I can only speak from my own experience, and YMMV. I found that two things changed my comfort level the most: 1) taking a sidemount course from an instructor that gave me the attention and had the expertise to get my gear, trim, and buoyancy 100% under control (well, buoyancy was about at 80%). 2) taking classes that increased my task loading. This will seem counterintuitive to many, and it's not for everyone, but I find that I will overthink and over-tinker with by body and gear to get everything perfect. But, when I have new tasks, new skills to work on, the more basic skills sort of fall in line and become mindless and natural. I am NOT advocating moving too fast into more advanced skills, but classes like the GUE fundamentals class, or a specialty class that covers one topic in depth (i.e., NOT AOW) from a really good instructor can take you to a new level.
When does it "click"?
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There's an old saying that at fifty dives you think you have it dialed in. At one hundred dives you realize you didn't know anything at fifty dives. At five hundred dives you begin to realize that you may never know everything. The hardest part of diving is relaxing. Once you learn to relax your air consumption goes down, anxiety levels decrease and enjoyment increases. Find something to take your attention away from worrying about your gear, buddy and environment. Don't neglect them, just focus a bit more on a subject. Take up photography, shell collecting or simply fish watching. Learn about the local marine life and try to learn the names of the animals you encounter.
Streamline your gear so that you won't have danglies. I don't recommend solo diving to newer divers, but once you stop worrying about where your buddy is you will enjoy your dives much more. Have your buddy stay close or plan a separation protocol before the dive. You may want to look for a minute before surfacing safely or continue the dive without your buddy. Your choice, but make sure your buddy knows what to expect.
Look closely at the life around you. Diving does not have to be a marathon. It's OK if you spend twenty minutes looking at the same rock. There is no need to kick as fast as possible from one rock to the next. Your snorkeling technique should help with that.
As you gain experience you will find that you need less weight on your belt. Not having to rely on your BC for buoyancy as much will also help you relax and not think about your gear. Wear proper exposure protection. If you are uncomfortable in a wetsuit consider a drysuit. If you are diving in warm water try a swimsuit rather than a thin wetsuit. The less you have to think about your gear the more you will enjoy what's around you. It takes time but it will come.
Streamline your gear so that you won't have danglies. I don't recommend solo diving to newer divers, but once you stop worrying about where your buddy is you will enjoy your dives much more. Have your buddy stay close or plan a separation protocol before the dive. You may want to look for a minute before surfacing safely or continue the dive without your buddy. Your choice, but make sure your buddy knows what to expect.
Look closely at the life around you. Diving does not have to be a marathon. It's OK if you spend twenty minutes looking at the same rock. There is no need to kick as fast as possible from one rock to the next. Your snorkeling technique should help with that.
As you gain experience you will find that you need less weight on your belt. Not having to rely on your BC for buoyancy as much will also help you relax and not think about your gear. Wear proper exposure protection. If you are uncomfortable in a wetsuit consider a drysuit. If you are diving in warm water try a swimsuit rather than a thin wetsuit. The less you have to think about your gear the more you will enjoy what's around you. It takes time but it will come.
undrwater
Contributor
I've been in the snorkel "zone" and the scuba "zone". They feel and are different.
When you've become confident enough to stop worrying and begin responding, the zone will be that much closer.
For me, things have to go pretty smoothly still to have a good zone dive. I imagine as I gain more experience, it will become easier.
When you've become confident enough to stop worrying and begin responding, the zone will be that much closer.
For me, things have to go pretty smoothly still to have a good zone dive. I imagine as I gain more experience, it will become easier.
Darnold9999
Contributor
Can't remember particularly when it happened for me, but the best advice so far (among a whole bunch of good advice) is to slow down. Find some creature and spend at least 5 minutes watching its behaviour and not moving at all. During that 5 minutes you don't have to be worried about anything but staying still. You know you have air, you know where your buddy is no need to do anything but relax.
