Dangers of scuba...

DeVore

Hi there,

I tried scuba for the first time last week. I'm in Malta specifically to do it and I've been fascinated by Cousteau videos since I was a kid. But I found scuba very very scary and I wanted to bounce some issues off you guys.

Now, I had no problem whatsoever with breathing underwater. I went straight to the bottom of the 1.5 metre shallow-dive area and quite happily sat there looking at my rather surprised instructor. He kept giving me the "are you ok sign?" and I was grinning like a loon. That bit was definitely fun.

Then we got onto clearly the mask and I choked. I shot out of the water and coughed up a lungful of water. Rinse and repeat 6 more times and I was fast starting to hate scuba. Each time I got a bit better and my instructor was great, really patient and calm, which is more then can be said for me (I dont like to fail at anything and I'm as stubborn as f*ck!)

My problem was that my mask would fill half way with water and somehow when trying to clear it, I'd snort a noseful down my throat and immediately choke. Its pretty frightening at 1.5 metres, its got to be potentially life threatening at anything reasonably deep.

Eventually I got it simply by sheer donkey stubbornness. I still choked but I resolutely sat on the bottom and chocked and cough and retched into my mouthpiece and just fought the almost overwhelming panic and need to rise to the surface.

I completed the rest of the tasks easily enough including sharing air and really, my instructor was great. Then we went on a 6 metre dive and I didnt have a problem (though once I chickened out when we were very near the surface and my visor needed to be cleared so I just bobbed up and did it).

All the way through the dive though I couldnt stop thinking "if I snort water, I'm dead". I'm not a coward or anything, I pretty much throw myself into things but I just couldnt get over the very easy potential to DIE down there!

I should say, I have vertigo, which may seem irrelevant as diving is the opposite of being high up but thats a misunderstanding of the condition. Vertigo is a fear of potential energy more then anything. Its the fear of being somewhere that just by BEING there you are putting yourself in a situation that has the ability to kill you if you make one false move. When you look at it like that its very similar to being on a dive, just in reverse.
I found I had to use similar mental techniques as I do when I do rockclimbing (yeah, I know... glutton for punishment) to over come that fear. When I'm climbing though, I have the reassureance of safety ropes, lead climbers, harnesses etc and its all very safe. I just couldnt see that with Scuba and felt that if I had had a problem, there wasnt jack **** my instructor was going to be able to do to save me.

I completed a 30 minute, 6 metre open sea dive but I didnt really enjoy it as I was constantly concentrating to control fear, though at one point he directed me to keep my hands by my sides and that felt wonderfully like flying must feel for birds! I felt like superman a bit, but still....

So, am I paranoid? How do you reassure new divers that they arent one (easy to make) mistake from certain death??
Or am I over reacting?

Also, I felt that taking people who have completed a 1 hour session of simplistic tasks out for a 6 metre dive seemed reckless but is apparently standard practise... or is it?

DeV.

Benny-c

Firstly, well done, however it is unusual (afaik) that the Instructor made you do the mask clearing exercise during a try-dive, it's more commonly done later during the 'course'. Its a pity you didn't just enjoy the experience, my suggestion is that you do another try-dive and relax and enjoy it.

You are not paranoid, many divers have graduated to diving from snorkeling and have already made the mistake of swallowing/snorting a lungful of water and soiled their trunks:) long before trying diving.

Vertigo is sometimes an issue when underwater, it can happen when an eardrum bursts and water enters the middle ear causing vertigo (probably other causes).

The 1 hour instruction and the dive is standard in PADI (I assume it was with PADI)............... I feel another CFT/PADI row around the corner:D

As I have mentioned before do another one and see if you want to go on from there to either the club structrure or the PADI one.

