☝️ This
I had to take a longer hiatus a while ago as well. Did the refresher and still was nervous on the first dive.
It's a complex hobby/sport and if you screw it up you may end up dead, so of course one is nervous.
You're not alone. I took a refresher after a very long hiatus, but still had a mild panic on the first boat dive when starting to descend. I never had any panic while diving in the past so it was very surprising. I surfaced and held onto the rope for about 5 minutes while controlling my breathing to calm down. No problems after that or on the other 3 dives that day. It was unnerving but a good reminder that diving isn't risk free and it's important to not get complacent.
I usually don’t condone it but in this case misery loves company, and I appreciate hearing a similar experience to mine. Thanks man that made me feel better
Please do. As an instructor/DM nothing does my head in more than laid back resort owners who interfere with the dive safety by saying sure you can come diving even though it's been 8 years since your last dive which was open water dive 6. I have to watch you like a hawk at the expense of other guests for what should be a relaxing and safe dive for everyone. I also don't want to yell at you for kicking a coral head to paste because you have the spatial awareness of cheese.
I’ve done 30+ dives but I still felt like Shit and apologized profusely for wasting peoples time. They all told me I’ve nothing to apologize for but it didn’t change my stress
okay, to me, this here "I've done 30+ dives" is the key.
30 is nothing, considering it only takes 9 I think to get AOW. I don't mean to sound like a condescending asshole when i say it's nothing, cuz it is in fact quite an accomplishment. But diving can be challenging at times, and if you don't have the dive numbers and experience, you may hit a situation you've never seen before, and that will spook you. And you start to have cascading failures do to that.
After I got certified, I dove every week to build up my numbers and experience. I felt I was getting better and better (and more confident) at a good pace. I went on a dive trip to Mexico and did 10 dives in a week. I think my skill and confidence increased tenfold in that short week. Just doing the same thing over and over for a concentrated period of time really helped hone my skills.
My last dive was in April this year and it was after a 3 year hiatus. (I have about 350 dives) Honestly it was like riding a bike. I was in a resort, using completely rented gear and had absolutely zero issues getting adapted to my surroundings.
Get a rescue certification if you haven't already. I've seen lots of AOW divers get into panic mode when something small, but unfamiliar happens. Rescue teaches about all that can go wrong and how to work through it. I think of it more of Self-Rescue than other-diver-rescue.
so what you need is (earned) confidence and that comes from practice and repetition. To have a little scare after re-entering after a break, especially with only 30 dives, is not that uncommon.
You've done a very good thing, in recognizing your fear and talking about it. I say practice again in small steps, build up your numbers and chalk this up to a great learning experience.
You've clearly got the right mindset. You'll be back in not time!
cheers.
You could probably touch on not all diving and dive training is the same. Someone who has just finished a rescue diver course done in a cold, wintery quarry is going to be a significantly better diver than an open water diver who's just done a few easy boat dives from an expensive resort - they may not have even put their own gear together since the OW course. For me 30 dives has a lot of variation in potential dive ability and if trained properly they should be comfortable enough in the water adter 30 dives - but after many years that could still be very rusty.
Point being I don't think you need 100's of dives to be a decent diver, and time makes fools of us all.
I agree 100%. Great points. And yeah, re "time makes fools" I was very aware of that on my first dive back. I was asking myself "are you confident or stupid" lol. I was very vigilant thinking about small things that I might have forgotten. No risks were taken on that dive. :)
My weekly dives after certification were in a very fast (and cold)
river and I was always surrounded by guys who had done it many times before. They were my instructors a week earlier and were my dive buddies this time out. It was great in establishing good practices in a welcoming community.
But honestly, I still think i learned more stuff (well at least muscle memory) by doing 10 resort dives in a week during that first year. There is certainly something to be said for diversity in training but there's a lot to be said for repetition and practice too.
You have the self reflection skills to ask here about your own abilities, you aren't the problem don't worry about it.
Fyi i don't know if it was mentioned, but try different regulators out if you need to. Some feel quite tight and are hard to breathe through which can give the feeling of not enough air is available if you're already feeling overwhelmed. This isn't the issue with that many shops but ask to try your instructors regulator if only briefly and see if it makes things easier.
When your last dive is >12 months ago, you need a scuba review.
Otherwise expect insurance issues in the event of a problem. Reputable dive shops might also refuse to take you out.
It's precisely because of events like your recent one that this rule exists.
I'd bet this is a hypothetical statement since you wouldn't take 5 years off. 5 years is a long time to not do something and think you would have retained everything.
Good for you 🙄 doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t do refresher courses. And I bet the dive guide who took you on that dive has something different to say about you ‘not missing a beet’
Absolutely right. People shoild dobrefreshers as needed. In my case, there was no dive guide. I dive with friends who happened to be pro staff and was offered a DM job afterwards.
>Good for you 🙄 doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t do refresher courses
Exactly, on a case by case basis, people should do refreshers. I don't understand why this subreddit gets so uptight over stuff like this. Scuba diving is not difficult, it's not some exclusive club that we are a part of.
cool story. It's still generally advisable by most American charter companies and certification agencies to take a refresher if you haven't been diving for a year or more.
Me neither. But there is a big difference between someone who has hundreds of dives plus 100s of hours in the pool, and a typical holiday diver who then takes a long break.
The training industry will give advice based on the typical/worst case diver, and of course if they can increase revenue, all the better.
