Panic!!!

[Deco Nico]

Recently on my second dive after Open Water Certification I had a mild panic - say 4-5/10 while clearing a full mask. Enough to make me ascend from16m without a safety stop!

I do feel I learned a lot from it though, enough to send me off practicing mask clearing and better self control next time. It gave me the knowledge that I could sit there with a full mask if needed until I calmed down, or even ascend safely with a full mask (hold nose if needed, that kind of thing).

Got me thinking, how often / common are panics? Does everyone have one at some point during their diving 'career'? What are peoples opinions?

I admire that you recognize not having been at ease and that you are seeking opinions. By now, there have been quite a few replies to your posting. I hope you seek to continue diving and I merely suggest that you acquire a comfort -- at your own pace -- by practicing mask clearing (preferably with a buddy in close proximity to assist, if needed). There is no need to race in accomplishing this task while continuing to breathe, relax, and think. You may yet be able to somewhat see underwater (depending upon conditions) and the mask clearing does not have to be totally accomplished upon the first attempt. It is my sincere hope that you develop comfort and that any such perception of stress transitions into confidence.

 

[happy-diver]

(for example replacing a mask underwater)

Hey cool answer lots of detail thanks man

On scuba are you constantly exhaling through your nose during mask replacement

What do you think you would do with mask off for five minutes, personally I don't know how I do it

 

[Goonzodiver]

Hey cool answer lots of detail thanks man

On scuba are you constantly exhaling through your nose during mask replacement

What do you think you would do with mask off for five minutes, personally I don't know how I do it

I don't think it's necessary to exhale all the time while changing the mask.

Suppose you have to do a safety stop and the (main) mask has broken.
And suppose you still want to have good underwater vision during the stop: you can imagine that it would be useful to have a spare, but for a similar purpose, where we are close to the ascent and therefore there is no need to equalize the mask, you could even have simple goggles with you, as a backup. They are less cumbersome than a mask and many models are foldable. You can empty them with a maneuver that does not use air from the nose, but the air from the regulator, slightly raising the lower edge of goggles. I tried it myself and I managed to empty them enough from water to have good visibility.
This solves the problem of vision.
Now let's consider the problem (for those who consider it a problem) of water in the nose. Those who do not consider it a problem are not interested in the rest of the discussion.
Well, it is obvious that you just have to hold your nose with one hand, when needed or even all the time of the safety stop. Or if you want free hands (or don't have hands at all like some physically impaired divers), just use some device that keeps your nose closed for the necessary time. Basically, I don't see any big problems in managing a break of a few or even many minutes, without the mask. In principle, if you don't have to use your hands (or other voluntary gestures) to isolate the airways from the water, you could even think about taking an underwater nap

 

[CG43]

Hello

I think a diver must train to the point of knowing how to manage the various problematic situations for him.
The point is to do enough practice to be able to always recover a calm state of mind so as to be able to implement the actions that allow him to restore the normal state of the dive or in the worst case (which must be rare), to resurface without getting hurt due to a hasty ascent (due to barotrauma or DCS).

Exelent , the training involves two components :
On the one hand, there is the knowledge and the technical process, the movement sequence and, or the operation of the gear.
Secondly, so that this runs as learned and practiced, the diver must be calm .
This component can be trained very effectively for many (not for all) situations, by freediving.
If, as here, water comes to the wrong places, you will first stop breathing.
But now PADI says "First rule in scubadiving is not to hold your breath .
If the breath-holding has not been trained, it becomes really dangerous, because now the diver is in a hurry to get to the surface.
Not so Goonzodiver .
If he has to hold his breath as a trained freediver, this automatically causes a lot of changes in his body that make him calmer. This gives him time to work on his problem and probably solve it .

 

[34109411]

@Goon



They are on the point answers from @Goonzodiver!
Any problem, find a workaround that works for you ... dive within your ability / limitations and enjoy it!! If that's not text book, who cares?!!

l no

I speak as a recreational diver who has less than twenty scuba dives (but I also do freediving) and who in the first dives had panic attacks when emptying the mask.
Remember that recreational diving is done for fun, by definition.
I think a diver must train to the point of knowing how to manage the various problematic situations for him.
The point is to do enough practice to be able to always recover a calm state of mind so as to be able to implement the actions that allow him to restore the normal state of the dive or in the worst case (which must be rare), to resurface without getting hurt due to a hasty ascent (due to barotrauma or DCS).
To give an example, you must be able to remove or replace your mask underwater, but I don't think it's necessary to be able to do an entire dive without a mask: it's a skill that I'm not interested in having and it doesn't make the dive more fun.
I think it is enough to get to the point of knowing how to regain calm and manage the situation, without necessarily having to change one's nature. Once that point is reached, in my opinion the diver must be able to dive in the way that is most comfortable for him.

the point of mask removal underwater is not to swim without one during a full dive and surely not to make the dive more fun . It s one exercise among other to overcome fear and stress. at one point during you diving carrer you will be face with situation that are not fun at all you rather know now how to handle them.

