Ditto what Mike F. says. I truly hope your next outing is better, but if it's not, you need to talk with the instructor. There HAD to be a better alternative to training in a 5 foot pool.
Neil
Nerve-racked after first open water
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Ditto what Mike F. says. I truly hope your next outing is better, but if it's not, you need to talk with the instructor. There HAD to be a better alternative to training in a 5 foot pool.
Neil
zuzanne
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Your definately not a loser. I wish that I had enough smarts when I certified to call the open water dive. I was certified in 42 degree water in the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon Coast in the middle of December. I was wearing a 6mm wetsuit and had 20# lead. I have never been so cold. I am a shallow breather and so I have trouble getting all of the air our of my lungs, making lots of lead a necessity to get & stay down. The only way I got thru it was to take a very slow deep breaths and exhale slowly several times prior to entering the water. That helped to settle my nerves a bit. I then kept saying I can do this,breathe slowly & deeply over and over to myself until I was back on the beach.
Please don't give up, its scary for all new divers in the training sessions. You will love the dives you will make after your traiing is over.
Please let us know how your doing.
Suki
Please don't give up, its scary for all new divers in the training sessions. You will love the dives you will make after your traiing is over.
Please let us know how your doing.
Suki
You were "demonstrating snorkeling skills" and you felt like you would drown "surface diving". Was this a NAUI course? Fifth dive is mandatory and often is a skin dive. Skin diving in cold water with a 7mm suit and enough weight to get under, CAN BE DIFFICULT. Did you wear a BCD?
I won't say hang in there, automatically. Doing this in current is tough.
If you feel your capabilities are being overtaxed, tell the Instructor before you get into the water.
I won't say hang in there, automatically. Doing this in current is tough.
If you feel your capabilities are being overtaxed, tell the Instructor before you get into the water.
Iruka
Contributor
but a general piece of advice is to wear the thinnest wetsuit you can be comfortable in. If you have a very thick wetsuit, it means you need a lot more weight to submerge, then have to pump a lot of air into the BCD to keep from sinking uncontrollably, which tends to make divers swim in a "head up/feet down" position, which is tiring, stirs up the bottom, makes bouyancy control difficult, etc. If you're in cold water, of course, then I guess you need the 7mm.
Good luck, try to keep your breathing slow & relaxed, & pay attention to kicking technique...sometimes people in thick wetsuits tend to "ride high" in the water on the surface, & kick up & down lifting their fins OUT of the water, which is inefficient & tiring.
Good luck, try to keep your breathing slow & relaxed, & pay attention to kicking technique...sometimes people in thick wetsuits tend to "ride high" in the water on the surface, & kick up & down lifting their fins OUT of the water, which is inefficient & tiring.
bobert
Contributor
I am 48 not in the best of shape and yes I am overweight, but I also started to dive this year. You will be fine. You already show one of the most important skills you will need, ...knowing when to say when. I have made 71 dives in six months and I believe that I learn more on the dives I don't do than on the ones I complete.
In my case, I had a problem a little like yours on a resort dive in Cancun before I was certified. I liked what I was doing but I just could not get comfortable. I truely believe for me it was an issue of overweighting and feeling the "squeeze" of the BCD in trying to compensate.
I dive mostly down here in the Florida Keys and was very much looking forward to diving the Spiegel Grove, but so far I have called two dives on the Spiegel. Once because I was not comfortable doing it as a novice without an experienced buddy and once( on my deep dive for my AOW) because I felt too tired to do the dive safely in a very strong current. Here I was Mr. new macho diver, ready to finish my AOW and I am bailing on the dive I have been looking forward to, boy did I feel like a loser. P. S. I did finish my AOW that day but at a different locatoin with much less current. Also today will be my third dive on the Spiegel, but if I do not like the conditions I will again bail.
Making a decision on diving should involve:
-are you comfortable( your equipment, your physical condition and the diving conditions at your dive site)
-are you prepared(talk this over with your instructor)
-are you in the right equipment and is the dive site right for your needs
Based on your post I believe you will be fine, just RELAX and talk your concerns over with your instructor and I am sure you will enjoy. And remember if you are not comfortable for any reason don't be worried about calling the dive.
Good luck
BOB
In my case, I had a problem a little like yours on a resort dive in Cancun before I was certified. I liked what I was doing but I just could not get comfortable. I truely believe for me it was an issue of overweighting and feeling the "squeeze" of the BCD in trying to compensate.