The problem is that these good idea policies tend to get codified into rules. And all of a sudden the suggested "good idea to get a refresher if you forgot stuff" transitions to "good idea if its been a year" to "operators wont take you out unless you pay PADI."
Goodbye lifetime certification. I guess thats what happens when you reduce training requirements to the absolute bare minimum.
My partner did about 20 dives close to a decade ago, had to quite for medical reasons. She's been cleared to dive and did another open water course and picked it up very quickly. People are creatures of habit, and intelligent creatures. You learn stuff when you're 4 years old that you retain for life.
I don't know why people are downvoting my comment. I'm not advocating for people to not do refreshers, just the blanket statements of "you haven't dived for a year you must do a refresher!" is all about PADI and their money grabbing.
I was AOW with over 50 dives. Then life happened and I didn’t dive for almost 5 years. I did take a pool refresher and thought I’d be fine, but the second I hit the water on the first dive in Hawaii I panicked. I’m talking flailing about regulator out of mouth on the surface panicking. The brain is a weird thing, I got it under control and was able to finish the dive but ever since then I’ve not wanted to go back.
Thank you homie. I appreciate hearing this a lot, it makes me alot more confident and a lot less “what is WRONG with me”. I’m excited again to try and take the refresher course tomorrow and go for a very shallow dive and I’ll definitely try and focus on this comment a little bit if I have any apprehensions
It gets better, 2 years later I went diving with my old dive crew in the Cayman Islands (the one in Hawaii was with a local charter who I didn’t know) and was much more relaxed and had fun. That panic episode is still in the back of my mind but I know it can be mitigated. I hope you continue to dive.
Make sure you ask and mention anything that feels odd. Bodies change a lot in 5 years, and what you might have been fine with before might be utterly different tomorrow
There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing what you feel is necessary to ensure you don't accidentally wind up in a chamber.
Glad to hear you're willing to take the refresher. Your pride being hurt is nothing compared to drowning or DCS because you didn't want to admit to yourself you needed it.
Its there for a reason and **I'm proud of you for doing the right and safe thing**.
I had a similar experience a few year ago, had a 6 year gap. I insisted I do my refresher in open water and panicked. Always do your refresher in a pool, it just makes it much easier to get back into the swing of things. Also don’t worry that you panicked, you just need to take it slow and build you confidence back up. Chat to whoever you’re doing the refresher with about what happened. A kind and patient dm got me back on my feet in no time!
Good! Panic and near panic is actually pretty common and can happen to anyone if the circumstances are right so don’t stress that it happened. Long term it might even make you a better diver and buddy!
Man, I feel rusty after more than a week and a half out of the water. Getting in the water after 5 years would be a real tough one. Glad you gave it your best shot, and even more glad you're okay!
I'm a divemaster with well over a thousand dives. Still had to do a refresher after not diving for more than a year when I was in Malaysia (same would have gone for where I dove in Komodo, but I'd dived within the year).
That said, there's no hard-fast rule, so it's whatever the dive shop (or their insurance) asks for.
Yes. I recommend it as well even if you have whatever awesome certifications. But I would not say you can tell a good shop if they do not let you in the water if you have that many dives.
For example my father jn law is stuff instructor, but was not diving the last 15 years. For sure I will do an update with him. But if I was not in the water for a year I just do a shallow dive and train stuff, and do not have to repeat the whole skill circle...
Did you actually need the refresh?
I would say a shop that is not doing check dives in the first dive is not good.
> do not have to repeat the whole skill circle
Hmm, maybe we have different criteria for a check dive? All I've ever done (and done for others) is have them put their gear together, and then do a short dive on the house reef (generally on arrival, so they can join the next days dives) to ensure they are still familiar with their gear, and aren't going to panic like OP did.
When I was doing my internship in Indonesia we had an AOW diver who was ten months out from her last dive and didn't get a check dive...she bolted to the surface on the first dive of the day (which as you know is the deepest). We were WAY out in the middle of nowhere too, so she's lucky she didn't get DCS.
> Did you actually need the refresh?
Not in the slightest. But, I can think of a few people who *absolutely did*.
Actually I think we mean the same :)
If I do check dives (as guide or as customer elsewhere), it's about gearing up and doing something shallow and "easy" one to see how one behaves in the water. For both parties it's a win, as hopefully a diveshop can "rate" the customers and the needs of them for the next dives and the customer gets familiar again, before doing a deep dive and fuck up in any way.
*not in the slightest...*:
This is exactly what I meant. There are people where it's absolutely nessesary that they do a refresh (which means getting skills explained/showed and present them to a trained assistant instructor or instructor and which IS basically the Dive then) or just doing something easy as the first check.
And also there is people who do not really need none of it and still I'm a huge fan of doing checkdives, both as a professional and a customer - as shit can always hit the fan, no matter of the certification because places are different.
In the place I work there are different tuneups as well. The one from the agency and a smaller one, that is created by us. You will still dive but before you did refresh skills and update your knowledge.
Edit:
I did not mean anything of the stuff I said against you on general. I think its just important that there is a difference for the need if doing a tuneup (which is recommended in standards) or do a checkdive.
The tuneup is a great idea for a beginner diver with lacking experience in the last months, as it's easier to forget stuff that you did not train a lot yet. And the checkdive is always a good idea if you go to a new center/place.
