diving advice on how to just stay calm?

[Mexican1978]

I recently started scuba diving and have completed 3 dives. I need to complete my 4th to get certified. The last trip was a 2 tank dive but I did not go down the second time because I got really dizzy down at the bottom (we were 60 feet down), I found out I was diving with an ear infection. I get VERY nervous also before entering the water. Would you have any advice on how to just stay calm? I also made a HUGE mistake on my very first dive an inflated my BC and shot for the surface, I didnt mean to I just hit the wrong button. They had to save me...its these things that make me nervous. My 5th dive is going to be 90 feet down in the middle of the ocean...this scares me. But I want to do it...any advice you can give on not getting nervous and maybe also how to advoid seasickness would be WONDERFUL! Thank you very much!

[Mako]

Don't go for this 90 feet dive if you don't feel calm in the water yet. What kind of diving course are you taking?

Mako

[Mexican1978]

Its I believe an open water course. I am taking it through my college and its just called scuba 1. I think I might wait till later to do the 90 foot dive... I just have to complete one more dive to get my certification. I am also worried about equlizing my ears because last time I got REALLY dizzy at the bottom. I think one ear didnt equlize...I think this was one reason why I got so nervous, because I was so dizzy.

[Mako]

Open Water from which agency? Padi Cmas Naui SSI ?
Have you discussed this with your instructor? Did you tell him that you were anxious and that you had problems to equalize?
Lisa, I think you are feeling stressed because the rhythm was maybe a bit fast. My suggestion would be do again a dive with your instructor and ask him to stay with you the whole way down until you equalize properly. Sometimes it can takes a little longer to equalize... use the technique you learned in your theory, going back 1 or 2 m equalize and only go deeper once you could equalize. You will see with time you will be able to equalize easier. If not check with your Doc. But most of the time it's just a matter of taking your time. If the rest of the group was equalizing faster than you this is maybe the reason you were stressed because you tried to follow the same rhythm... Remember your instructor will wait for you, if you show him your problem he will assist you. Of course if you force the equalizing you could feel dizzy, never force... take your time and if you cant equalize don't dive this day, maybe you have a cold... if it's persists see your doctor to be sure everything is ok.
Mako

[Mexican1978]

I think my certification is going to be through N.A.S.D.S. That is what my instructer is certified by. He knows im absolutly terrified...in fact for the first 3 dive I held a dive masters hand through the entire dive.

On one of the dives I did not hold any ones hand because I wanted to try and do it my self but this was the dive I got very dizzy and sucked up most of my air, I got down to 200 psi from a 3000 psi tank, we were on our decompression stop though and were almost to the surface. I think though that since they know I am absolutly terrified and have babyed me enough they want me to start being a little more confidant and stop asking someone to go down with me every time. This is a normal thing for me though being scared, I am terrified of my own shadow.

The dives that we are doing are drift dives, and I get afraid I am going to loose the group and the current is going to take me away and I wont be able to find the group again. I heard that our 5th dive is the 80 to 90 foot dive and they take the bouyi down and tie it off to the ship wreck at the bottom and you swim against the current around this ship wreck and you can go in side of it and explore. That to me sounds so advanced. I know a few other girls in my class who have already done it and they said that it really want not that terrifying. I want to learn to scuba dive and its more conquring a fear and learning to have fun and a new hobby if im going to live by the ocean.
I saw the doc about my ears and I had an ear infection and I dove down to 60 feet with this ear infection. I knew I had it too but ignored it because I thought it was all in my head and I was just making it up because I was afraid. Aparently this was not the case and I really was in pain. I think I also tried to force the equlizing too because everyone was going down so fast and I didnt want to hold up my instructor anymore. My ears are clearing up though and I should be able to dive next week...but again, why am I so terrified. I have nightmares! But I want to be able to enjoy it and I really want it to become my new hobby. Anyways thanks for your help!

[Mako]

You are normal!

About your ear if you had an infection it must have been paining and if it's paining don't dive... wait to get well first!

