Hello everyone, I am new to scuba diving, finished my two days training in the pool, I had some challenges learning how to breath, clear the mask, etc but it went well and the instructor gave me confidence that I am ready for the first open water dive as part of the training. It was one to one, shallow water and the minute he signaled to go under water, and I looked around I panicked, could not breath or use the regulator, I wanted to inhale from my nose and I felt as if suffocating. We tried several times and I could not make it and called it a day. Every time I think of being under water I have anxiety attack now and I feel really bad for failing. Is this Normal for new divers? Can I get better and overcome my fear or scuba diving is not for everyone and should not be forced and just accept the fact that it is fine if I can’t learn it. Would benefit from others experience and advice. Thank you!
Question Panicking once in the sea
- Thread starter Rania72
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johndiver999
Contributor
Diving is not for everyone. Being underwater using a regulator is not natural, It is perfectly understandable how you could become anxious, and have that cascade into a panic response.
You should take a little time to think if the sport is something you really want to pursue. If it is really something you want, THEN GO FOR IT! If not, there are a million other things to do.
If you are going to give it another shot, you need to step back and plan probably 2-3 more pool sessions. Going back into the ocean right now is probably unwise.
Some people take longer to adapt and others never do. If you do go back to the pool, spend a good bit of time with your mask OFF and breathing from the reg. You need for this activity to become unstressful. I'm not so sure you will like it or become entirely comfortable with it, but you need to work on it until is just mildly annoying. After a few more pool sessions where you can practice all the skills, you will probably be much more comfortable heading to open water.
If not, then do some more practice. Good luck. Some people just take longer to adapt to this stuff. I have spent thousands of hours in the water and sometimes when I am swimming laps and I go over the deep diving well in a pool, I get the tinniest wave of irrational fear and the beginning of panic! I know it is beyond ridiculous, but sometimes it just happens. Not something to be ashamed of, but something that needs to be mastered, if you want to enjoy diving.
If you are healthy, 90% of the challenges in typical, recreational diving are mental; the other physical skills are just not that hard with a little practice.
You should take a little time to think if the sport is something you really want to pursue. If it is really something you want, THEN GO FOR IT! If not, there are a million other things to do.
If you are going to give it another shot, you need to step back and plan probably 2-3 more pool sessions. Going back into the ocean right now is probably unwise.
Some people take longer to adapt and others never do. If you do go back to the pool, spend a good bit of time with your mask OFF and breathing from the reg. You need for this activity to become unstressful. I'm not so sure you will like it or become entirely comfortable with it, but you need to work on it until is just mildly annoying. After a few more pool sessions where you can practice all the skills, you will probably be much more comfortable heading to open water.
If not, then do some more practice. Good luck. Some people just take longer to adapt to this stuff. I have spent thousands of hours in the water and sometimes when I am swimming laps and I go over the deep diving well in a pool, I get the tinniest wave of irrational fear and the beginning of panic! I know it is beyond ridiculous, but sometimes it just happens. Not something to be ashamed of, but something that needs to be mastered, if you want to enjoy diving.
If you are healthy, 90% of the challenges in typical, recreational diving are mental; the other physical skills are just not that hard with a little practice.
Cthippo
Contributor
Try and be clear with yourself what is causing the discomfort. I had something similar happen with my first open water dive, despite being totally comfortable in the pool and with lots of water experience. For me it was due to the constriction of my hood on my neck and making it feel like I couldn't breathe. I had never worn the hood in the pool, and had not worn it with the 7mm wetsuit before, and the combination of the two was just too constricting. Got out of the water, pulled the hood out so it was outside my collar and I was fine-ish to continue. Took several months of stretching that hood before it really fit properly.
Te point is that when we make the transition from pool to OW a lot of things change and you may need to work through those changes one at a time to see what is actually causing the problem. Be patient and don't beat yourself up.
Te point is that when we make the transition from pool to OW a lot of things change and you may need to work through those changes one at a time to see what is actually causing the problem. Be patient and don't beat yourself up.
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No medical advice from me of course, but do you have any problems with claustrophobia? My wife can't dive-- not fear of underwater, but the idea of being wrapped in a thick wetsuit, having observed me. I think everyone's type of this fear differs s bit.
Again, no expert here as I wasn't there when you had issues with the mask and other skills in the pool. I found that those with limited "in water" experiences usually had these problems-- as you mentioned, breathing problem, etc. My advice would then be to get some time in the water without scuba. Swimming lessons, perhaps, but definitely some diving down to a pool bottom or some snorkeling then diving down say 10 feet in open water. Maybe you already have done such things?
