Trying to get certified...Can't seem to get there....

[DukeAMO]

I've learned a few things... thanks!

Yeah, you're right, practicing at 2 feet is much much safer than at 15 feet. So we should do that stuff after the safety stop, not during it! I do most of my practicing with my head just below the surface. Or standing on shore. Or in the pool (silly me, snorkeling around with no mask on in our pool). And I warn my buddy (DH) that I'm planning to do it, so he can supervise.

 

[shmuggy]

I hope you decide that diving is not for you. Please consider that you have not encountered any situations where you had to rely on yourself to handle things right so you and your buddy did not get hurt- you have been depending on others to get you through situations which should not be so challenging. Would you panic if your regulator blew off your hose (mine did on my 17th dive- manufacturer defect), what if your reg blew an O ring at depth, how about downcurrents, would you be comfortable seeing a shark nearby, what if another diver kicked off your mask, your BC didn't work right, etc- there are so many things that can and do go wrong and you are also supposed to be there to help your buddy- it is not just a one way deal. I am sure this is a disappointment but IMO you won't have much fun down there if you do get certified and neither will the people you are diving with. Tp continue could put you and the people you care about at serious risk.

 

[DukeAMO]

I hope you decide that diving is not for you.

Oddly timed, shmuggy. I wonder if you read the rest of the thread before posting that or not.

People *do* work through and past anxiety, even panic. I bet a lot of us (most of us?) freaked out the first time we went underwater by accident (probably in a pool when we were kids). With time, knowledge and practice, things that once induced anxiety or even panic no longer cause problems.