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4 Responses to “Do claustrophobia and scuba diving go together?”
Well make sure to breath. This relaxes your muscles. Also remember that scuba diving is fun and try to make the experience a good one. If you do get claustrophobic, it natural to feel the same under water. As claustrophobia is also related to the lack air in the environment around. Just remember you’ve got oxygen and breath. When you start you’ll probably be thinking about your breathing and then as you get use to being underwater it’ll become second nature.
Not really. But, there is a big difference between being uncomfortable in this vastly new situation and being claustrophobic. Since you are in a school program as opposed to a resort course, (this is a good thing) you will have more of an opportunity to take smaller steps and learn the skills (I mean really learn them / as opposed to just being able to repeat the minimum) I would advise you to make sure you let your instructor know that you are a little uncomfortable with the situation. (This is not uncommon) but there are many things they can do to make it a little easier on you / for you. An example of this is a mask removal and replacement. This is one of the hardest skills for new divers to learn and it is certainly not comfortable for 90% of people at first. This is one area where an instructor can take smaller steps to build your comfort with the exercise. Small steps that build your skill and confidence will make you a better diver.
Now for the standard disclaimer… Diving is supposed to be fun. It’s OK for it to be challenging. It’s OK to be uncomfortable in a new situation. It is not OK to feel like you are going to panic. / Rest assured that the course has been designed (whether it is PADI, NAUI, or anyone else) to give you the basic skills to become a safe and successful diver. Many have done this before / some like it – for others it becomes a passion.
I will pass on two important things I have learned. You aren’t doing this alone. After you make your certification dives you don’t have to go out there and dive with just your dive buddy. It isn’t a mother bird pushing the babies from the nest. There is nothing wrong with getting a more experienced diver to shadow or dive with you. It becomes a bit of a security blanket. Just someone that has more skills and would know how to handle a situation until you build your own experience. Second / more education is never a bad thing. So you get certified with your basic open water. Get a few dives in and go back for your advanced. This equates to more time with an instructor / more review of your open water skills / and more confidence. Plus you learn some more skills. After that / get some more dives and take another class / again more time with an instructor / more feedback / more confidence.
Good luck, but be careful— it can be very addicting.
Having taught Scuba in a high school for a number of years, I found that it can be tough for both the instructor as well as the students if the class is taught during the time allotted for gym classes. The first year the classes were 50 minutes long but because the students had 10 minutes to change into their swim suits as well as 10 minutes to shower and change and prepare for their next class, the actual length dropped to 30 minutes. Top that off with briefing the students on what was going to be done in the pool, getting the gear on and getting in the water. I am tired all over again just writing about it.
The second year the class period was shortened to 45 minute. This can get stressful for Instructor and student alike.
I did this from 6am till 3pm 5 days a week for a 3 week period.
I should also mention that though I am a scuba instructor, I am not a P.E. teacher.The store that I work for did this free of charge to the school in exchange for allowing us to use the pool during the evenings for scuba training which were 4 hour time slots.
The good thing about the whole pe class teaching experience was that the students went into it knowing that they would not be getting certified upon completion of the class. They were getting a grade but because of the time allotted per period I felt that they were not getting the proper amount of water time needed to fully develop a comfort level that comes from longer water times.
In a nutshell, you might not really be experiencing more stress than claustrophobia.
Having to remember how all the equipment goes together and what buttons to push and not to push can get very confusing when time is limited.
If however your school does allot more water time (2 hour minimum), and you are experiencing the feeling of claustrophobia as you described, then it could be due to the mask that you are wearing. If it has a black rubber skirt on it (usually found in schools because they are inexpensive), then I would suggest getting a mask with a clear silicone skirt with a clear or transluscent frame like the one in this link
A clear mask and frame will allow more light to penetrate the mask. The black silicone or rubber masks make you feel like you are in a tunnel looking out.
Making sure that the equipment that you are using fits is another factor to help reduce stress levels.
Here is a link to show you how to make sure you have a mask that fits. Watch the video as well as read the article as they both will help out with selection, comfort and fit.
Masks
Fins
Snorkel
Mask Video
You might also want to talk to your instructor about just sitting in the shallow end for 5 to 10 minutes to get used to the breathing. Doing so gets you to relax and really experience how the equipment works.
I would love it if you were to e-mail me with a progress report on how you are coming along. I might also be able to give you some pointers.