At some point all the gear you are carrying becomes part of you and you are back in the same zone you get into snorkeling except you can stay down for a very long time.
On your buddy's air, I check once about 10 min into a dive - compare that to my consumption - then I don't need to check again until near the end of the dive because I will have a pretty good idea how much air they are going through compared to me.
At some point all the gear you are carrying becomes part of you and you are back in the same zone you get into snorkeling except you can stay down for a very long time.
On your buddy's air, I check once about 10 min into a dive - compare that to my consumption - then I don't need to check again until near the end of the dive because I will have a pretty good idea how much air they are going through compared to me.
spoolin01
Contributor
The three dive pursuits that greatly helped me to get past self-consciousness were photography, spearfishing, and lobster hunting. Give yourself something to get actively engaged in, even just exploring the scenery in detail, besides all the self-monitoring.
If you pick dives where profile and ocean conditions are very benign, it will make it easier to stop worrying.
One other thought - when I first started I did a lot of diving more in group situations, where the pace was often pretty rushed, often where the objective was to cover a lot of distance, whether before, during, or after submersion. That contributed to frequent bouts of CO2 loading, which will definitely produce a state of unease. Once I learned to control pacing for myself, and to counteract CO2 loading by briefly accelerating ventilation, what I initially feared might have been a more generalized discomfort at the alien environment, was revealed for the simple physiological distress it was.
Oh, and stop reading all the fright stuff on SB, 99% of it does not have to be relevant to rec scuba.
If you pick dives where profile and ocean conditions are very benign, it will make it easier to stop worrying.
One other thought - when I first started I did a lot of diving more in group situations, where the pace was often pretty rushed, often where the objective was to cover a lot of distance, whether before, during, or after submersion. That contributed to frequent bouts of CO2 loading, which will definitely produce a state of unease. Once I learned to control pacing for myself, and to counteract CO2 loading by briefly accelerating ventilation, what I initially feared might have been a more generalized discomfort at the alien environment, was revealed for the simple physiological distress it was.
Oh, and stop reading all the fright stuff on SB, 99% of it does not have to be relevant to rec scuba.
Frontpointer1000
Contributor
K_Sheep:
Just asking the question is going to help. I'm just around 100 dives, so I'm close to you in terms of dive experience. I've been diving in multiple places, varied exposure and circumstances - this has helped with my comfort level a lot. Rescue diver helped me feel more comfortable as well. I'm an ER physician and naturally find peace in chaos, I LOVE diving solo, first solo dive was dive #26. Solo has helped me dive more comfortably as well.
Things that I have noticed which have helped me get into "the zone" include doing multiple dives back to back (week long dive trip, for instance)
pool practice (my son and I do vigorous drills in the pool, which includes ripping off masks, fins, turning off valves, etc)
developing dive plans and talking through various scenarios
Getting to know the dive site and objectives
trusting my buddy (almost always my 14 yo son). What this means is I trust him to be able to take care of himself, not that I trust him to take care of me - that's my job. Nonetheless, I am more nervous when ding with him, as his parent, my greatest fear is that he will be injured on a dive. Part of this fear is irrational, because he is well-trained and is a good safe diver. I imagine some of your anxiety is likely a feeling of responsibility for your husband.
Develop rules and communication patterns.
Go slow.
Just asking the question is going to help. I'm just around 100 dives, so I'm close to you in terms of dive experience. I've been diving in multiple places, varied exposure and circumstances - this has helped with my comfort level a lot. Rescue diver helped me feel more comfortable as well. I'm an ER physician and naturally find peace in chaos, I LOVE diving solo, first solo dive was dive #26. Solo has helped me dive more comfortably as well.
