Where to go from here, if anywhere? Or: should I keep trying or...stick to snorkeling

[wnissen]

I have a different perspective than all the other posts that are encouraging you to proceed. Given the above, I'm not sure that scuba is an activity for you. There are quite a number of things that can and do go sideways in scuba. Most are relatively insignificant, some not so much. You need to be able to think clearly and not get worked up, let alone panic, when something happens.

Yep, I would stick to guided dives until I had confidence that I could handle the basic scenarios that I was ever likely to encounter. And even then I might avoid marginal conditions, stay shallower, etc.

 

[Nasser]

Absolutely you should continue diving. As others have said, take it slow and learn at a pace that is comfortable for you. The more you do it the more fluency you'll gain... and the more confident you'll become. Even at very experienced levels of diving you can have an "off day" so don't allow yourself to get too discouraged and get back in!

 

[avfcmichael]

@maybepossibly - I wouldn't give up, I am quite a nervous person and struggled with the confined dives myself. I shot up on numerous occassions doing the full mask removal and replace - your instructors should work with you to get over this, and allow you to complete it properly. Luckily not many people had booked onto my OW course, so there was 2 instructors and 2 of us learning in the pool, so was really 1-2-1 instruction.

Try and find a good instructor (don't try and start from the beginning) but get a couple of pool or shallow dives in, where they can work through your fears with you. Then you can start to build on it.

I was still nervous and not 100% confident after my OW, but having just completed AOW this has now given me what I need to continue with diving. Find the route that allows you to perform at your best, doing what you want to.

Best of luck!

 

[maybepossibly]

@maybepossibly you might ask @Redfoot for some advice. He was struggling recently with delays in getting certified, the need for a refresher, etc., but his local dive shop was doing a trip on the Turks & Caicos Aggressor and they had an opening. The dive shop owner worked with him personally, gave him a refresher, and dived as his buddy on the trip and he got certified and had lots of chances to improve skills and get comfortable, see his report below:

Turks & Caicos Aggressor 4/7 to 4/13

You don't need to be certified but you could use some personalized attention.

Ah cool, thank you!

Not every instructor has the time or attitude to properly work with a relatively nervous diver - spend time sounding them out before signing up with them.

I would second other peoples thoughts that maybe a second course might be worthwhile or least an extended refresher.

True, yes. Now my reactions to things seem sort of predictable, I can give forewarning and, er, plan appropriately Thanks!

Just curious....what skill is required where you don't breath for 30 seconds?

Probably referring to the CESA skill, where you exhale for 30 feet and 30 seconds.

Yes, this Sorry, I worded it badly.

Chances are you will need to start over and it would probably be a great way to build your skill set anyway. I don’t know of any shops in our neck of the woods that would take you diving even privately with a cert from 10 years ago and really nothing since then. But even without that skills like mask clearing are essential for you to be a good safe diver. What do you do at depth if you cannot clear your mask? Feeling comfortable doing the skill sets will build your confidence. You could even practice snorkeling or in a pool. If it turns out that you try again and still don’t reach a comfort level, don’t let it bother you. Keep going with snorkeling and enjoy it. Everyone is different. I love flying but would never feel good about jumping out of a plane.

Yeah, I hear you. I definitely worry about "ok what if this actually happens though"...I mean I can clear my mask, I can equalize, I can do little things, but if something really went bad with the equipment I would probably not...uh. You know, live. Which I like doing.

It sounds like things unraveled with equipment issues triggering your anxiety. The hair issue can be a problem, or so I'm told. (What's left of mine is very short.) There are several ways around this, from wearing a hood to having a fabric cover over the mask strap. It's the same problem for snorkeling though.

Unfamiliar equipment makes life tough....

I suspect the same will be true for you: Things went rough with gear the first time. But now you know what went wrong, you can correct and move on.

One hopes, lol

Fiddling with the gear was one issue that I think just...increased my frustration a lot. The 'not having air' exercises were what really resulted in fear, but the gear-fiddleyness definitely didn't help with my overall state. It would probably help a lot to be more comfortable with all that....

I have a different perspective than all the other posts that are encouraging you to proceed. Given the above, I'm not sure that scuba is an activity for you. There are quite a number of things that can and do go sideways in scuba. Most are relatively insignificant, some not so much. You need to be able to think clearly and not get worked up, let alone panic, when something happens.

You said "Totally normal non-dramatic non-potentially-fatal things make me nervous." You should consider what your reaction might be if, for example. you got tangled in your dive flag line, or got disoriented and weren't sure which direction to swim to the boat or shore, or surfaced and couldn't easily locate the boat because there were waves, or your mask leaked and kept flooding slowly, or many other little things that regularly happen.

Panic is almost always what kills, not the original problem. Confidence that you can handle what ever comes up is arguably the most important skill in scuba. Of course that confidence has to be backed up by ability & knowledge. The ability & knowledge can be learned. Confidence not so easily.

I would recommend doing a lot of snorkeling, and I mean every chance you get. There is a lot of good freshwater snorkeling. A lot more than freshwater diving in most places. There's also a lot of good warmwater/saltwater snorkeling. Once you feel totally at home in the water, then perhaps revisit diving.

