The Mental Factor Of Blue Water Descents

[Scuba+Steve77]

Okay....so I feel kind of stupid admitting this but on my last dive trip, I had a bit of a mental psych-out issue that I have never experienced before in all of my dives. We had a blue water descent following the anchor line down to a wreck. Open water limits, calm seas, nothing out of the ordinary. Been there (not literally this wreck though), done that so no big deal....right? I have no clue why by I found myself having to basically talk myself through the descent because I felt like I was on the verge of turning and heading back to the boat. No equipment issues and no health concerns were present to speak of so I can't explain why this dive made me so borderline flipped out. The being inside a "blue bubble" effect just seemed to get to me for some reason. Lack of visibility doesn't faze me in the slightest since I have most of my dives in rivers, lakes and quarries. Even on previous ocean dives, I have never had this issue before.

We dove a shallow reef later in the day and had ZERO issues. We now have another trip coming up and I would like to prevent a recurrence if at all possible. Any suggestions or wisdom from those who might have faced this before?

 

[Kevrumbo]

How deep, and were you exerting yourself physically and/or breathing hard while following the anchorline down? Was there a current to work against, and/or did you have to haul yourself down the anchorline at all to depth?

 

[tbone1004]

if what was said above was a factor, there is a possibility that you had some CO2 buildup, though rather unlikely. Were you nervous about anything on the dive for some reason? It's not that abnormal to experience, but it is usually some previous factors that start snowballing

 

[Scuba+Steve77]

I don't think it was CO2 since it cleared up as soon as the wreck came into view or if I turned and looked up at the dive boat. I wasn't nervous about anything since while I had my wife (a rookie diver) on the trip with me, she had- at my suggestion- been given a divemaster as a buddy.

The closest thing I can relate it too was the "oh ****" moment that I had the first time my flight instructor had me fly into real instrument conditions (no visual reference to orient myself) only worse since I couldn't go "heads down" onto the instruments to get oriented. That and it lasted much longer since I didn't have any choice but to either turn around and go back to the dive boat or press on down the line to the wreck. I realize that it was probably some form of disorientation but it's weird though since I was holding on to the line and could see it for some considerable distance until it disappeared into the ether of the depths.

The whole thing is really rather embarrassing to admit.

 

[Scuba+Steve77]

How deep, and were you exerting yourself physically and/or breathing hard while following the anchorline down? Was there a current to work against, and/or did you have to haul yourself down the anchorline at all to depth?

There was no real current so far as I perceived (then again, I'm used to river diving so my standard of "current" may be different from someone else's). I didn't perceive the dive as particularly requiring a lot of exertion either. Other than the mental aspect, it really seemed to be a rather easy dive.

If I recall correctly, the top of the wreck was 50 or 60 FSW and the sand was 100 or 110. I'd have to go dig out out my logbook to be sure.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I don't think it was CO2 since it cleared up as soon as the wreck came into view or if I turned and looked up at the dive boat. I wasn't nervous about anything since while I had my wife (a rookie diver) on the trip with me, she had- at my suggestion- been given a divemaster as a buddy.

The closest thing I can relate it too was the "oh ****" moment that I had the first time my flight instructor had me fly into real instrument conditions (no visual reference to orient myself) only worse since I couldn't go "heads down" onto the instruments to get oriented. That and it lasted much longer since I didn't have any choice but to either turn around and go back to the dive boat or press on down the line to the wreck. I realize that it was probably some form of disorientation but it's weird though since I was holding on to the line and could see it for some considerable distance until it disappeared into the ether of the depths.

The whole thing is really rather embarrassing to admit.

Okay . . .as long as there weren't any associated anxiety related to acute physical symptoms like CO2 retention, difficulty clearing ears, alterno-baric or spatial vertigo etc --it just might be simple performance nervousness/apprehension.

 

[tbone1004]

it's not embarrassing, it happens to everyone at some point or another. I'm perfectly OK going a mile into a cave, but get freaked out when river diving in zero viz. It is all in your head and you just have to figure out how to get out of your own head. Don't be embarrassed, just learn to slay the dragon

 

[lowviz]

...//... I have no clue why by I found myself having to basically talk myself through the descent ...//... The being inside a "blue bubble" effect just seemed to get to me for some reason. ...

I've been there several times.

Moving too fast, unfocused desire to get to the bottom and begin your dive. Slow down, you began your dive.

And this: Litany Against Fear

But mostly, keep going ever more slowly until the demons leave you.

 

[Scuba+Steve77]

Moving too fast, unfocused desire to get to the bottom and begin your dive. Slow down, you began your dive.

That's a good suggestion. I just hate to waste bottom time on swimming through what amounts to empty nothingness especially when that nothingness kind of freaks me out. However, if it is a necessary evil, then it's a necessary evil.

 

[Scuba+Steve77]

I'm perfectly OK going a mile into a cave, but get freaked out when river diving in zero viz

Versus my view where I think cave divers are crazy. LOL I tell my father-in-law this all the time when he talks about his youthful cave diving.