Things that I have noticed which have helped me get into "the zone" include doing multiple dives back to back (week long dive trip, for instance)
pool practice (my son and I do vigorous drills in the pool, which includes ripping off masks, fins, turning off valves, etc)
developing dive plans and talking through various scenarios
Getting to know the dive site and objectives
trusting my buddy (almost always my 14 yo son). What this means is I trust him to be able to take care of himself, not that I trust him to take care of me - that's my job. Nonetheless, I am more nervous when ding with him, as his parent, my greatest fear is that he will be injured on a dive. Part of this fear is irrational, because he is well-trained and is a good safe diver. I imagine some of your anxiety is likely a feeling of responsibility for your husband.
Develop rules and communication patterns.
Go slow.
Shaun Delport
Registered
Regarding rental gear and your confidence, do yourself a favour. For the next 15 to 20 dives rent a different brand of BC, wetsuit and regulator set. Give each brand a mark out of 10 for comfort and functionality. After that, go back to your log book and see which sets rated between 8/10 to 10/10. Then, according to your finances, start buying your own gear piece by piece. That way you will not be bulldozed into buying what some salesman wants you to buy and end up wasting money.
All my hoses and gauges are clipped to my BC within easy reach and sight, no worrying about dangling bits. It becomes 2nd nature with your own gear and arrangement.
In stronger currents I would not recommend holding hands. Rather link your right arm through your buddies left arm. Thereby having your right hand available to provide an octo and your buddy has their left hand free for SPG and inflate/deflate functions. You will then still have the peace of mind that your buddy is next to you.
Shaun
All my hoses and gauges are clipped to my BC within easy reach and sight, no worrying about dangling bits. It becomes 2nd nature with your own gear and arrangement.
In stronger currents I would not recommend holding hands. Rather link your right arm through your buddies left arm. Thereby having your right hand available to provide an octo and your buddy has their left hand free for SPG and inflate/deflate functions. You will then still have the peace of mind that your buddy is next to you.
Shaun
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Buoyancy clicked in at about dive #20 or so. "Clicked in" perhaps means confidence. Types of dives/depths has a lot to do with that. I don't think anyone is ever "clicked in" for good.
billt4sf
Contributor
Ha ha this reminds me that at age 30 I figured I knew what life was all about. Then at 40 I realized that I was wrong when I was 30, but now I got it. 50 was my best year. But then at 60 I really had it figured....etc.
Buoyancy is really 80% of it, as someone said. (Getting our own gear was the other 80%). We liked GUE training because it made us do the skills without letting our buoyancy change. That was huge.
- Bill
Wow thank you for all the replies. What I'm hearing is relax 
p), take it slow, maybe do a rescue diver/other course, and just keep plugging along
Frontpointer1000, I've done some time as an anaesthetics resident which is probably similar to what I'm doing in diving! (What's the sats, how's the BP, temp okay, are they CO2 retaining, rinse and repeat!). The difference is work is work and diving should be fun!
I'm lucky with air - hubby and I are pretty similar, he uses just a bit more than me - he'll come up with 50psi, I'll be 60-90. And yes, in proper current we link at the elbows, and are pretty good at ducking behind somewhere for a breather and reevaulate the dive.
Sounds like I should stop reading the Accidents and Incidents board too
My rationale with buying my own gear is that I didn't want to be responsible for maintaining it ... but I guess that largely means taking it to the LDS for servicing, which is probably not too taxing.
p), take it slow, maybe do a rescue diver/other course, and just keep plugging along Frontpointer1000, I've done some time as an anaesthetics resident which is probably similar to what I'm doing in diving! (What's the sats, how's the BP, temp okay, are they CO2 retaining, rinse and repeat!). The difference is work is work and diving should be fun!
I'm lucky with air - hubby and I are pretty similar, he uses just a bit more than me - he'll come up with 50psi, I'll be 60-90. And yes, in proper current we link at the elbows, and are pretty good at ducking behind somewhere for a breather and reevaulate the dive.
Sounds like I should stop reading the Accidents and Incidents board too
My rationale with buying my own gear is that I didn't want to be responsible for maintaining it ... but I guess that largely means taking it to the LDS for servicing, which is probably not too taxing.
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