Overcoming my fear... FINAL CHAPTER.?

[jwdizney]

Could this be the final chapter?
If you’ve been following my journal, then you know the adventure I’ve been on. If not, here’s a link to where it all began, my “facing my fears” journey…..
http://forum.scubatoys.com/showthread.php?t=3237&highlight=overcoming+fear
and chapter 2… the pool sessions…
http://forum.scubatoys.com/showthread.php?t=3621&highlight=overcoming+fear

Tonight, I prepare for the open water dives. Over the next two days, I hope to complete my OW certification by completing the process. We’ve just finished loading our gear in the car, we’ll be leaving early in the morning for a 2 ½ hour drive to Arkansas, and my journey’s end.. or should I say, my journey’s beginning? I never dreamed I could accomplish so much in such a short time. I’m not anxious tonight, I’m excited! DISNEYMOM has been telling me about all the ‘neat stuff’ daughter and I’ll get to see and experience in the lake tomorrow and I’m honestly looking forward to it! I have a new found confidence in the science and technology of this sport. Through the attentive training of our instructors and the great information I’ve learned right here on this board, I know I can dive safely. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still believe that being in the water is dangerous, but my fear is being replaced with respect. Respect for what can happen if I’m complacent or foolish in my diving. Respect for the wisdom imparted on me by so many experienced divers. If I follow the path of training and practice I’ve already begun, then I’m confident many wonderful underwater experience lie ahead! I have the best possible buddies, DISNEYMOM, and disneydaughter. I have an incredible support network for learning, this board, and THE BEST LDS IN THE WORLD.. ST!

I wish I could be at CSSP this weekend and meet some of the awesome people who’ve supported and encouraged me to this point, but that’s OK. I’m finishing my OW Certification!!! (those of you at the ST party, have one for me and disneydaughter, and don't forget DISNEYMOM, who, by the way, is finishing her AOW this weekend!)

We’ll be back Sunday night, and hopefully, have some great stories to tell…

Everybody have a GREAT weekend! I know we will!!

[Illini_Fan]

Enjoy your cert dives and good luck. It sounds like you are very ready and i'm sure you'll do great.

[Formerly 45yroldNewbie]

ENJOY and CONGRATS on your progress!!

[jwdizney]

Thanks again Tom

[crpntr133]

Good luck on the dives and I hope all is well.

I have been following your progress and I think it is wonderful that you have stuck with it and worked out your situation. Most people would have just made their way through the class. You on the other hand have taken it upon yourself to make sure that you are comfortable.

[diverdad]

This is not the final chapter it is the of the first book. It is time to start a novel , THE ADVENTURES AF THE DISNEY FAMILY. Have fun on your OW dives.

[jwdizney]

WHAT A WEEKEND! just got home from the 2 day OW checkout dives...and i'm proud to say, I MADE IT! Now, for some of you, that may be no big deal (it was that way for disney daughter, she's a natural) but I on the other hand had some major demons to battle this weekend... I'm certainly glad I prepared as much as I did, or I may not have completed the dives this weekend.

everything started out well enough, gear up and do a familiarization tour dive of the site. a little basic buoyancy work but more of a 'get comfortable' trip.... then came the challenges, and probably the first most challenging step of my training...

we did a tired diver tow about 75 yards out to a buoy where we were to begin our descent. i was a little winded, but not too bad so in interest of keeping the training process moving i signalled I was ready for the dive. 2 instructors, disneydaughter and I began a descent on a line to a depth around 25 ft. still, ok. still a little winded. then we took position with each with an instructor to work on skills. first skill, fin pivot, nailed it!... next skill, mask flood and clear... then it happened. panic attack.. i had practiced this skill over and over KNOWING it would be a challenge, but I hadn't practiced it at 25 feet, and for some reason, that affected me. I gasped and inhaled water and PANIC set in. try as i might, the reg wasn't giving me enough air! i signaled my instructor i needed to ascend, but he said no.. NO???? you kidding me? I'M FREAKIN DROWING HERE!!!...he remained firm in his stance on the situation... i was breathing, but i sure didn't feel like i was getting enough air. i felt almost suffocated, and I was going through my tank like crazy. he led me slowly, always looking me in the eye, to the downline from the buoy and signaled me to hold it. I though it meant, 'here, take this line and go to freedom'. but that was not the case.. i started to stand and head up the line and he grasped me firmly and held me, still looking me in the eyes. then, he gave me the signal for 'flood and clear' again... WHAT???? i signaled not yet, but i'm trying to get there. he signaled me to breath slow and deep. it seemed like an eternity, but i finally settled down. then I was ready to try the exercise again. this time, I held my nose. no water going it!!! i completed the drill and finished out the rest of the dive....