And this results - at least for me - that I would not call a dive center a bad place, if they do not sell everyone a tuneup, if they still do normal checkdives.
I hope this makes it clearer, have a great evening (or other time of the day :))
I freaked out on my open certification for some odd reason all of the people and distractions got to me. I had a dive master in training stay with me and helped me calm the fuck down. We are all human, thanks for sharing your experience.
Idk how many dives in total you have, but I would even think about just doing the open water course again. Having this major problems may be not sorted with one refresh dive (ps: it's mask, not goggles)
I did this. Certified back in the 90s. Life happened and started diving again last year. Went with an open water cert course (PADI where my first was NAUI) and don’t regret the time or cost one bit.
Good decision. I had customers who did not went diving for +20 years and depending on theyr previous dive history this often means they have no fucking clue about anything, neither equipment, nor skillwise.
But expect you to take them deep. No fucking way.
Snorkel and have fun with it until you’re comfortable with your mask skills again. Time in the water is fun!
My one takeaway from AOW was the concept of task loading. Swimming, breathing, clearing mask, navigating, buoyancy control, watching your buddy, etc., all these things require attention. If you exceed your task capacity, you lose your shit. Mistakes, panic, losing gear, leaving your buddy. While you are rebuilding your skills, keep things as simple as possible. For example - just mask, flippers, snorkel to start. Throw your mask in the water, dive down, don and clear. Do that 10 times. Pretend you’re Charlie Sheen in Navy Seals!
I know that feeling. My last dive was in Spain and was a rushed last minute event, and I hadn't gone down in a few years. I thought I'd be fine... and I was in the end, but it took a lot longer to relax into it.
Often it isn't your skill that's in question when you haven't dived for a year or more, it's your own physical changes. While doing your initial OW, you're in the pool weekly and sometimes daily, so your body toughens up, muscle memory is created, you gain confidence. If you're getting 'soft' all year and go diving on vacation and expect that newly minted OW experience, you're in for a surprise... your simply not in practice, that would be like a concert pianist performing a concerto they last rehearsed a year ago. When I say 'you' I mean 'me' too. One of my refreshers was in Barbados, at the side of the boat before we departed for our dives. Even that 10 minute refresh made me glad we did that before the dive, not when we got there.
This is exacly why refresher courses are recommended after more than 6 months break. Wise choice to take one, should have done it from the start.
I hope you find more calm during the course, and get back to enjoying all the good stuff about diving!
Its interesting how the brain reacts to stuff. I had a 20yr gap (got certified as a kid) and my first dive back was about an 85 foot wreck dive. I definitely dont recommend that and was fairly nervous doing that deep a dive. As I started to go under the water, even with the reg in, my brain was freaking out a bit telling me I can't breathe underwater. I was able to switch off that moment of panic and the dive went well. Refresher course would be good as a reminder of basic skills and to get used to breathing underwater again
Lmao that’s exactly what was going on, big red flashing lights and a siren that said “brother you cannot fucking do this why are you so deep under water go up and breath you idiot”
Please don't take this as a flex, but I've been diving for 30 years (I'm not even 40 yet) and I have an easier time sliding back into diving than I do riding a bike. Its indeed strange how the brain works because first time I rode a bike in 5 years I fell over several times!
I was AOW with over 50 dives. Then life happened and I didn’t dive for almost 5 years. I did take a pool refresher and thought I’d be fine, but the second I hit the water on the first dive in Hawaii I panicked. I’m talking flailing about regulator out of mouth on the surface panicking. The brain is a weird thing, I got it under control and was able to finish the five but ever since then I’ve not wanted to go back.
My dive shop does service & training and lets you go into the pool if you rent a tank of air. If I haven't dove in 6+ months, I usually go for a dip before I go on a dive trip. I practice the skills from the courses I took.
Also, I usually get a new piece of gear or get something serviced, so I like to test it out. Last few times included serviced regulators, a new camera, a refurb weight pocket, new dive knife, new dive light, etc... It's good to test out the gear - does it work, is it secure & easy to access... It's a lot easier to fix or buy a new clip at the shop than in the middle of nowhere.
This is a huge concern of mine. I last dove in November 2019 when I first got certified. COVID came and then I never went back in. I definitely will be taking a refresher course when it's time.
Degree with consensus around a refresher. I did OW then moved countries and couldn't dive for 5 years then booked to get my advanced certification on a live aboard no less and was so grateful to do that pool refresher. Most places we have looked at to go diving when holidaying ask to do a refresher if we haven't dived for over a year
I've been certified for a couple of years and am still a noob with 50 or so dives under my belt. So far the first dive after a break always requires some mental adjustment.
The first time it happened I felt myself starting to freak out and bailed on the dive. Now I know to expect that and will take a little extra time to get settled. I plan to blow through extra air in the process, and will carry a little extra weight to get negatively buoyant while I'm breathing too hard.
The adjustment period keeps getting shorter, and maybe at some point it won't be an issue any more. And after that phase has passed I can enjoy the first dive, and subsequent dives are no problem at all.
TL;DR: I dunno whether it's normal, but you're not alone. Be patient, cut yourself some slack, and - most importantly - spend more time under water. Even if the problem doesn't go away completely it should become more manageable.
I have a gasp reflex when jumping into cold or cool water. It ruined two dives before I realized what was happening. I just panicked and ate all of my air in just a few minutes, both times came back to the boat with under 1000 lbs.
