface, and slowly tour around or linger awhile, "correctly" weighted for this? Or does she remain on the surface peering down into the water? I'm thinking that the more comfortable she is doing the former, the easier will be her introduction to scuba.

In the few weeks before you two leave for the Caribbean, will you two be able to get in some pool time, wearing mask, fins, snorkel, and weight belt, and the thin wetsuit you'll be wearing in the Caribbean? I'm thinking that surface swimming (snorkeling) in this snorkeling gear will prepare her legs, and snorkeling in the deep end (diving to the bottom to gently kick around there) will prepare her to be more relaxed underwater and allow her to practice her snorkel clearing and mask clearing. Doesn't take much: A couple of pool sessions a week, each of the next few weeks almost certainly will be enough.

rx7diver

She took the SSI pool try scuba last weekend, 2 hrs classroom learning the gear, 2 hrs in the pool getting comfortable, learning skills, getting comfortable

 

[Edward3c]

She must want to do it because its her ambition, not yours. I know a few long term couples that dive together, but more that rarely dive with their partner.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Just the fact that you're asking speaks volumes.

 

[FreqFlier]

is there anything I can do to help her succeed other than just stay out of the way?

Had this experience a few years back when my dearest got certified in 2020. She has about 175 dives logged now ( )
IMHO there are two major pieces to that puzzle (both allow her to be comfortable underwater):
1. Equalize equalize equalize. Can't stress that one enough.
2. Properly fitting gear.

The rest is peanuts (would be nice to have a good and well spoken instructor too though)