Yes, quite, and it's the above that provokes the 'quit now you doofus' type thought processes. I am encouraged by the idea of doing slow one-on-one learning (relearning) but, yes, I have to admit I am variously skeptical about my brain's ability to not do an Agitated Kermit in an inappropriate moment, and it's fair to say it may not just be for me. I really don't know

I plan on snorkeling anyway; plenty to do with a snorkel Could be I just do that for the time being practicing what I can with more limited equipment, and see if I can work up to the tanks or not. I appreciate your perspective, thank you

there's plenty of other stuff for the risk averse to do like walking backwards across freeways blindfolded

you're either feeling it or you're not feeling it

Sometimes in the backyard watching diving videos with mask and snorkel I'm tipping water on my head

Personally, I simultaneously feel it and don't feel it constantly, no matter what the activity. No idea what it's like to just feel one or the other

Well, no, that's a lie. I had a stomach virus recently. Completely not into those kinds of activities.

No backyard but I've got a bathtub. I could strap on a mask and watch my fingers get wrinkly in real time. Total adrenaline rush

Since you said that this anxiety isn't limited to diving, I'd maybe talk to someone about general anxiety and how amped up you are. Not saying that there's anything wrong with you, but if this isn't limited to diving, then it's likely something else bleeding over into a new, more high stakes environment. The others have put forth really good advice about finding an instructor willing to take things slow and to try and get some one-on-one time. When I took my OW, I hated doing the mask drills and couldn't stand being in the water without something covering my eyes. There was only one other student in the class so the instructor took extra time with me to talk things through and have me do smaller drills slowly building up to a full mask removal, and that helped a lot.

That's just my two cents, good luck! There's no shame in taking the long road to diving, and no shame if you decide it's not for you.

Nah, there well could be something wrong with me; I can never tell because whenever I say something about it, someone else is always like "lol me too"...

But anyway. "Long road" is probably the way to take this, regardless of the exact way I go Some things I can practice on my own if I can find the time and wherewithal to drive out to the pool and spend some time playing around with my mask and my breathing...that's a place to start, yeah? Then approach the "personal instructor" situation...

Yep, I would stick to guided dives until I had confidence that I could handle the basic scenarios that I was ever likely to encounter. And even then I might avoid marginal conditions, stay shallower, etc.

Honestly even if I get better at this I'm not sure I'll ever *not* do guided dives...

Absolutely you should continue diving. As others have said, take it slow and learn at a pace that is comfortable for you. The more you do it the more fluency you'll gain... and the more confident you'll become. Even at very experienced levels of diving you can have an "off day" so don't allow yourself to get too discouraged and get back in!

Thank you for the encouragement Here's hoping.

@maybepossibly - I wouldn't give up, I am quite a nervous person and struggled with the confined dives myself. I shot up on numerous occassions doing the full mask removal and replace - your instructors should work with you to get over this, and allow you to complete it properly. Luckily not many people had booked onto my OW course, so there was 2 instructors and 2 of us learning in the pool, so was really 1-2-1 instruction.

Try and find a good instructor (don't try and start from the beginning) but get a couple of pool or shallow dives in, where they can work through your fears with you. Then you can start to build on it.

I was still nervous and not 100% confident after my OW, but having just completed AOW this has now given me what I need to continue with diving. Find the route that allows you to perform at your best, doing what you want to.

Best of luck!

Okay, well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who had this sort of a maskless freakout Thank you!

 

[DBPacific]

Nah, there well could be something wrong with me; I can never tell because whenever I say something about it, someone else is always like "lol me too"...

But anyway. "Long road" is probably the way to take this, regardless of the exact way I go Some things I can practice on my own if I can find the time and wherewithal to drive out to the pool and spend some time playing around with my mask and my breathing...that's a place to start, yeah? Then approach the "personal instructor" situation...

Just something to keep in mind. If you're a student (can't remember if you said you were or not, sorry), then most campuses have at least some resources to at least talk to someone. In the pool, I'd say practice swimming around with a pair of swim goggles (eye coverage but no nose coverage) and/or practice just submerging your head without a mask in the shallow end, and once you're comfortable with that, try swimming around without a mask or doing the full mask removal and replacement drill. Getting used to filling your mask a little to clear it also helps you get used to the feeling of water in the mask, and it's a good skill to be comfortable with. I did a lot of that type of practice in the pool recently since my instructor had us buddy breath without masks on while doing laps underwater and the idea of it completely freaked me out. Since you already know you get really anxious from the mask drill, try to have someone come with you to keep an eye on you, or be close to the lifeguard.

 

[Bubblesong]

I plan on snorkeling anyway; plenty to do with a snorkel Could be I just do that for the time being practicing what I can with more limited equipment, and see if I can work up to the tanks or not. I appreciate your perspective, thank you

I have 30 years Scuba, and I love to Snorkel, and plan to do a lot this summer up in Northeast. There is so much life even in the shallows that the group’s of Divers tromp right over, not realizing what they are missing!

 

[RayfromTX]

Diving can be used as therapy for anxiety and complex post traumatic stress disorder.

Find a dive master/instructor that is totally zen and they will impart that emotional well being to you on the dive. Do the dives in warm clear water. I can recommend 2 people that could be perfect for this in Cozumel.