Pschychological blocks?

[Tao of the Dive]

OK, I got certified last year, and my fiancee' was supposed to take the class with me, however she had some sinus problems that kept her from taking the class at the time. However, it was during this time that she confided in me that she was nervous about breathing from a reg because she was concerned that she wouldn be able to get the amount of air she needed, and conversely, she was worried about draining her tank in very short order. From what can tell, these fears stem from her very mild claustrophobia. I say mild because I have not seen a manifestation of the phobia on the surface in scenarios you'd normally expect a manifestation.

When it coms time for her to start diving, we've arranged for the instructor to allow her soem time on the surface to just breath from the reg for a whiel so she wil see how well she can breath with it, I'm looking at purchasing an adjustable reg for her so she will feel a greater sense of control where her breathing is concerned, and When she actually gets in the water, we are going to take her deeper and deeper in stages. Given the approach we are taking, isthere anything ele we can do to qwell her fears Doc? I realize your specialty isn't psychology, but I hope you've some input in this field.

Tao

 

[DiveMistress2]

Hey Tao,

I'm no Doc but this is something I've seen with students.

Assure your fiance that this isn't as uncommon as it seems. After DM'ing for a hundred students or so last year I'd say about 10% of them had a similar issue at the surface.

You have a great idea about purchasing the adjustable 2nd stage - for volume of air I'd recommend the ScubaPro S600. It will give her more air than she'll ever need. (Regs of course are always a personal preference so be sure to try it before you buy it)

You also need to advise her that the way a reg breathes at the surface is far below it's performance levels under water. Most of the regulators today increase the ease of breathing the deeper you go which should ease her mind.

How did she do in the pool scenarios?

 

[Tao of the Dive]

Hey Tao,

I'm no Doc but this is something I've seen with students.

Assure your fiance that this isn't as uncommon as it seems. After DM'ing for a hundred students or so last year I'd say about 10% of them had a similar issue at the surface.

You have a great idea about purchasing the adjustable 2nd stage - for volume of air I'd recommend the ScubaPro S600. It will give her more air than she'll ever need. (Regs of course are always a personal preference so be sure to try it before you buy it)

You also need to advise her that the way a reg breathes at the surface is far below it's performance levels under water. Most of the regulators today increase the ease of breathing the deeper you go which should ease her mind.

How did she do in the pool scenarios?

We haven't made it to the pool yet due ot her sinus illness, and we are waiting for warm weather to get here so we can resume our attempts. Which is why I'm trying ot find out if there is anything else I can do that I'm not doing now. Never thought to mention that alot of regs breath better at depth though, thanks.

Tao

 

[DiveMistress2]

If you are using rentals you also want to look at which reg she's using during her training. The Sherwoods (although spectacular for cold water diving) are often very rough at the surface but then fabulous under water. You'll want her to have something that's more consistent such as the SP's.

Does your LDS have access to an indoor pool at all? I would just worry that the longer she waits to get back into the water the more stress she builds up about accomplishing the task.

I give her credit, for someone who is having difficulty to be so committed is really commendable. I've seen a lot of students give up and walk away but there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a student accomplish something that they had to work at.

 

[Tao of the Dive]

If you are using rentals you also want to look at which reg she's using during her training. The Sherwoods (although spectacular for cold water diving) are often very rough at the surface but then fabulous under water. You'll want her to have something that's more consistent such as the SP's.

Does your LDS have access to an indoor pool at all? I would just worry that the longer she waits to get back into the water the more stress she builds up about accomplishing the task.

I give her credit, for someone who is having difficulty to be so committed is really commendable. I've seen a lot of students give up and walk away but there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a student accomplish something that they had to work at.

Well, the one LDS has access to an indoor pool, but they are the 'snooty' shop in town, and we don't deal with them, that and this is their 'off season,' they are all wrapped up in skiing and paintball right now. But there is a county owned swimming pavillion that is indoors. So that is an option.

As for the reg, I dive Oceanic, and swear by them, howeverfor her, I'm also looking at some Mares, and now that you brought them up, SP. So lots of choices. I'm setting whatever I get her up the way she wants it and needs it. Testdiving it with her since she isnt certed yet is sort of distasteful right now, but I also want to make sure she likes to breath it. I suppose if we took her instructor for the reg test, it'd be cool.