Benny

Clare gunner

Snorting water up your nose is unpleasent,but you Will NOT die from it.Remember what the course taught you about breathing and if you have to cough?Keep breathing and cough like hell into your mouthpiece while holding onto it???Remember you should also have a buddy to keep an eye on you for things like this.
I had a weird one on my open water dive at the full mask removal.Mask removed,water hits face,I automatically hold breath,and cannot breathe normally without a consious will effort on my part until my mask is back on my face.I know all I have to do is breathe normally,but just cant do it.I reckon it comes from all the breath holding/snorkeling dives,and that I will somtimes swim a half length of a pool underwater when I am swimming normally.It is just a pyschological thing that you must beat yourself.
It pays to be cautious when diving,but not totally paranoid about everythin,if you are relaxed and calm,you will be able to handle a crisis much better than if you are jumping on everything that you might think is a immediate crisis.If that makes sense.
Vertigo,never have had it,apart from a pin hole leak in an ear drum once on a dive.Not nice,but was able to signal to my buddy to get me topside as I didnt know up or down.I just held onto his equipment until he got me to the surface and then I could re adjust to stability with reference points around me. Hence,NEVER dive alone!!

DeVore

This was a PADI learn-to-dive course (not the 4 day PADI cert). I watched a 10 minute "yay Scuba is great" video which ran through the equipment and thenwas taught in the water by the instructor. I get the feeling things were a little rushed but I also wanted to go fast and he really was very patient and wouldnt proceed until I had done it once correctly. 1 in 7 is NOT what I consider good odds

Something I didnt mention before was that I snapped my femur snowboarding on holidays two years ago and spent 15 minutes in a forest waiting for help (with a mate who found me after 2 minutes of yelling). While I was scuba diving I was fine but that night I started to have some reminiscences of that and felt a bit stressed about the whole thing and canceled the next days repeat session. I felt a bit like a cop out but I did the 30 minute dive and just didnt feel comfortable with the amount of stress if caused me on my holiday.

On the positive side, it was a terrific feeling when I was there. I will probably try again perhaps in a pool first (rather then a quiet area of a beach with sunbathers and swimmers!). I wouldnt put anyone who was going to try it off, not by a long shot but I just couldnt get it out of my mind that 1 hour of training (good as it was) seemed insufficent for a 6 metre dive.

Funnily enough I asked my instructor what he would do if someone paniced and headed for the top from 6 metres down and he said "I'd punch him in the stomach" When I looked at him weird, he added "better that then a burst lung"...

Definitely one of the most intense experiences I've been through for a lot of reasons. So intense I felt I needed time to process it properly.

As I said, the whole breathing underwater didnt bother me one bit! I was more then happy to take the mouth piece out and swap it too!

Well strange sport you guys do!

DeV.

Scuba.ie

Hi there,
You may be suprised to hear that a lot of people have a "fear" of taking their mask off, or just clearing it. In an Open Water class of 6 people I would guess that 1 or 2 will not be comfortable with the skill. Its something that you will become more comfortable with over time - mask clearing that is, you probably won't be removing your mask underwater much on non-training dives!
I was on a course in June and had to remove and replace my mask at 24m. I hadn't done it in a while, and would have preferred not to do it, but I just went and did it without putting too much thought behind it first, hence not building up any fears.
As for mask clearing and removing/replacing on a try-a-dive: the skills you do on a try-a-dive can count towards your Open Water course, so if possible, its good to get them out of the way.

donny

Like Eoin said just give it time and you'll become comfortable with it. I've seen plenty of people who react the same as you do when they have to start clearing their mask for the first time. All I'll say is stick with it and given time you'll have no problems with it. Just practice it when you can and don't be afraid on every dive that your mask will get kicked off or something.

Peace

I have to say that of all the skills I have to do on training (and i've done a fair few now) that mask removal is the least pleasant! I still have to force myself to control my breathing and force the fight or flight reflax back.

From speaking to a CFT instructor i know that that skilll is where most people run into difficulty. You're far from the first person to have this reaction.

I can't remember how many dives I've done (less than 200) but the only time my mask has come anywhere near off was when rolling backwards off a rib a couple of times. Even then you're on the surface so no problem really.

As the boys were saying ... practice practice etc etc.