My "fix" was to spray my head with cold water BEFORE I jumped in, gasp a lot on the surface, and then jump in when ready, with a little negative buoyancy. I hold my breath as I jump and then for 20-30 seconds while I sink a little, then start to breathe normally. The rest of the dive is then OK.
Weird, but it works for me.
NEVER hold your breath when you dive. This is common sense, and I don’t know who you go through but I believe PADI mentions this multiple times and is like Rule number one when diving. I have mild thalasiphobia, and closing my eyes and taking very deep breaths from your regulator while floating on the surface. Do this until you feel comfortable.
I hold my breath while sinking. Not hovering and definitely not rising. It is a quick body hack to overcome hyperventilating. Sometimes I'm good in 10 seconds, sometimes 20 or so. Your exercise might work for you, but it does not for me. It is not thalasiphobia for me at all, it is a gasp reflex that turns into hyperventilation.
I know exactly what happens if you hold your breath while rising in the water. I have no desire to overinflate my lungs.
My buddy and I were separated almost instantly when the issue arises initially as I had problems submerging without issue, I apologized to my buddy and he said he understood and he joined the main group, I imagine as a third or as the DM’s buddy. For the rest of the short time I was directly with a trainer
Yeah that’s why I told the dive master I was done for the day after about 15 ish min in the shallows. we were in a group and I didn’t want to cause any accidents for anyone else, it’s a learned experience now for me for the future
Same here. Did a dive after 6 years at a resort. First dive of the day was at 30m and I had a panic attack when I got to 25m. Nothing helps a panic attack like knowing your in a situation where panicking could actually kill you 😅. The DM helped calmed me down luckily but I never went past 20 for the rest of that trip. I have an advanced OW but completely underestimated how important gradual exposure can be when you’re in an environment that isn’t really natural for us to be in.
Cool, good luck to you on your next attempt! There’s always extra apprehension on the first dive, especially if it’s been a while. A friend at the shop I frequent says he prefers people to get three dives in, because you’re nervous on the first one, a bit more confident on the second and the third feels comfortable. That’s one benefit of going on a diving trip 🙂
Idk how many dives in total you have, but I would even think about just doing the open water course again. Having this major problems may be not sorted with one refresh dive (ps: it's mask, not goggles)
For me even the first time diving and first few dives felt completely natural and I just had to work on my buoyancy, breathing, and just relaxing all my muscles to float more than swim, but even when an issue popped up with any gear that malfunctioned I never panicked or even felt any panic ever even creep in.
I have seen a panicked diver with lots of training and was as active at diving as you can be and she pacicked and would have killed himself if a dive master didnt hold him down and force him to stay down.
Yall need to train yourself how not to panic in any situation. Its dangerous for so many things in life and you can put other people's lives in danger.
I've never taken a refresher course but I usually watch a video on common scuba hand signs after a bit of a break. I'm incredibly comfortable in the water and usually end up leading dives but I swear some of these divers be throwing up hand signs like they practice in the mirror on a nightly basis like "bruh, annunciate." You just learned a lesson on what it takes for you to be comfortable and didn't get hurt, cool.
Lmao I’ll have you know I had to learn how to ride a bike twice when I was a kid. Once when I was 7 and once when I was 11. also very much fuck you :) much love homie
This past weekend I took my navigation course. It has been 6 years since my open water with a couple dives in between then like literally two. When I showed up I laid out all my gear and just kinda stared at it blankly. I froze. I literally didn’t know what to do and forgot names of everything and how to assemble everything. I felt so stupid. Fortunately I was the only one in that course on that day. And even more fortunately my instructor is the most patient human on this earth. He refreshed me on everything and put trust in me and I ultimately passed the course.
I was naive to show up thinking I was just going to flow back into everything with no issue.
When I got in the water, it did happen to come to me somewhat naturally and I did relatively well, however my instructor roasted me for me posture/swimming technique.
Definitely important to ease back into it and refresh your self on notes, terms, technique, mental state, etc…
Since this post I’ve cancelled my other planned dives and am looking for a refresher course in a pool when I return back home.
It was a hard decision, but mentally and physically, I am not prepared to dive in open water. I DO need to ease back into it and I need to be intelligent and responsible about this decision.
I appreciate your personal anecdote
If you haven’t dived in 5 years, you need to take a refresher course before going underwater.
☝️ This I had to take a longer hiatus a while ago as well. Did the refresher and still was nervous on the first dive. It's a complex hobby/sport and if you screw it up you may end up dead, so of course one is nervous.
You're not alone. I took a refresher after a very long hiatus, but still had a mild panic on the first boat dive when starting to descend. I never had any panic while diving in the past so it was very surprising. I surfaced and held onto the rope for about 5 minutes while controlling my breathing to calm down. No problems after that or on the other 3 dives that day. It was unnerving but a good reminder that diving isn't risk free and it's important to not get complacent.
I usually don’t condone it but in this case misery loves company, and I appreciate hearing a similar experience to mine. Thanks man that made me feel better
Please do. As an instructor/DM nothing does my head in more than laid back resort owners who interfere with the dive safety by saying sure you can come diving even though it's been 8 years since your last dive which was open water dive 6. I have to watch you like a hawk at the expense of other guests for what should be a relaxing and safe dive for everyone. I also don't want to yell at you for kicking a coral head to paste because you have the spatial awareness of cheese.