The only thing is to keep at it. I am the same way, cant even stand to wear a seatbelt. It took a while for me to get over it but I am fine now and love it more than any other activity I do. Best thing is to relax on the surface for a few minutes. Lower your heart rate a little, relax and breath easy, when you feel as if you are ready – then go under. I literally blow up my BC and lay on the topof the water with my eyes closed and relax, get my breathing normal and then go for it. I used to go in and under right away and I have found it is best to relax (plus this will save your air because you will not be breathing heavy)
December 7th, 2009 at 2:27 am
Ellen Hailey
Well make sure to breath. This relaxes your muscles. Also remember that scuba diving is fun and try to make the experience a good one. If you do get claustrophobic, it natural to feel the same under water. As claustrophobia is also related to the lack air in the environment around. Just remember you’ve got oxygen and breath. When you start you’ll probably be thinking about your breathing and then as you get use to being underwater it’ll become second nature.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Brandy Metcalf
Not really. But, there is a big difference between being uncomfortable in this vastly new situation and being claustrophobic. Since you are in a school program as opposed to a resort course, (this is a good thing) you will have more of an opportunity to take smaller steps and learn the skills (I mean really learn them / as opposed to just being able to repeat the minimum) I would advise you to make sure you let your instructor know that you are a little uncomfortable with the situation. (This is not uncommon) but there are many things they can do to make it a little easier on you / for you. An example of this is a mask removal and replacement. This is one of the hardest skills for new divers to learn and it is certainly not comfortable for 90% of people at first. This is one area where an instructor can take smaller steps to build your comfort with the exercise. Small steps that build your skill and confidence will make you a better diver.
Now for the standard disclaimer… Diving is supposed to be fun. It’s OK for it to be challenging. It’s OK to be uncomfortable in a new situation. It is not OK to feel like you are going to panic. / Rest assured that the course has been designed (whether it is PADI, NAUI, or anyone else) to give you the basic skills to become a safe and successful diver. Many have done this before / some like it – for others it becomes a passion.
I will pass on two important things I have learned. You aren’t doing this alone. After you make your certification dives you don’t have to go out there and dive with just your dive buddy. It isn’t a mother bird pushing the babies from the nest. There is nothing wrong with getting a more experienced diver to shadow or dive with you. It becomes a bit of a security blanket. Just someone that has more skills and would know how to handle a situation until you build your own experience. Second / more education is never a bad thing. So you get certified with your basic open water. Get a few dives in and go back for your advanced. This equates to more time with an instructor / more review of your open water skills / and more confidence. Plus you learn some more skills. After that / get some more dives and take another class / again more time with an instructor / more feedback / more confidence.
Good luck, but be careful— it can be very addicting.
December 9th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Christina Vallejo
Having taught Scuba in a high school for a number of years, I found that it can be tough for both the instructor as well as the students if the class is taught during the time allotted for gym classes. The first year the classes were 50 minutes long but because the students had 10 minutes to change into their swim suits as well as 10 minutes to shower and change and prepare for their next class, the actual length dropped to 30 minutes. Top that off with briefing the students on what was going to be done in the pool, getting the gear on and getting in the water. I am tired all over again just writing about it.
The second year the class period was shortened to 45 minute. This can get stressful for Instructor and student alike.
I did this from 6am till 3pm 5 days a week for a 3 week period.
I should also mention that though I am a scuba instructor, I am not a P.E. teacher.The store that I work for did this free of charge to the school in exchange for allowing us to use the pool during the evenings for scuba training which were 4 hour time slots.
The good thing about the whole pe class teaching experience was that the students went into it knowing that they would not be getting certified upon completion of the class. They were getting a grade but because of the time allotted per period I felt that they were not getting the proper amount of water time needed to fully develop a comfort level that comes from longer water times.
In a nutshell, you might not really be experiencing more stress than claustrophobia.
Having to remember how all the equipment goes together and what buttons to push and not to push can get very confusing when time is limited.
If however your school does allot more water time (2 hour minimum), and you are experiencing the feeling of claustrophobia as you described, then it could be due to the mask that you are wearing. If it has a black rubber skirt on it (usually found in schools because they are inexpensive), then I would suggest getting a mask with a clear silicone skirt with a clear or transluscent frame like the one in this link
A clear mask and frame will allow more light to penetrate the mask. The black silicone or rubber masks make you feel like you are in a tunnel looking out.
Making sure that the equipment that you are using fits is another factor to help reduce stress levels.
Here is a link to show you how to make sure you have a mask that fits. Watch the video as well as read the article as they both will help out with selection, comfort and fit.
Masks
Fins
Snorkel
Mask Video
You might also want to talk to your instructor about just sitting in the shallow end for 5 to 10 minutes to get used to the breathing. Doing so gets you to relax and really experience how the equipment works.
I would love it if you were to e-mail me with a progress report on how you are coming along. I might also be able to give you some pointers.
December 12th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Sheri Topping
The only thing is to keep at it. I am the same way, cant even stand to wear a seatbelt. It took a while for me to get over it but I am fine now and love it more than any other activity I do. Best thing is to relax on the surface for a few minutes. Lower your heart rate a little, relax and breath easy, when you feel as if you are ready – then go under. I literally blow up my BC and lay on the topof the water with my eyes closed and relax, get my breathing normal and then go for it. I used to go in and under right away and I have found it is best to relax (plus this will save your air because you will not be breathing heavy)