Oh, and congratulations!

smcmullan

I totally agree with all the responses above. Most divers feel pretty uncomfortable with the exercise of mask removal. Its no co-incidence that under the BSAC club system mask removals are built into pretty much every training exercise at least up to the Dive Leader grade.

I'm not an instructor so I'm just going on personal experience. I personally have never had a problem doing mask removals. However I did notice initially that I was holding my breathe whilst performing the exercise. Its probably quite a common thing to do. Every sports psychology text will link relaxation with breathing. So take your time and keep breathing whilst removing the mask.

I also reckon that its a basic lack of familarity with water on most peoples parts. When removing the reg from my mouth I used to clench my lips so tight that I must have gone red in the face. One seems to forget that when "regular" swimming your nostrils are open and yet the water does not enter. The reason is the air in your tubes keep the water out. Try this - go to the shallow end of a swimming pool and holding the ladder, descend and hold yourself below the surface. Now smile with your mouth open and teeth showing - a big cheesy grin. Guess what - no water enters. I found that realisation made me quite comfortable doing mask removal i.e. water wasn't about to start flooding into my nose.

From what you describe I reckon you inhaled through your nose after exhaling through your nose to clear the mask and thats why the water got up your nose. You just need to draw the air from the regulator in your mouth.

So when you are doing your mask removal you can keep the water out of your nose by making sure you're breathing normally via the reg or when clearing the mask exhale by a quick snort via your nose but remember to inhale via your mouth.

By the way I don't believe you have vertigo (apologies if I'm completely wrong). Its a common misconception to associate a fear of heights with vertigo which I believe is an inner ear imbalance which would probably affect you doing a lot of common day to day tasks. You have however a survival instinct which we all possess to a greater or lesser degree. I've been rockclimbing up to an extreme level for over 20 years and doing a bit of diving for the last 6 and I haven't met a climber or diver yet who wasn't scared at some fundamental level. Thats what keeps you alive once you learn how to control the fear. You turn that edge into concentration, focus, setting up all your gear right, executing the dive, watching your depth, time, ascent rates etc. That fear to focus transition comes through training, progressive experience and constant practice.

With regards to dive leaders and instructors - well it obviously depends on whether they are competent but I find you'd need to do something very cruel and unusual for the dive leader/instructor not to be able to assist you to safety especially on a 6m dive. You have to remember that training and taking care of novices is what they do. They have seen it all before. They are not just there to show you how to assemble your gear.

Give yourself a break, you've only done a try dive. Nobody is a born diver. Your next block of training is designed to bring you to a comfort level for taking on certain types of dives. Anyway keep going at it and most importantly have fun.

Stephen

seadeuce

One very worthwhile exercise for acclimatising to breathing when your face is under water is:

With mask and snorkel only, swim three lengths of the pool with snorkel in your mouth and mask on your forehead. Then put on the mask, as normal, half-flood it, swim a length.
Repeat this until you are reasonably comfortable.

This should train the brain into believing that water on the face need not automatically trigger the hold your breath response.

Seadeuce

daveg

Seadeuce's advice is a good idea. At least you'll get used to clearing your mask in warm, unsalty water.

I too hated the mask removal. I've dived on and off for nearly 10 years and I have never had to take my mask off. However Dev you will be clearing the mask on a regular basis if you rent gear (wrong size etc... I always seem to get water in my mask). Clearing the mask is really easy, you've probably covered this, you just push your mask in at the top, against your forehead and blow with you nose. This'll clear any water out.

As part of your training you'll also fully remove your tank. Which isn't half as scary.

Diving is dangerous. The first time you do a deep dive you'll look up, at 30-40 meters and realise you cannot see the surface. That's when you know diving is a dangerous sport. But the more you dive the more you learn and you'll become more and more comfortable under the water. Never become complacent though. Always do your checks with your buddy before entering the water. This is a good exercise and could save your life.

