The Quick Guide to Reduce Scuba Diving Anxiety and Panic by Matthew Bridgstock

Author:Matthew Bridgstock [Bridgstock, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2017-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Confidence

Have you ever ridden an old bike down a steep and long hill while wondering if the bike is capable of sustaining such speeds and vibrations? I have and it's unnerving. There is a certain amount of confidence and reassurance to be gained from having equipment that you know will perform. Not only will quality equipment provide you with confidence, it will perhaps fail less often, so you don't need to worry as often. If swimming around with old, worn-out equipment and waiting for it to fail does not fill you with warm thoughts, do something about it. If you can't afford new gear, focus on the most important lifesaving equipment. Anything that adds to your cognitive load is a bad thing and unreliable equipment could tip the balance when it comes to having a panic attack during a crisis. Not only will a well serviced and well performing regulator provide you with confidence, it may also deliver the much-needed air you need in order to calm down during a crisis. One of the classic signs of an anxiety attack is the feeling of not getting enough air, so buy good regulators if you can.

Your confidence can also be increased if you know that you have checked all your equipment. Learn how to identify problems and be methodical about gear checks before a dive. Better yet, get a check list so you don't forget anything. This will increase peace of mind and free your mind up for more important tasks. How well do you sleep if you're not sure you locked the front door? If you’re anything like me, you need to go down and check in order to have some peace of mind before you sleep. Anxiety often comes from the fear of future failures. If we consistently use a checklist in order to prepare for a dive, we need not worry that we will be caught off-guard in the future by an equipment failure, and should a failure occur, you can be confident that you know how to handle the situation.

Understanding your environment can also increase your confidence. Read up on your dive sight and ask yourself: what should I expect to see and feel? What will be the water temperature, visibility, sea life, and dangers such as fire coral. If you understand any possible risks involved, you can prepare for them and respond to them appropriately rather than reacting to them in the moment. Be sure to discuss the dive plan in detail and review your objectives, hand signals, buddy system, and turn pressure etc. People typically panic when they don’t know what to do during a stressful situation. Even if you only have an intellectual understanding of how to handle a stressful situation and have not practiced the skill, this intellectual understanding will make you less likely to panic when experiencing difficulties. Larry Green the president of the National Cave Diving Association (NCDA) suggests that anxious divers should visualize the dive and imagine their environment. While

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