Many people would be terrified to go for a drift dive before even being certified as a beginner. It's better to learn to walk before you run... Your next dive should really be direct with your instructor descending to your speed and ease of equalizing... if it's paining dive a few meters up and try again until it works without pain. usually if you can reach the depth of 10m after it will go easy. But if it's paining this means you are still congested or infected... stop your dive and wait until you are completely healed!!

Don't worry, you will become a diver and you will have a lot of fun in your new hobby!

If you don't find a way with your instructor to do it a bit slower you should consider doing another course like a PADI Open Water Diver course. This course will not bring you deeper than 18m and no advance dive like drift dive, deep dive, descent in the blue etc before you are qualified diver. Deep dive (90feet is a deep dive) is an advanced dive.
I repeat you are normal...

If we would post this as a public thread I am sure many other divers would say that this course you are taking is too rough and that they had a much softer experience during there beginner course...
Hope to be able to congratulate you as a new diver or to meet you underwater between 2 Islands...

Mako

[Mexican1978]

Thank you!! You know come to think of it I dont believe I ever felt any pain, I just got very dizzy. And I dont think I ever felt like my head was going to inplode. It may have been just motion sickness because the current was strong and I wasnt even kicking the current was just taking me over the shipwreck we were diving on. I was also VERYY sea sick on the boat too so maybe it was a combination of the ear infection the fluid in one ear and everything else. The doc told me today I should be ok to do this next 60 foot dive to get certified. I think I am going to wait on the 90 foot dive untill I am use to the water a bit more. I am taking scuba 2 next semester with my college again and in that class you only go on the dives and you get 12 of them, I hope I can opt to do shallower dives. By then I should have like 18 or 20 dives and hopefully I wont be afraid anymore. Before going down the instructor always tells me "you are in control of what happens down there" because they can tell I am so afraid. I think what really got me was on my 1st dive we were diving on this ship wreck and I inflated my BC to go over some wreckage and began to panic. I kept hitting the inflate button instead of the deflate button and started shooting for the surface. They saved me though when I felt one instrctor on each fin pulling me back down to the bottom. Ever since then something else has scared me. The only thing that I was not afraid of was swimming beside a school of barricuda, I was more concerned as to why I was really dizzy.
My father is certified through PADI and I think over the summer before I head back to the beach I am going to try and tone it down a bit before I hit that 90 foot wreck dive/drift/anchor/ really deep. Thank you again for your advice!!

[Mako]

OK,
I think you will be ok now! You will see once you do a easy dive where you can really enjoy you will get much more confident with your equipment, your buoyancy, and your equalization you will start to enjoy the dive it self then you will forget all the other things because they will be automatic reflexes. It's the same as a new car driver, in the beginning he has to concentrate on so many new things but with time every thing is becoming automatic and reflex... from what I can hear I am sure you will become a good diver. Relax take your time, you have all the time you need. Only on advance diving like drift it's necessary to be quick responding and coordinate with the group. This is why this kind of diving is recommended to be done once you have more experience and all your automatism are well trained... some people need 50 dives, some 100, some even more... but don't worry you will feel it when you are ready... follow your feelings and instinct... if you have a bad feeling before diving don't dive. Also something good, dive regularly it will reduce faster your fear.
I hope to read from you soon with new good experiences in diving on this forum!
I am sure this discussion could help many other divers with some fears... would you accept that I publish this discussion on the forum in order to help everyone? I could remove your name in the signature or even use a different user name. I will not do it without your consent. Just tell me...


Mako

[Mexican1978]

Hey there! Its 100% completely fine with me! You can use my name too! I just got off the phone with the club I dive with and I have scheduled my next 2 tank dive. I am going ou ton Sunday at 2:30 and will probably be diving the same spot I have dove every other time. I kind of know the area a little better now and know what to expect. Also all the same instructors I have been diving with will be on the boat (there are 4 that go out with us). I told the guy over the phone that I was still really afraid and could use a few more shallower student dives. He was the same guy that saved me the first time from surfacing really fast. This one will be again the drift dive...unfortunatly there is no other kind of diving where I live, near the gulf stream. I am preparing my self to not be afraid and am trying to stay healthy this week to make it easier on my body when I go down. Anyways thank you so much for everything! And I am cool with the publication! :-D