As for her willing to make it past these mental blocks, I think that stems from her devotion to me. She sees how passionate I have become about diving, and she wants to be able to share that with me. The downside, it's not her passion. But since she is willing to go through all this, I want to make it as comfortable and easy for her as I can, so that maybe one day, it'll be a passion of hers as well. We try to share alot of passions, I mean, how many men do you know that take pelasure in planning a wedding/reception AND offer to take up scrapbooking? That'd be me by the way...LoL. I just hope my efforts and hers aren't in vain. I so want her to be able to enjoy the beauty at depth, with me.

 

[chickdiver]

She definitely gets points for trying so hard. Please make sure that she is aware that it is OK if she doesn't want to do this- for whatever reason, and that you wont think less of her for not getting certified. In 10 years of teaching, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen one half of a couple making themselves miserable because they thought they _HAD_ to learn to dive for the other half.

I'd also recommend getting her to the Keys, or somewhere with lots of life ASAP after certification. It's amazing how quickly those fears are forgotten when people get interested in the life around them!

Best of luck.

 

[Tao of the Dive]

She definitely gets points for trying so hard. Please make sure that she is aware that it is OK if she doesn't want to do this- for whatever reason, and that you wont think less of her for not getting certified. In 10 years of teaching, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen one half of a couple making themselves miserable because they thought they _HAD_ to learn to dive for the other half.

I'd also recommend getting her to the Keys, or somewhere with lots of life ASAP after certification. It's amazing how quickly those fears are forgotten when people get interested in the life around them!

Best of luck.

She has family in the keys that we've been promising to visit, and now that the engagement is official (as of last night by the way), we really owe them a visit so they can catch up. So maybe we can tie a few dives in while we visit.

As for points, she gets major points with me, especially for this. And I do hope she picks up on that she doesn't have to, I think the fact that she doesnt have to makes her all the more willing to try it for my sake.

Tao

 

[chickdiver]

First off- Congratulations!

If you get down to the Keys prior to getting her certified, TAKE HER SNORKELING! A lot of people get hooked that way, because they want to be able to hang out with the critters longerthan they can breath hold. Also- if things work out well with her certification- consider a honeymoon in a great dive spot. The Caribbean has a number that are quite reasonable, and Cozumel is great also.

 

[Marebythesea]

It is often very difficult to describe the extraordinary joy of being able to breathe effortlessly underwater. Or the feeling one gets lying on the ocean floor looking up at the sun’s rays filtering through the vast expanse of water that lies between you and the surface. But, for all that beauty and wonder, I have never lost my fear of diving, a healthy fear rooted in a respect for a world I am only a visitor in.

For many other people there is another type of fear that may be based in their loss of control, claustrophobia or a fear of drowning. They have an overwhelming feeling of literally being out of their depth. It sounds like you are a wonderful guy but I would caution you to not do everything for your fiancé, in doing so, it will increase her sense of dependence and loss of control. Live in the moment and take one step at a time. Talking about regulators before she has even taken a class can be very overwhelming. At the risk of sounding trite, I have two adages for you, “Don’t put the cart before the horse” and “A little bit of knowledge can be very dangerous.” When she goes through her classes many of her fears will be replaced with knowledge—knowledge is power. When this happens hopefully any remaining fear she may have will be a healthy fear. In order to get comfortable, she can always spend as much time in the pool as she likes after she has taken the course and before her check-out dives. Don’t talk about equipment and what is going to work for her right now, it will only increase her nervousness. When the time is right, and again this should be after the course and pool time, SHE can make intelligent decisions for herself. By allowing her to make those decisions, you will not only allow her to be in a position of control but make her a safer diver and buddy. Neither of you should EVER be dependent upon one another to set up equipment etc. Although it takes dependence to an extreme, "Pipin" Ferreras and his late wife Audrey are good examples of what happens when you depend on someone else for your equipment and checks.

I hope what I've said makes sense to you.

Congratulations on your engagement…she’s lucky to have found such a passionate metro-sexual!:yinyang:

 

[DocVikingo]

You will notice that the "Ask Dr. Decompression" forum is described as a venue for "...questions concerning the scientific aspects of decompression. This forum is to provide information of a scientific nature. Dr. Deco works for NASA at the Johnson Space Center and is the Head of the Environmental Physiology and Biophysics." He is a highly regarded research scientist, but not a physician, psychologist or mental health expert, nor do I believe that he is an active instructor.

As such, I have taken the liberty of moving your inquiry on training techniques to the General Scuba Discussion forum. Dr. Deco will still see it.

Best regards.

DocVikingo