Panic!

[Lehmann108]

I'm bummed because my sister and her son are taking the PADI OW certification and she had to quit because of panic. She's great at snorkelling, but she said she just felt all "wrong" when she started to breath on a regulator with her head under water. She actually lost all rational thought process and started to breath water with the regulator out of her mouth. Her son (14) did fine. Anyone have any tips to help her overcome her panic?

 

[SparticleBrane]

Her problem is that she isn't comfortable in the water.
Personally I feel that comfortable in the water, being able to proficiently swim, and being proficient with skin diving are all important to scuba diving.
Unfortunately none of that is really introduced in many OW classes.

 

[wreckchick]

How long was she in the pool before she decided to quit the class?

Lots of people are uncomfortable breathing underwater for the first time. All it usually takes is some patience on the part of the instructor and she'll do fine.

Rachel

 

[Gombessa]

It's amazing how different the reg can be from snorkeling for some people. My gf sounds exactly the same as your sister. Great swimmer, loves snorkeling, freaked out with the reg and didn't get certified. That's OK, if she ever wants to try it again, we'll take it slowly. Until then, if you're not ready, it's just not going to be fun (or probably safe).

 

[wjsdive]

Agree with biscuit, if the Instructor isn't willing to spend the time to get her used to the reg underwater tell her to find another Instructor. She can get used to it if she wants to. I met my wife in one of my Scuba classes. She was deathly afraid of putting her face in the water. It took time and patience. She is now my permanent dive buddy and a DM.

 

[ItsBruce]

Your sister can always practice breathing from a regulator while sitting in her living room and watching tv. After a bit, she can try it with a mask on. Then she might even try it in the pool. I've found a warm pool is best.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Some people are not meant to dive no matter what the agencies say. I'm not meant to skydive. I have no problem with that. And best of all no one is telling me I should because it's so much fun. It's just not my thing. End of discussion.

 

[jbd]

JimLap makes a good point. Maybe scuba isn't for your sister. Then again maybe it is for her and what she needs is a different approach. Personally I would recommend a private course for her so the pace can be slowed down to something she can handle. Not only does the pace need to slow down for her, but the overall method needs to change in regards to getting her breathing underwater.

 

[Walter]

She's in the wrong class. She needs to search for a better option. I suggest using this method.

 

[spectrum]

Sure diving may not be for her but odds are she just needs a patient instructor and a progressive program. Too many of today's classes are geared for the born naturals and do not accommodate those that need time to adapt. Adapt is the key word here, we were raised not to breathe with our face in the water and this is not always easy to be overcome.

Since you say she's content as a snorkeler I doubt that it's a comfort in the water issue.

My wife needed a few evenings to fully trust a regulator then she was off to the races. Find the right instructor, 1:1 may be the way to go.

Pete