shallow diving question(30-40 ft.)

[Spencermm]

My wife will be taking scuba class shortley after I finish. She is very anxious about it and fears deep water. She has the notion that she doesn't ever want to dive past 40 ft. post ow cert.
I realize that notions change after experience is introduced.
My question is this: Are there others out there who have been certified that maintain the notion of staying shallow(30-40ft.)?

 

[scubatoys]

A lot of people feel that way, but a lot depends on where you are training, and where you are diving. For example, I've had a lot of people I've taken on trips that said they didn't want to go below 40'... I get them to get in, and put their gauge in the pocket so "it doesn't hang on the reef" and slowly work them down to 50 or 60 feet, then have them look at the gauge. When they realize 10 feet in a lake meant it was hard to know which way is up, and 60 feet in Cayman you can look up and count the rivets on the bottom of the boat - their feelings change.

Also, the shallower water is some of the hardest area of a dive to control buoyancy, and statistically where most problems occur - but I'd say just be encouraging and reassuring that you will not have her dive outside her comfort level - and in a few dives, you will probably see that phobia disappear.

 

[DandyDon]

Yep, that sums it up well.

 

[scubatoys]

Or... Just buy a computer for her, and set it to meters instead of feet... "No problem honey... we won't go past 30!"

 

[jbd]

Or... Just buy a computer for her, and set it to meters instead of feet... "No problem honey... we won't go past 30!"

This comment just made my day!!!

Back to Spencermm's question. There are many who start oout saying that they won't dive deeper than (pick a depth). scubatoys pretty much described what happens with most of these people.

I worked with a person who said there would be no going deeper than 60 feet. I told him that was fine, we would descend to 60 feet and just look around at the wreck below (100 feet). We stopped and hovered at 60 feet and within a few minutes he was ready to work his way down to the railing of the wreck at 80 feet. Once we hit that he was ready to go to the sand at 100 feet. He did an excellent job!! All in all, it was a very nice dive.

Just don't push them and they will eventually work their way deeper as they become more comfortable.

 

[philmayer]

If you're going to be diving reefs in the Caribbean, there are many places that you don't have to go below 40 feet.

Just be accepting and encouraging of your wife's wishes. Once she's comfortable in the water she may well go beyond 40.

 

[trtldvr]

Many of the reefs in the Keys are in the 15 to 25 ft range. I f you want to go deeper than 30 ft you will need a shovel.

trtldvr
www.divealive.org

 

[DandyDon]

I worked with a person who said there would be no going deeper than 60 feet. I told him that was fine, we would descend to 60 feet and just look around at the wreck below (100 feet). We stopped and hovered at 60 feet and within a few minutes he was ready to work his way down to the railing of the wreck at 80 feet. Once we hit that he was ready to go to the sand at 100 feet. He did an excellent job!! All in all, it was a very nice dive.

That was a pretty significant deviation from dive plan, or was that option included in the plan...?

I presume you were acting the the role of Inst, but still - planning the dive and diving the plan is kinda important. A deviation like that really should be included in options shouldn't it?

 

[fisherdvm]

My wife will be taking scuba class shortley after I finish. She is very anxious about it and fears deep water. She has the notion that she doesn't ever want to dive past 40 ft. post ow cert.
I realize that notions change after experience is introduced.
My question is this: Are there others out there who have been certified that maintain the notion of staying shallow(30-40ft.)?

If I had a choice, all of my diving would be shallow. Why bother with dive lights to find the fishies? I can increase my bottom time, cut my surface interval, and not waste money on nitrox.

I think it is a wise of your wife to expect to stay shallow, within her comfort zone. Once she realize how good, or how bad, of a buddy you are, she can decide to continue to stay shallow, or to get a pony tank. I am continue to be unimpressed with the quality of insta-buddies I have encountered, including so called "master divers"....

 

[ReefHound]

A lot of people feel that way, but a lot depends on where you are training, and where you are diving. For example, I've had a lot of people I've taken on trips that said they didn't want to go below 40'... I get them to get in, and put their gauge in the pocket so "it doesn't hang on the reef" and slowly work them down to 50 or 60 feet, then have them look at the gauge. When they realize 10 feet in a lake meant it was hard to know which way is up, and 60 feet in Cayman you can look up and count the rivets on the bottom of the boat - their feelings change.

I understand your point but, wow, you don't really do that, do you? That's just not right to trick people into doing something they didn't think they wanted to do, even if their feelings do change. It has to be their choice. If something were to go wrong, you'd be toast in court. Maybe even criminally negligent.