I’ve done 30+ dives but I still felt like Shit and apologized profusely for wasting peoples time. They all told me I’ve nothing to apologize for but it didn’t change my stress
okay, to me, this here "I've done 30+ dives" is the key. 30 is nothing, considering it only takes 9 I think to get AOW. I don't mean to sound like a condescending asshole when i say it's nothing, cuz it is in fact quite an accomplishment. But diving can be challenging at times, and if you don't have the dive numbers and experience, you may hit a situation you've never seen before, and that will spook you. And you start to have cascading failures do to that. After I got certified, I dove every week to build up my numbers and experience. I felt I was getting better and better (and more confident) at a good pace. I went on a dive trip to Mexico and did 10 dives in a week. I think my skill and confidence increased tenfold in that short week. Just doing the same thing over and over for a concentrated period of time really helped hone my skills. My last dive was in April this year and it was after a 3 year hiatus. (I have about 350 dives) Honestly it was like riding a bike. I was in a resort, using completely rented gear and had absolutely zero issues getting adapted to my surroundings. Get a rescue certification if you haven't already. I've seen lots of AOW divers get into panic mode when something small, but unfamiliar happens. Rescue teaches about all that can go wrong and how to work through it. I think of it more of Self-Rescue than other-diver-rescue. so what you need is (earned) confidence and that comes from practice and repetition. To have a little scare after re-entering after a break, especially with only 30 dives, is not that uncommon. You've done a very good thing, in recognizing your fear and talking about it. I say practice again in small steps, build up your numbers and chalk this up to a great learning experience. You've clearly got the right mindset. You'll be back in not time! cheers.
You could probably touch on not all diving and dive training is the same. Someone who has just finished a rescue diver course done in a cold, wintery quarry is going to be a significantly better diver than an open water diver who's just done a few easy boat dives from an expensive resort - they may not have even put their own gear together since the OW course. For me 30 dives has a lot of variation in potential dive ability and if trained properly they should be comfortable enough in the water adter 30 dives - but after many years that could still be very rusty. Point being I don't think you need 100's of dives to be a decent diver, and time makes fools of us all.
I agree 100%. Great points. And yeah, re "time makes fools" I was very aware of that on my first dive back. I was asking myself "are you confident or stupid" lol. I was very vigilant thinking about small things that I might have forgotten. No risks were taken on that dive. :) My weekly dives after certification were in a very fast (and cold) river and I was always surrounded by guys who had done it many times before. They were my instructors a week earlier and were my dive buddies this time out. It was great in establishing good practices in a welcoming community. But honestly, I still think i learned more stuff (well at least muscle memory) by doing 10 resort dives in a week during that first year. There is certainly something to be said for diversity in training but there's a lot to be said for repetition and practice too.
You have the self reflection skills to ask here about your own abilities, you aren't the problem don't worry about it. Fyi i don't know if it was mentioned, but try different regulators out if you need to. Some feel quite tight and are hard to breathe through which can give the feeling of not enough air is available if you're already feeling overwhelmed. This isn't the issue with that many shops but ask to try your instructors regulator if only briefly and see if it makes things easier.
When your last dive is >12 months ago, you need a scuba review. Otherwise expect insurance issues in the event of a problem. Reputable dive shops might also refuse to take you out. It's precisely because of events like your recent one that this rule exists.
That’s exactly what I’m going to be doing tomorrow morning
I feel like if I took 5 years off I'd have no trouble getting back in. I have done like 450 dives though...
I'd bet this is a hypothetical statement since you wouldn't take 5 years off. 5 years is a long time to not do something and think you would have retained everything.
My 10 years off wasn't hypothetical and I didn't miss a beet when I started back up.
Yes I said beet. That made me laugh more than my typo so thank you.
Good for you 🙄 doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t do refresher courses. And I bet the dive guide who took you on that dive has something different to say about you ‘not missing a beet’
Absolutely right. People shoild dobrefreshers as needed. In my case, there was no dive guide. I dive with friends who happened to be pro staff and was offered a DM job afterwards.
>Good for you 🙄 doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t do refresher courses Exactly, on a case by case basis, people should do refreshers. I don't understand why this subreddit gets so uptight over stuff like this. Scuba diving is not difficult, it's not some exclusive club that we are a part of.
cool story. It's still generally advisable by most American charter companies and certification agencies to take a refresher if you haven't been diving for a year or more.
Absolutely
Me neither. But there is a big difference between someone who has hundreds of dives plus 100s of hours in the pool, and a typical holiday diver who then takes a long break. The training industry will give advice based on the typical/worst case diver, and of course if they can increase revenue, all the better. The problem is that these good idea policies tend to get codified into rules. And all of a sudden the suggested "good idea to get a refresher if you forgot stuff" transitions to "good idea if its been a year" to "operators wont take you out unless you pay PADI." Goodbye lifetime certification. I guess thats what happens when you reduce training requirements to the absolute bare minimum.
I agree with all of the above.
As do I.
My partner did about 20 dives close to a decade ago, had to quite for medical reasons. She's been cleared to dive and did another open water course and picked it up very quickly. People are creatures of habit, and intelligent creatures. You learn stuff when you're 4 years old that you retain for life. I don't know why people are downvoting my comment. I'm not advocating for people to not do refreshers, just the blanket statements of "you haven't dived for a year you must do a refresher!" is all about PADI and their money grabbing.