Diving is not for everyone. A good mate of mine came with us to learn how to dive back in the day. He was half human half fish. He lived in the water (mainly surfing). We thought he would be the one who would love it the most. He hated it. Again removal of the mask at the start of training. Walked out of the water and never tried diving again. Different strokes for different folks. Personally I'd never try rock climbing. Would find that much too dangerous !!!

homeOwner

deVore wrote:

My problem was that my mask would fill half way with water and somehow when trying to clear it, I'd snort a noseful down my throat and immediately choke. Its pretty frightening at 1.5 metres, its got to be potentially life threatening at anything reasonably deep.

I think this is really common. I have been diving on and off for about 8 years and have clocked up a fair number of dives. I still have problems taking my mask off but I have mastered the clearing of the mask pretty much out of necessity.

I was forced (!) to do a scuba refreseher course last time I dived as it had been over a year since the previous one, and the instructor made me do all the drills from the open water, fin pivots, clearing and removing mask, regulator recovery, buddy breathing etc..... and I had a major problem removing the mask in about 2 meters of water in a pool.

I havent had to remove a mask since my advanced open water about 6 years ago and i was freaked out. My first instinct is to breath in as soon as water touches my nostrills. I knew it was going to happen and sure enough it happened. I lifted my head out of the water and felt really embarassed. But even more worrying, I was scared, because I knew he would make me do it until I did it properly. The way I get over it is I just calm the fcuk down. It really is mind over matter. I just tell myself "breath with your mouth, in, out, in out" over and over until I get the damn mask back on and clear it.

The important thing to do is to breath out your mouth while you are doing it, apart from being necessary (you should never hold your breath while scuba diving) it gives you somthing to focus your mind on while your hands are trying to get the mask back on.

Try practising in a swimming pool a few times when you are in control and there is no pressure to perform for the instructor.

Stick with it, diving is really so much fun. I really hope you get to grips with the drills and give it another go.

DeVore

I think I will try it again, I hate giving up on anything. It wasnt the removal of the mask that bothered me, I dont have trouble with water as I grew up in Malahide and swam every day from just after I could walk (my parents made us learn, thankfully!). It was the exhaling through my nose and then switching to my mouth for inhalation that I couldnt coordinate properly. Plus I was pretty high on adrenaline for the entire time and I wasnt too comfortable with that as it wasnt really fun. If I calm down I'm sure I'll be fine.
I really felt like pinching my nose with my fingers at one point!

My point was that it must be pretty dangerous for new divers if they do it wrong at 6metres. I was well surprised how fast they took me to that level and probably didnt feel comfortable because I hadnt been in the water more then 90 mins in the water. What happens if a student chokes at that level? Surely thats pretty dangerous....

DeV.

ps: I have a feeling "Vertigo" has a different meaning for divers then I understand. Vertigo is a fear of heights to most people, its actually a fear of potential energy (the energy inherent in being high up). I've never heard of it being affected by punctured ear drums.... I dont think I had vertigo during my dive (in fact I'm sure I didnt) but the fear was similar and I found myself turning to the mental focusing tricks I use to get over vertigo if I feel it coming on. I have only had one really bad attack (while climbing) since I was a boy, when my parents forced me to do any work on the roof or in the attic because my father is fairly crippled with it! Forcing yourself to do something while your brain is screaming at you to do something else seemed to be a part of learning to dive, LOL...

CasimiR

DeVore,
I can relate to what you re saying .. did my certification a couple of weeks ago , never dived before, and after just a day i was down 12meter for my first dive.
Like you, i wasn t too confortable.. and didn t enjoy it, worrying about being so deep and what would happen if anything went wrong etc.. Luckly for me i didn t have any problems with the mask removal and others skills
It gets better tho ! All the other dives were perfectly fine, and the more you do it the more you enjoy it . It should be a relaxing experience not a stressfull one.

Take it easy, try a few more pool sessions maybe, but dont let yourself being forced into another open water dive if you re not confortable with it.
If you re not confortable with it, dont do it ! ( that s the best way to avoid any problems ) I beleive most problems happen when people force it ..