I've been snorkeling since I was a kid. I loved ducking under, though 2 to 4 meters was as deep as I could get. I've always been comfortable in the water. But I never learned to scuba dive because I was afraid to take my mask off under water. The idea of having water in my nose creeped me out.
Then a dive instructor in Bonaire (where I was snorkeling 4 or 5 years ago) suggested putting my face in the water with my snorkel and a swim mask that does not cover the nose. If the water in my nose bothered me, I'd be right on the surface and could simply raise my head out of the water. If I could breathe through the snorkel with my nose exposed to the water, I would know that I could breathe through a regulator without a mask on. I tried it, and although the feeling was creepy, I was able to do it. But I could not take the PADI Discover Scuba class because I answered "yes" to the question "Do you take any prescription medications?" (Even though my meds --levothyrixin and lipitor-- have nothing about them to counterindicate diving.)
A year or two later, in Belize, I was prepared with my doctor's permission form. The shallow water session went well, but by the time the boat reached the dive site 5 minutes out, in heavy seas, I was so seasick that the dive was no fun at all, and I had great difficulty equalizing my ears. I decided scuba was not for me.
But a week later I decided to give it another try, and everything went better. The sea was not as rough, and equalizing was easier. My first post-certification dive, my buddy (one of the resort co-owners and a DM) commented on how comfortable I seemed. With just over 100 dives, I still consider myself a beginner, and I obsessively watch my depth, tank pressure, and remaining no-deco time. But I'm still comfortable in the water and I enjoy diving. I dive once or twice a year for a week or two at a time, only in warm water. I freedive also, and since taking classes from Performance Freediving International I am no longer limited to that childhood 2 to 4 meter depth.
Then a dive instructor in Bonaire (where I was snorkeling 4 or 5 years ago) suggested putting my face in the water with my snorkel and a swim mask that does not cover the nose. If the water in my nose bothered me, I'd be right on the surface and could simply raise my head out of the water. If I could breathe through the snorkel with my nose exposed to the water, I would know that I could breathe through a regulator without a mask on. I tried it, and although the feeling was creepy, I was able to do it. But I could not take the PADI Discover Scuba class because I answered "yes" to the question "Do you take any prescription medications?" (Even though my meds --levothyrixin and lipitor-- have nothing about them to counterindicate diving.)
A year or two later, in Belize, I was prepared with my doctor's permission form. The shallow water session went well, but by the time the boat reached the dive site 5 minutes out, in heavy seas, I was so seasick that the dive was no fun at all, and I had great difficulty equalizing my ears. I decided scuba was not for me.
But a week later I decided to give it another try, and everything went better. The sea was not as rough, and equalizing was easier. My first post-certification dive, my buddy (one of the resort co-owners and a DM) commented on how comfortable I seemed. With just over 100 dives, I still consider myself a beginner, and I obsessively watch my depth, tank pressure, and remaining no-deco time. But I'm still comfortable in the water and I enjoy diving. I dive once or twice a year for a week or two at a time, only in warm water. I freedive also, and since taking classes from Performance Freediving International I am no longer limited to that childhood 2 to 4 meter depth.
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