Need advice

[smudvapor]

I just took my first course for certification yesterday and while in the pool I started to get dizzy and nauseous. This was when we were still treading water for 10 minutes. Later it got a little better but while I was in the pool with my equipment on it came back with a vengeance. I felt as if I would vomit at any time. I had to stop, get out of the water and I could not finish. I was nauseas for the rest of the day and still today I still have a little bit of dizziness. Has anyone ever heard of this? I want to go back to my next lesson this weekend but I am afraid it will come back. Any suggestions?
Also at the deep end of the pool as I descended I had trouble clearing one of my ears of pressure. I just wanted to add that in case it was significant.

 

[boulderjohn]

I did have this happen to a student once--almost exactly as you described it. We took the student out of the water and administered oxygen for a while, but he did not feel better. His wife was in the class, and she got out of the water and took him to the hospital. It turned out he had the flu, and the onset just happened to come while he was in the class.

Other than that, I have never heard of it happening.

The trouble equalizing is likely not related. It is very common with new students.

 

[Arwen]

Anxiety? Heat stroke? Food poisoning?

 

[RJP]

Were you wearing a wetsuit? What had you eaten prior to class? It can be a very foreign environment, and I find that some people can easily get an upset stomach from the combination of floating/bobbing, anxiety, being over-heated, and maybe having a bit too much (or too little, or too greasy, etc) meal prior to class.

 

[diver 85]

Get a PE.......if you haven't one 'recently'.......

 

[TMHeimer]

Get a PE.......if you haven't one 'recently'.......

Good advice. Have you had this problem doing other water activities or are prone to motion sicknes?

 

[smudvapor]

I feel fine now, no flu. I ate a granola bar before I went to class. I wasn't anxious about the class, I have been looking forward to it. I have had motion sickness before in a car. It just happens, not always, never when I am driving. I still have a little dizziness today but just a wee bit. I get a PE every year, my job makes me do it. I was not wearing a wetsuit.

 

[KeithG]

do you have any history of "water issues"? or no water experience at all?

Some people are already fish before they try scuba so the only extra sensations / task loading is learning the gear and how it works / feels in the water. I hate these people.

Others (like me) are not really comfortable in the water. So learning scuba was a double whammy. I had to become comfortable in water and learn the scuba stuff all at the same time. This introduced a lot of new sensations that my brain had to process.

Just wanted to make sure that you spent a little time to figure out if maybe your issue was caused by water, or by scuba.

Either way, take it slow and easy. Let your instructor know about your issues.

They most likely will be willing to slow things down and allow you to figure out what triggers the issue. The instructor i trained with had infinite patience and allowed students to "repeat" and "redo" pool skills until they were competent (as long as it appeared that they would get there eventually).

 

[diver 85]

I feel fine now, no flu. I ate a granola bar before I went to class. I wasn't anxious about the class, I have been looking forward to it. I have had motion sickness before in a car. It just happens, not always, never when I am driving. I still have a little dizziness today but just a wee bit. I get a PE every year, my job makes me do it. I was not wearing a wetsuit.

Best guess then---& that's all it is here---motion sickness........If you're healthy , as you say you are,I'd try diving with something to safely combat it........

 

[Diver0001]

I just took my first course for certification yesterday and while in the pool I started to get dizzy and nauseous. This was when we were still treading water for 10 minutes. Later it got a little better but while I was in the pool with my equipment on it came back with a vengeance. I felt as if I would vomit at any time. I had to stop, get out of the water and I could not finish. I was nauseas for the rest of the day and still today I still have a little bit of dizziness. Has anyone ever heard of this? I want to go back to my next lesson this weekend but I am afraid it will come back. Any suggestions?
Also at the deep end of the pool as I descended I had trouble clearing one of my ears of pressure. I just wanted to add that in case it was significant.

I'm going to say ears.

Your symptoms sound typical of vertigo to me. Vertigo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

R..