It could be a variety of events going from harmless to life treating. They way you will manage them will tell if you make it or not even in recreational diving.

Be safe

 

[34109411]

I don't think it's necessary to exhale all the time while changing the mask.

Suppose you have to do a safety stop and the (main) mask has broken.
And suppose you still want to have good underwater vision during the stop: you can imagine that it would be useful to have a spare, but for a similar purpose, where we are close to the ascent and therefore there is no need to equalize the mask, you could even have simple goggles with you, as a backup. They are less cumbersome than a mask and many models are foldable. You can empty them with a maneuver that does not use air from the nose, but the air from the regulator, slightly raising the lower edge of goggles. I tried it myself and I managed to empty them enough from water to have good visibility.
This solves the problem of vision.
Now let's consider the problem (for those who consider it a problem) of water in the nose. Those who do not consider it a problem are not interested in the rest of the discussion.
Well, it is obvious that you just have to hold your nose with one hand, when needed or even all the time of the safety stop. Or if you want free hands (or don't have hands at all like some physically impaired divers), just use some device that keeps your nose closed for the necessary time. Basically, I don't see any big problems in managing a break of a few or even many minutes, without the mask. In principle, if you don't have to use your hands (or other voluntary gestures) to isolate the airways from the water, you could even think about taking an underwater nap

Hi goozodiver,

Your making progress you are one that is able to learn. Not sure how your are pinching your nose while cleaning you mask if i understand correctly. Is it the right method...no... doest it seem to work for you yes...

This being said proven techniques have been developed over the years in scuba diving by different agencies in my understanding you rather stick to them instead of modifying them but this is just my personal opinion.

I think you are too much focus on this particular task right now. How many dives you have again ?

Be safe

 

[Goonzodiver]

But now PADI says "First rule in scubadiving is not to hold your breath .

I suppose the reason why PADI says
"never hold your breath!"
is to try to simplify the life of the diver and not create doubts. I think it should be corrected as
"never hold your breath during the ascent if you have breathed compressed air at depth, that will then expand".
However, the old Italian school of diving, founded by Duilio Marcante, first taught free diving (and this part of the course lasted months!) and then moved on to scuba.
Marcante said: "if your scuba apparatus breaks at twenty meters of depth, only your ability as a freediver can save you".

 

[Goonzodiver]

Hi goozodiver,

Your making progress you are one that is able to learn. Not sure how your are pinching your nose while cleaning you mask if i understand correctly. Is it the right method...no... doest it seem to work for you yes...

I don't understand what you're not clear about, but I suspect it doesn't add anything to the discussion of this thread.
PS:
After thinking about it, I believe I owe you the following explanation.
I try to stick to the teachings when I go out with a PADI guide, but the truth is that diving doesn't end with this or that of the courses that currently exist.
If that were the case I wouldn't have to dive alone, I wouldn't be able to use the noseclip for hands free equalization or I wouldn't have to try to learn to dive without a BCD as I did on the last two dives [to answer your question ], as was the practice at the "old school".
This is to give just a few examples.
In conclusion, it is impossible for me to follow modern teachings slavishly.

And as expected, we got off topic of this thread

 

[CG43]

Hello Goonzodiver

And as expected, we got off topic of this thread

What do you think?
Is a thread "Old school vs. modern easy diving interesting?

Greetings Rainer

 

[Mantaray95616]

Recently on my second dive after Open Water Certification I had a mild panic - say 4-5/10 while clearing a full mask. Enough to make me ascend from16m without a safety stop!

I do feel I learned a lot from it though, enough to send me off practicing mask clearing and better self control next time. It gave me the knowledge that I could sit there with a full mask if needed until I calmed down, or even ascend safely with a full mask (hold nose if needed, that kind of thing).

Got me thinking, how often / common are panics? Does everyone have one at some point during their diving 'career'? What are peoples opinions?