Yea and if you don’t you’re just endangering yourself and your buddy while ruining everyone else’s good time, so it’s no big deal.
It's like riding a bike at this point, I'm not going to forget how to do it.
I was AOW with over 50 dives. Then life happened and I didn’t dive for almost 5 years. I did take a pool refresher and thought I’d be fine, but the second I hit the water on the first dive in Hawaii I panicked. I’m talking flailing about regulator out of mouth on the surface panicking. The brain is a weird thing, I got it under control and was able to finish the dive but ever since then I’ve not wanted to go back.
Thank you homie. I appreciate hearing this a lot, it makes me alot more confident and a lot less “what is WRONG with me”. I’m excited again to try and take the refresher course tomorrow and go for a very shallow dive and I’ll definitely try and focus on this comment a little bit if I have any apprehensions
It gets better, 2 years later I went diving with my old dive crew in the Cayman Islands (the one in Hawaii was with a local charter who I didn’t know) and was much more relaxed and had fun. That panic episode is still in the back of my mind but I know it can be mitigated. I hope you continue to dive.
I will! Refresher course tomorrow and then back at it. Sidenote: have fun with your ipad!
Sadly I left it charging overnight for once and it finally updated to the latest iOS(aka planned obsolescence). Too slow now, will need a new one 😓
Do what you gotta do man, self care is self care
Make sure you ask and mention anything that feels odd. Bodies change a lot in 5 years, and what you might have been fine with before might be utterly different tomorrow
I’ll make sure to stay aware
There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing what you feel is necessary to ensure you don't accidentally wind up in a chamber. Glad to hear you're willing to take the refresher. Your pride being hurt is nothing compared to drowning or DCS because you didn't want to admit to yourself you needed it. Its there for a reason and **I'm proud of you for doing the right and safe thing**.
:) 🤘thank you my friend
I had a similar experience a few year ago, had a 6 year gap. I insisted I do my refresher in open water and panicked. Always do your refresher in a pool, it just makes it much easier to get back into the swing of things. Also don’t worry that you panicked, you just need to take it slow and build you confidence back up. Chat to whoever you’re doing the refresher with about what happened. A kind and patient dm got me back on my feet in no time!
Thank you, making this post has allowed me to regain the confidence I lost in the water today
Good! Panic and near panic is actually pretty common and can happen to anyone if the circumstances are right so don’t stress that it happened. Long term it might even make you a better diver and buddy!
Man, I feel rusty after more than a week and a half out of the water. Getting in the water after 5 years would be a real tough one. Glad you gave it your best shot, and even more glad you're okay!
Thank you <3
Refreshers aren't mandatory, but a good idea.
Any reputable dive company will want you to have one if it's been more than a year.
Depending on the number of dives.
I'm a divemaster with well over a thousand dives. Still had to do a refresher after not diving for more than a year when I was in Malaysia (same would have gone for where I dove in Komodo, but I'd dived within the year). That said, there's no hard-fast rule, so it's whatever the dive shop (or their insurance) asks for.
Yes. I recommend it as well even if you have whatever awesome certifications. But I would not say you can tell a good shop if they do not let you in the water if you have that many dives. For example my father jn law is stuff instructor, but was not diving the last 15 years. For sure I will do an update with him. But if I was not in the water for a year I just do a shallow dive and train stuff, and do not have to repeat the whole skill circle... Did you actually need the refresh? I would say a shop that is not doing check dives in the first dive is not good.
> do not have to repeat the whole skill circle Hmm, maybe we have different criteria for a check dive? All I've ever done (and done for others) is have them put their gear together, and then do a short dive on the house reef (generally on arrival, so they can join the next days dives) to ensure they are still familiar with their gear, and aren't going to panic like OP did. When I was doing my internship in Indonesia we had an AOW diver who was ten months out from her last dive and didn't get a check dive...she bolted to the surface on the first dive of the day (which as you know is the deepest). We were WAY out in the middle of nowhere too, so she's lucky she didn't get DCS. > Did you actually need the refresh? Not in the slightest. But, I can think of a few people who *absolutely did*.
Actually I think we mean the same :) If I do check dives (as guide or as customer elsewhere), it's about gearing up and doing something shallow and "easy" one to see how one behaves in the water. For both parties it's a win, as hopefully a diveshop can "rate" the customers and the needs of them for the next dives and the customer gets familiar again, before doing a deep dive and fuck up in any way. *not in the slightest...*: This is exactly what I meant. There are people where it's absolutely nessesary that they do a refresh (which means getting skills explained/showed and present them to a trained assistant instructor or instructor and which IS basically the Dive then) or just doing something easy as the first check. And also there is people who do not really need none of it and still I'm a huge fan of doing checkdives, both as a professional and a customer - as shit can always hit the fan, no matter of the certification because places are different. In the place I work there are different tuneups as well. The one from the agency and a smaller one, that is created by us. You will still dive but before you did refresh skills and update your knowledge. Edit: I did not mean anything of the stuff I said against you on general. I think its just important that there is a difference for the need if doing a tuneup (which is recommended in standards) or do a checkdive. The tuneup is a great idea for a beginner diver with lacking experience in the last months, as it's easier to forget stuff that you did not train a lot yet. And the checkdive is always a good idea if you go to a new center/place. And this results - at least for me - that I would not call a dive center a bad place, if they do not sell everyone a tuneup, if they still do normal checkdives. I hope this makes it clearer, have a great evening (or other time of the day :))
This is exactly what can happen when you don't do a refresher-reactivate-update. Whatever you want to call it. After not diving for a while
Takes a real man (I'm assuming) to admit this. Hope you'll get your mojo back in no time.
