Question Panicking once in the sea

[SlugLife]

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!

I've certainly heard of this happening to brand-new divers, but don't have much insight about how many of them overcame it or how.

About 20 years before I got my SCUBA cert, I did one of those "try dive" events, and love it. I didn't have the money at the time to pursue SCUBA, however I also remember it was a REALLY weird feeling to be breathing from a regulator. I think I also tried to breathe through my nose some as well. I had in my mind this fear of my next breath from the regulator would be a bunch of water. When I actually did take SCUBA classes some 20 years later, I didn't have that problem at all, and I'm not sure why.

With some practice and experience, I have little doubt you can overcome the natural and very sensible reaction of "I shouldn't be breathing underwater." The more experience you can get, the more it just becomes normal. IMO, put on a scuba-mask, which covers your nose, and snorkel and get used to breathing that way. Perhaps above water at first, then in shallow, standing height water, and so on. Once you're feeling comfortable with a snorkel, then try returning to scuba. Perhaps first breathing at the surface with a mask on and your regulator, and then step-by-step until it just feels normal to do so underwater.

It may also be worth considering the panic-reflex may need to be addressed separately from the breathing underwater difficulties. Slowing down (more info here) can make a massive difference with everything scuba-related; it can calm the mind and body. After your class, you might also consider redundant air (a "pony bottle"). My reason for suggesting redundant air, is it might help calm your mind or reduce chances of panic, if you always know no matter what, you have a 2nd air-supply there with you at all times.

 

[VikingDives]

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!

I've worked with a fair number of students who, like you, had issues that slowed them down. I'd suggest you first go back to the pool and work on being really comfortable with your skills. Mask skills, and buoyancy would be where I'd start.

I'd also suggest you do some visualization. Visualize yourself having a successful dive. Make the visualization into something elaborate - and end it imagining how you'll feel when you've accomplished your goal. I'd also suggest that you include some things that give you anxiety and visualize successfully handling those issues.

I'd say when you get to open water, you tell your instructor you want to start with just swimming face down, on scuba, at the surface and when you're ready, you'll descend and come back up a few times and you will tell him or her when you're ready to start doing skills. @RainPilot is in the UAE - you might want to see if he knows someone who could work with you or maybe he'd be able to do it himself...

If you want to fly halfway around the world, let me know and I'd be happy to help you too .

 

[Tom Winters]

Every now and then, I’d get someone on an intro dive who really wanted to go diving but just could not get pass the mask in the water drill.
It was rare, but when it happened, that was it for them. After a few tries, they were always glad to get back into the boat and call it a lifetime.
No teasing or belittlement…they understood that this was not gonna be feasible for them to continue.
There’s lots of other stuff to enjoy on the planet.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

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!

For some novice divers it's normal to feel anxiety. Yes, there is always room for improvement. My suggestion is you snorkel in the open sea (charter boat), and duck dive. You could try another instructor that will try different techniques other than following a cue card.

 

[TMHeimer]

For some novice divers it's normal to feel anxiety. Yes, there is always room for improvement. My suggestion is you snorkel in the open sea (charter boat), and duck dive. You could try another instructor that will try different techniques other than following a cue card.

Yes. I found that those who had snorkeled a fair bit beforehand had no trouble with the mask and airway skills.

 

[RainPilot]

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!

Hey Rania, perfectly normal reaction, also (quite often) not very difficult to overcome with some guidance.

Couple of thoughts:

• Don't pressure yourself. The whole point of diving is to be a fun activity, if you're not having fun then whats the point? The worst case scenario here is that you decide diving isn't for you, well you gave it a go and now you know, no harm no foul no failure.
• Self-analysis is queen here. Try and figure out what exactly it is that is generating the fear of open water. In my experience, it's pretty often a fear of "the unknown", once I drill down with my students it is often a fear of "wildlife", followed by a fear of "getting it wrong" which usually comes from someone (well-intentioned mostly) hammering on the "get these skills right or you'll die" and then nerves are to be expected going in. Once you have a handle on WHY you are nervous, the problem often becomes much smaller.
• Pool, Pool, Pool. Gaining confidence in your newly acquired skills will dial down the nerves dramatically. Sadly, pool work is often a case of "do it until you got it right once, then off to the ocean we go" and that is definitely not optimal. The old saying, "Don't train till you can do it right, train till you can't do it wrong" is a good guideline. My approach is that I do not do any training in the ocean. ALL training is done in the pool, the open water dives are just to show that the salt water doesn't change your skills. Sadly, the dive industry economics is built around minimum pool time and fastest quickest open water time which you can get away with for many OW students but it does them and their dive careers and dive confidence no favours.

I am happy to chat if you feel that would be helpful, brendon@desertreefdive.com will get to me then we can WhatsApp or Zoom or get a coffee or whatever.

Whatever you do, bravo for making the leap to try and getting this far, many don't.

Brendon

 

[MikeHoncho]

I think you are right, I fear the sea ans never swim in the sea therefore the pool was safer for me. I am taking swiming lessons and will try more sea activities before deciding to continue with the diving course again, it is just the failure made the fear worse. Thank you

If I read this right that you are also taking swimming lessons? Logically it should be expected to have high anxiety when scuba diving for the first time when not able to swim or even not a strong swimmer. I think you are putting the cart before the horse

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Pool, Pool, Pool. Gaining confidence in your newly acquired skills will dial down the nerves dramatically.

Not every nation has the convenience of a pool for training; besides, the instructor was satisfied with the skills, hence, the open water session. The student's anxiety was probably caused by not being familiar with the area. Shore dives are more appropriate.

 

[RainPilot]

Not every nation has the convenience of a pool for training; besides, the instructor was satisfied with the skills, hence, the open water session. The student's anxiety was probably caused by not being familiar with the area. Shore dives are more appropriate.

Sigh. This one, where OP resides, does. Also, reading for comprehension would indicate that all of the skills were done BEFORE going to the ocean so unless theres a very large bathtub I am not aware of, it was done in a pool or pool like body.

 

[TMHeimer]

Sigh. This one, where OP resides, does. Also, reading for comprehension would indicate that all of the skills were done BEFORE going to the ocean so unless theres a very large bathtub I am not aware of, it was done in a pool or pool like body.

Yes. She said in her OP she did all the skills in a pool.