the next dive returned to the scene of the crime, but this time, I held my nose when we did the flood and clear... a little anxious, but no problems.

finally on the last dive, we returned once again to the scene and this time, it was remove and replace mask. I had given it a lot of thought during my sleepless night last night and I knew just how I would deal with it. i'll blow out my nose when i remove the mask, until i replace the mask, then clear it. no problem.... well, it didn't happen that way. by the time i replaced the mask, i had to take a breath, and wouldn't you know it, my focus being on nose breathing caused me to snort about a pint of arkansas lake water.... i was choking! i immediately remember my experience yesterday... i've got air, i've just gotta breath it! I coughed and coughed into my reg gasping air between coughs.. I knew I was getting enough air and it wasn't serious. i knew it was important that I learn to deal with this anxiety.. and there he was, my instructor, not inches away looking me directly in the eye. calmly, quietly and patiently letting me know that I can do this... i got through it!

as far as the rest of the skills, I did great! but I got a bonus in my training.. I learned, firsthand, how to deal with my own panic, and how to trust my equipment.. in reality, there was no more air on the surface that was in my reg. i couldn't have sucked it in any faster up there. I also learned that scuba instructors are a special breed. how many students have had similar situations? i'm a big enough guy I could certainly have given him quite a struggle, but somehow, he told me that i was going to be okay, even underwater in that fog of bubbles....

I know that even though i passed my cert and am a "certified diver" i am by no means an old salt. i have a license to learn. i've got 2 great buddies to learn with, plus a network of experienced divers to go to for training and advice. i'm going to get in the pool, and work it out, until it's my second nature.....

but first, a trip to ST!....

thanks to all for encouragement and support. I look forward to diving with a lot of you and learning from you guys. what a great community!

[Illini_Fan]

Congratulations to both you and (I assume) disney daughter!

Welcome to the world of diving, I'm sure you'll enjoy everything about diving.

My $0.02 on the skills you just learned -- keep practicing them. You'll never know when you'll get a fin to the mask and need that mask clearing skill or (and this happend at CSSP today), your buddy's o-ring blows at depth and you need to share your octo.

Again, congrats and welcome to the community of divers.

[jwdizney]

Originally Posted by Illini_Fan

Congratulations to both you and (I assume) disney daughter!

Welcome to the world of diving, I'm sure you'll enjoy everything about diving.

My $0.02 on the skills you just learned -- keep practicing them. You'll never know when you'll get a fin to the mask and need that mask clearing skill or (and this happend at CSSP today), your buddy's o-ring blows at depth and you need to share your octo.

Again, congrats and welcome to the community of divers.

Thanks Illini! (BTW, son is doing MBA at U of I). You're right, disneydaugher completed her cert today too. flawless! now we're a scuba family, except for son in illinois, who is pretty full schedule w ith school right now... with 3 divers, we might want to purchase interest in scubatoys... save some money that way....

[Theepdinker]

jwdizney,
First off a big congratulations to you.
Over coming a personal fear is not easy.
But it's worth it.

I'm working on my Dive Master.
Something I like to tell the OW students I work with.
Your OW cert. is like a learners permit.
You know how, sorta.
Only by diving can you get better.
Nice thing is practice is fun too.
Be safe.

One last thing.
Now you can spend some real quality time with the family.

Theep