I was very comfortable in water for decades before taking the OW course, yet when I knew our first course OW dive meant gradually swimming underwater out to 25 feet depth or so without the idea of surfacing for air, I was a bit tenuous. It soon passed.
Again, no expert here as I wasn't there when you had issues with the mask and other skills in the pool. I found that those with limited "in water" experiences usually had these problems-- as you mentioned, breathing problem, etc. My advice would then be to get some time in the water without scuba. Swimming lessons, perhaps, but definitely some diving down to a pool bottom or some snorkeling then diving down say 10 feet in open water. Maybe you already have done such things?
I was very comfortable in water for decades before taking the OW course, yet when I knew our first course OW dive meant gradually swimming underwater out to 25 feet depth or so without the idea of surfacing for air, I was a bit tenuous. It soon passed.
Belzelbub
Contributor
I wouldn't say this is "normal," but it's not unheard of either. Every new diver is different and has to approach it differently. Diving is a bit of an unnatural activity, as we aren't normally able to breathe underwater.
My youngest daughter had some fear when she first attempted to do her checkout dives in the ocean. She wasn't able to see the bottom, so didn't want to descend. We decided to reschedule her checkout dives for a spring in FL. She still had some nervousness on the first dive, but made it through. Then, after she was certified, I took her to do her first gulf dive. Again she had some fear and apprehension. I told her we would just go down, and she would decide what to do next. We descended, and once she got down, she was fine. I asked if she wanted to go back up, but she shook it off. Since then, she's added several more ocean dives and had absolutely no issues.
For her, it seemed to be just getting through that initial experience.
That's probably a good approach. The sea can definitely be a lot scarier than a pool. Gradually easing into it can help. Strong swimming skills will certainly put you in a position where you are comfortable in the water, which certainly won't hurt. From there, I'd recommend swimming, then snorkeling in the sea. After enough experience, you should have less of a reaction.
1. Go to the beach and wade in the water
2. Go to the beach and swim
3. Go to the beach and snorkel
4. Go on a boat and go snorkeling
5. Go scuba diving
Don't go from one to the next until you are comfortable with no anxiety. You may knock one and two off in one day, it may take multiple trips over months, or never, to get comfortable with number 3. If so you may not be a diver but it's not the end of the world. Getting under, panicking and causing injury or death to your self or others could be.
2. Go to the beach and swim
3. Go to the beach and snorkel
4. Go on a boat and go snorkeling
5. Go scuba diving
Don't go from one to the next until you are comfortable with no anxiety. You may knock one and two off in one day, it may take multiple trips over months, or never, to get comfortable with number 3. If so you may not be a diver but it's not the end of the world. Getting under, panicking and causing injury or death to your self or others could be.
i think the first post hit the nail on the head. not much more to add to that.
i have had students who took as many as 12 pool sessions before they were comfortable enough to try their open water dives.
i have had students who paid for the whole course up front, had plans to travel over seas that were also already paid for etc, and after 10 minutes in the pool they quit.
heck we have even had students who terrified of water, couldn't swim, and were even afraid of fish.
any fear can be over come if you want it bad enough. but it can be a long difficult process.
if you decide not to continue, do not feel bad about it. you would not be the first, and you certainly will not be the last.
but if you really want to get through the course, then just make up your mind to do it. make arrangements with your dive shop to take as many pool sessions as you need. take baby steps, but gently push your self a bit further each time.
good luck with whatever decision you make
i have had students who took as many as 12 pool sessions before they were comfortable enough to try their open water dives.
i have had students who paid for the whole course up front, had plans to travel over seas that were also already paid for etc, and after 10 minutes in the pool they quit.
heck we have even had students who terrified of water, couldn't swim, and were even afraid of fish.
any fear can be over come if you want it bad enough. but it can be a long difficult process.
if you decide not to continue, do not feel bad about it. you would not be the first, and you certainly will not be the last.
but if you really want to get through the course, then just make up your mind to do it. make arrangements with your dive shop to take as many pool sessions as you need. take baby steps, but gently push your self a bit further each time.
good luck with whatever decision you make
Two dive buddies of mine had the same problem while beginning. In both case, Eriksonnian hypnosis did help.
Just stating a fact here, not advocating for anything, and I'm not here to play guru, so please, no opening of any can of worms, please. Translation : no trolling !
Just stating a fact here, not advocating for anything, and I'm not here to play guru, so please, no opening of any can of worms, please. Translation : no trolling !
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