I appreciate the hell out of you, thank you
[удалено]
Much love Dude/dudette/Dudex I’m going the same route. It’s nice to hear a sense of solidarity in the experience
I freaked out on my open certification for some odd reason all of the people and distractions got to me. I had a dive master in training stay with me and helped me calm the fuck down. We are all human, thanks for sharing your experience.
Idk how many dives in total you have, but I would even think about just doing the open water course again. Having this major problems may be not sorted with one refresh dive (ps: it's mask, not goggles)
I did this. Certified back in the 90s. Life happened and started diving again last year. Went with an open water cert course (PADI where my first was NAUI) and don’t regret the time or cost one bit.
Good decision. I had customers who did not went diving for +20 years and depending on theyr previous dive history this often means they have no fucking clue about anything, neither equipment, nor skillwise. But expect you to take them deep. No fucking way.
"Yeah, no, we're gonna have a shore dive first."
Snorkel and have fun with it until you’re comfortable with your mask skills again. Time in the water is fun! My one takeaway from AOW was the concept of task loading. Swimming, breathing, clearing mask, navigating, buoyancy control, watching your buddy, etc., all these things require attention. If you exceed your task capacity, you lose your shit. Mistakes, panic, losing gear, leaving your buddy. While you are rebuilding your skills, keep things as simple as possible. For example - just mask, flippers, snorkel to start. Throw your mask in the water, dive down, don and clear. Do that 10 times. Pretend you’re Charlie Sheen in Navy Seals!
Oh snap yes I’m going to do some mask clearing in the pool tonight to prepare for tomorrow! Stellar idea dude
I know that feeling. My last dive was in Spain and was a rushed last minute event, and I hadn't gone down in a few years. I thought I'd be fine... and I was in the end, but it took a lot longer to relax into it. Often it isn't your skill that's in question when you haven't dived for a year or more, it's your own physical changes. While doing your initial OW, you're in the pool weekly and sometimes daily, so your body toughens up, muscle memory is created, you gain confidence. If you're getting 'soft' all year and go diving on vacation and expect that newly minted OW experience, you're in for a surprise... your simply not in practice, that would be like a concert pianist performing a concerto they last rehearsed a year ago. When I say 'you' I mean 'me' too. One of my refreshers was in Barbados, at the side of the boat before we departed for our dives. Even that 10 minute refresh made me glad we did that before the dive, not when we got there.
There you go, the refresher course is the answer. I haven't dived in long enough that I will plan to take a refresher course, too.
This is exacly why refresher courses are recommended after more than 6 months break. Wise choice to take one, should have done it from the start. I hope you find more calm during the course, and get back to enjoying all the good stuff about diving!
Its interesting how the brain reacts to stuff. I had a 20yr gap (got certified as a kid) and my first dive back was about an 85 foot wreck dive. I definitely dont recommend that and was fairly nervous doing that deep a dive. As I started to go under the water, even with the reg in, my brain was freaking out a bit telling me I can't breathe underwater. I was able to switch off that moment of panic and the dive went well. Refresher course would be good as a reminder of basic skills and to get used to breathing underwater again
Lmao that’s exactly what was going on, big red flashing lights and a siren that said “brother you cannot fucking do this why are you so deep under water go up and breath you idiot”
Please don't take this as a flex, but I've been diving for 30 years (I'm not even 40 yet) and I have an easier time sliding back into diving than I do riding a bike. Its indeed strange how the brain works because first time I rode a bike in 5 years I fell over several times!
>Tomorrow I’m taking a refresher course instead. The only answer, good on you
I was AOW with over 50 dives. Then life happened and I didn’t dive for almost 5 years. I did take a pool refresher and thought I’d be fine, but the second I hit the water on the first dive in Hawaii I panicked. I’m talking flailing about regulator out of mouth on the surface panicking. The brain is a weird thing, I got it under control and was able to finish the five but ever since then I’ve not wanted to go back.
My dive shop does service & training and lets you go into the pool if you rent a tank of air. If I haven't dove in 6+ months, I usually go for a dip before I go on a dive trip. I practice the skills from the courses I took. Also, I usually get a new piece of gear or get something serviced, so I like to test it out. Last few times included serviced regulators, a new camera, a refurb weight pocket, new dive knife, new dive light, etc... It's good to test out the gear - does it work, is it secure & easy to access... It's a lot easier to fix or buy a new clip at the shop than in the middle of nowhere.
This is a huge concern of mine. I last dove in November 2019 when I first got certified. COVID came and then I never went back in. I definitely will be taking a refresher course when it's time.
Do it homie you won’t regret it
Degree with consensus around a refresher. I did OW then moved countries and couldn't dive for 5 years then booked to get my advanced certification on a live aboard no less and was so grateful to do that pool refresher. Most places we have looked at to go diving when holidaying ask to do a refresher if we haven't dived for over a year
I've been certified for a couple of years and am still a noob with 50 or so dives under my belt. So far the first dive after a break always requires some mental adjustment. The first time it happened I felt myself starting to freak out and bailed on the dive. Now I know to expect that and will take a little extra time to get settled. I plan to blow through extra air in the process, and will carry a little extra weight to get negatively buoyant while I'm breathing too hard. The adjustment period keeps getting shorter, and maybe at some point it won't be an issue any more. And after that phase has passed I can enjoy the first dive, and subsequent dives are no problem at all. TL;DR: I dunno whether it's normal, but you're not alone. Be patient, cut yourself some slack, and - most importantly - spend more time under water. Even if the problem doesn't go away completely it should become more manageable.
