New and Nervous

[baitedstorm]

Your going to do just fine..... Just relax, breath slowly when you find yourself reacting in a nervous way. You guys have the perfect team..... One's good at hands on the other at the books, what an excellent pair of buddies you will be. Please keep us updated on your progress and feel free to pm any one of us, we're here to help..

Cheers,
Vickie

 

[Heffey]

Hi,
I just completed the confined water portion of my certification a few weeks ago.
I was quite nervous before starting the course. Mostly about the 200 m swim and the underwater swim. I kept telling myself that if I can get through the physical part the rest is just skills and skills can be learned. I did the swims with no problem but the first time I tried to breath underwater with no mask on I realize that this was a real problem for me.
My anxiety about this nearly caused me to quit the class. I’m glad I didn’t. I just kept working on it. I finally found head positions and breathing technique which didn’t send water up my nose and then suddenly the problem was gone.
Remember, nervous is normal and skills can be learned.
Good Luck,
Jeffrey

 

[flobaby]

I am also hoping that doing my first dives in the warm tropical waters won't turn this New Englander into a WWW - read that on another thread - to funny (warm water wussy).

Hey, ain't nuthin' wrong with being comfortable. I guess I'm officially a WWW, too, though it hasn't stopped me from expanding my diving chops.

One thing to note as you begin your underwater adventures; divers tend to compare themselves to each other which often makes them feel less than fabulous, especially at the beginning. It drives me nuts how something as varied as the amount of air sucked down can make a diver feel as if he's doing a crappy job. Resist, resist!

Make a concerted effort to be kind to yourself, in the beginning as well as later on as you advance. It's supposed to be fun, enlightening and exciting, not a badge of self-worth. So have a great time, girl! Go slow, breathe calmly and enjoy the view!

 

[hil71]

I think you will find that practice makes things alot easier - when you are doing your referal the instructors tend to give you a bit of time before doing the skills. (when i got certified in Belize there were a bunch of people who did there 4 dives with us). If you've got the skills mastered in the pool i reckon you'll have no hassels! Where are you in NH - do you have a dive shop anywhere near you? I am up in the white mountains and am looking to buy gear - everyone totally advises buying from a LDS and not the internet - but North Conway isnt exactally dive country!!

 

[diverbob]

I cant expand too much on what everyone else here has said, so let me try and help in another area you mentioned.

When in Cozumel, dont try and fight the current, just go with the flow. When I was there for the first time, I found myself drifting faster than everyone else, and made the mistake od fighting the current to let the group catch up with me. I burned up my tank pretty quickly doing that. If you find yourself ahead of the group down there, duck down behind a coral head or something, in the sand of course, not in the coral itself, and wait for the group there.

I hope you have a great time there. Good luck!!!!

 

[slipslop]

I lay awake the night before my certification dives and thought of every and any excuse to chicken out. I forced myself to do it and boy am i glad i did them, they are not nearly as hard as you think they will be. I found the pool skills more difficult than the sea dives. relax and enjoy.

 

[alwaysready2go]

Well I survived night two in the pool. I have to tell you all that I almost quit - when we first went under my anxiety just had my mind saying to myself - "so why ARE you doing this to yourself?" LOL - The instructor kept asking me if I was ok and I just kept giving him the so-so sign - after three or four so-sos he just said lets swim and so we did - and that was just what I needed something to do to get my mind off of thinking solely about my breathing. We then went over clearing the regulator and learned recovering a lost regulator both ways and clearing my mask. Clearing the mask I was worried about but I had no problem (although it took me two breaths to remove the water - I didn't choke or inhale any! YAY!) We then practiced out of air and breathing off each others alt. air supply. No problems there either. So I'm hoping each week it gets less nerve wracking and I don't ALLOW myself the option of saying "I Quit" - thanks for all the moral support - I feel like a wuss so its nice to hear that others were nervous at first too. Thanks. To Hil71 - I am in Southern NH about an hour and a half from the Conway area. I am fortunate to have three dive shops within 15 minutes of my home in three different directions. I am also about 40 minutes from the ocean here as well. Good luck finding a local dive shop - you may have to head towards the ocean to find one.

 

[Hank49]

You have to remember, the ocean doesn't really want us there... We don't belong
Zack

Speak for yourself, lubber. Mother Ocean wants me there. She calls to me every morning.

 

[Dragon2115]

I know I'm new and inexperienced but I'd like to add a couple of comments if I may.

My wife and I are newly certified divers so I can relate to what you're going through. We did our certification in a three day intensive class in Aruba. We were exhausted by the end of each day but it was worth it.

Keep focused and you'll do just fine. If it takes you a few tries to get a particular skill down, so what? It's not a race so don't beat yourself up if you don't do something perfect on your first try. Just keep at it and you'll get comfortable with practice. The rewards at the end will be stunning when you get to the Caribbean. For example, on our third open water dive we got to see a small barracuda, a green moray eel, and a magnificent spotted eagle ray, not to mention the other colorful fish and coral. That one dive in itself made the whole effort worthwhile. Good luck and don't give up, the prize is within sight.

 

[ScubaFreak]

the day i stop gettin nervous is the day I sell my dive gear. Ok so I'm not afraid before every dive, but I'm always very aware of whats going on and what could go on once I'm under (esp with students!) It keeps me on my toes.

So go for it