I dive mostly down here in the Florida Keys and was very much looking forward to diving the Spiegel Grove, but so far I have called two dives on the Spiegel. Once because I was not comfortable doing it as a novice without an experienced buddy and once( on my deep dive for my AOW) because I felt too tired to do the dive safely in a very strong current. Here I was Mr. new macho diver, ready to finish my AOW and I am bailing on the dive I have been looking forward to, boy did I feel like a loser. P. S. I did finish my AOW that day but at a different locatoin with much less current. Also today will be my third dive on the Spiegel, but if I do not like the conditions I will again bail.
Making a decision on diving should involve:
-are you comfortable( your equipment, your physical condition and the diving conditions at your dive site)
-are you prepared(talk this over with your instructor)
-are you in the right equipment and is the dive site right for your needs
Based on your post I believe you will be fine, just RELAX and talk your concerns over with your instructor and I am sure you will enjoy. And remember if you are not comfortable for any reason don't be worried about calling the dive.
Good luck
BOB
raviepoo
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He knows what he's talking about. You seem not to have had sufficient preparation for the check out dives. I don't see how you could possibly be comfortable in open water after doing the kind of pool sessions you did.
Another thing to consider: You are training in a particularly harsh environment. This is great if you plan to dive locally. You will need to be familiar with local conditions. However, some divers know from the start that they will be vacation divers, only diving in warm, tropical water.
If this is the case for you, I see no reason for you to torture yourself. There are places where you can do check out dives in warm water with little current. You might look into the possibility of finishing your training while on vacation.
Another thing to consider: You are training in a particularly harsh environment. This is great if you plan to dive locally. You will need to be familiar with local conditions. However, some divers know from the start that they will be vacation divers, only diving in warm, tropical water.
If this is the case for you, I see no reason for you to torture yourself. There are places where you can do check out dives in warm water with little current. You might look into the possibility of finishing your training while on vacation.
inkabodpain
Guest
don't get discouraged ,it gets easier with experience.i took one of those padi ''crash courses on a cruise ship''i felt hurried ,the bc & wetsuit was too small and i didnt feel comfortable or confident in the water with all this alien stuff on.the instructor wasnt very patient and i felt like a loser.in the padi open water manual it states ''know your limitations''i bailed out of that 4 day class enjoyed my vacation and took a class when i got home from some one who had gear that fit and time to teach me the right way.i have my ow c card and have more than 20 dives logged and its awesome.you were smart to call that dive bro...dont give up.
sdladydiver
New
You don't say where you're diving, but the conditions sound similar to those in San Diego, where I started my OW training. I say "started" because I had some of the same problems you had and wound up getting certified by doing a referral in Hawaii where the conditions were much easier. I too am in my late 40's and not in that great shape.
I got certified in early June. Now that I'm back home, I'm determined to get comfortable with the local conditions. Before I started, I hadn't spent much time in the ocean, even though I've lived near the ocean most of my life. Now I go out every weekend and swim/snorkel, practicing surf entries and exits, getting used to the currents, etc. I'm also exercising during the week to get in better shape.
When I finally take the plunge and dive locally, I will probably do some boat dives first before attempting a shore dive. This plan is working for me so far.
I hope you are able to complete your OW, but if you aren't, you still have options. Good luck and don't give up!
I got certified in early June. Now that I'm back home, I'm determined to get comfortable with the local conditions. Before I started, I hadn't spent much time in the ocean, even though I've lived near the ocean most of my life. Now I go out every weekend and swim/snorkel, practicing surf entries and exits, getting used to the currents, etc. I'm also exercising during the week to get in better shape.
When I finally take the plunge and dive locally, I will probably do some boat dives first before attempting a shore dive. This plan is working for me so far.
I hope you are able to complete your OW, but if you aren't, you still have options. Good luck and don't give up!
zeN||
Guest
Sounds like they threw you into the drink too soon, it's very anxiety provoking to jump off a boat into the wide blue ocean after only a few dives in the pool; try swimming in shallow depth in calm waters, good visibilty, with some structure you can see and use as a guide in the water, like an underground pipe, or a wall, the Breakwaters in Monterey is a favorite beginning dive site for this reason. In the water the 3 dimensional space takes some orientation. You can always abort the dive if you cannot manage your anxiety, until you're confident to try again
zeN
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