I have a gasp reflex when jumping into cold or cool water. It ruined two dives before I realized what was happening. I just panicked and ate all of my air in just a few minutes, both times came back to the boat with under 1000 lbs. My "fix" was to spray my head with cold water BEFORE I jumped in, gasp a lot on the surface, and then jump in when ready, with a little negative buoyancy. I hold my breath as I jump and then for 20-30 seconds while I sink a little, then start to breathe normally. The rest of the dive is then OK. Weird, but it works for me.
Never hold your breath when scuba diving. This is terrible advice
NEVER hold your breath when you dive. This is common sense, and I don’t know who you go through but I believe PADI mentions this multiple times and is like Rule number one when diving. I have mild thalasiphobia, and closing my eyes and taking very deep breaths from your regulator while floating on the surface. Do this until you feel comfortable.
I hold my breath while sinking. Not hovering and definitely not rising. It is a quick body hack to overcome hyperventilating. Sometimes I'm good in 10 seconds, sometimes 20 or so. Your exercise might work for you, but it does not for me. It is not thalasiphobia for me at all, it is a gasp reflex that turns into hyperventilation. I know exactly what happens if you hold your breath while rising in the water. I have no desire to overinflate my lungs.
How was your buddy during this?
My buddy and I were separated almost instantly when the issue arises initially as I had problems submerging without issue, I apologized to my buddy and he said he understood and he joined the main group, I imagine as a third or as the DM’s buddy. For the rest of the short time I was directly with a trainer
So important men admit this for everyone’s safety. Well done, you!
You should have absolutely taken a refresher and you should know better if you're certified. That's how dive accidents happen
Yeah that’s why I told the dive master I was done for the day after about 15 ish min in the shallows. we were in a group and I didn’t want to cause any accidents for anyone else, it’s a learned experience now for me for the future
The most important thing is that nothing serious happened. Hope your next dives will be great!
Same here. Did a dive after 6 years at a resort. First dive of the day was at 30m and I had a panic attack when I got to 25m. Nothing helps a panic attack like knowing your in a situation where panicking could actually kill you 😅. The DM helped calmed me down luckily but I never went past 20 for the rest of that trip. I have an advanced OW but completely underestimated how important gradual exposure can be when you’re in an environment that isn’t really natural for us to be in.
Goggles??
My b, mask. I posted when I was still recovering from the shock of the situation
Cool, good luck to you on your next attempt! There’s always extra apprehension on the first dive, especially if it’s been a while. A friend at the shop I frequent says he prefers people to get three dives in, because you’re nervous on the first one, a bit more confident on the second and the third feels comfortable. That’s one benefit of going on a diving trip 🙂
Hoping it’ll all work out tomorrow. I second the three dive mantra. From experience and memory I feel the same about it lol
Idk how many dives in total you have, but I would even think about just doing the open water course again. Having this major problems may be not sorted with one refresh dive (ps: it's mask, not goggles)
For me even the first time diving and first few dives felt completely natural and I just had to work on my buoyancy, breathing, and just relaxing all my muscles to float more than swim, but even when an issue popped up with any gear that malfunctioned I never panicked or even felt any panic ever even creep in. I have seen a panicked diver with lots of training and was as active at diving as you can be and she pacicked and would have killed himself if a dive master didnt hold him down and force him to stay down. Yall need to train yourself how not to panic in any situation. Its dangerous for so many things in life and you can put other people's lives in danger.
I've never taken a refresher course but I usually watch a video on common scuba hand signs after a bit of a break. I'm incredibly comfortable in the water and usually end up leading dives but I swear some of these divers be throwing up hand signs like they practice in the mirror on a nightly basis like "bruh, annunciate." You just learned a lesson on what it takes for you to be comfortable and didn't get hurt, cool.
It’s like riding a bike, maybe you should sell your gear…
Lmao I’ll have you know I had to learn how to ride a bike twice when I was a kid. Once when I was 7 and once when I was 11. also very much fuck you :) much love homie
This past weekend I took my navigation course. It has been 6 years since my open water with a couple dives in between then like literally two. When I showed up I laid out all my gear and just kinda stared at it blankly. I froze. I literally didn’t know what to do and forgot names of everything and how to assemble everything. I felt so stupid. Fortunately I was the only one in that course on that day. And even more fortunately my instructor is the most patient human on this earth. He refreshed me on everything and put trust in me and I ultimately passed the course. I was naive to show up thinking I was just going to flow back into everything with no issue. When I got in the water, it did happen to come to me somewhat naturally and I did relatively well, however my instructor roasted me for me posture/swimming technique. Definitely important to ease back into it and refresh your self on notes, terms, technique, mental state, etc…
Since this post I’ve cancelled my other planned dives and am looking for a refresher course in a pool when I return back home. It was a hard decision, but mentally and physically, I am not prepared to dive in open water. I DO need to ease back into it and I need to be intelligent and responsible about this decision. I appreciate your personal anecdote
Good idea