I was well into my 30s the first time I ever put on a snorkeling mask and fins. I was on vacation with my family when we decided to take a boat to Ras Mohammed out of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. I had no experience snorkeling or diving gear before this time. An avid swimmer that I am, breathing through a tube in the water with fins on my feet felt uncomfortable.

The magnificent reef extended so deep in the crystal blue water of the Red Sea. I felt like a bird hovering (snorkeling rather) at the top of the highest branch on that tree, looking down to earth so far down. On the surface, I could see clearly all the way to the bottom of the reef disappearing into the blue bottomless sea underneath me. Vibrant corals and amazing fish and sea creatures surrounded me. This was a majestic yet scary experience, which I enjoyed!

Fast forward three years later, I decided to take a Scuba diving course. I started with the Scuba bubbles program in a pool. Then I attempted to do discover Scuba, but got cold feet and decided I wasn’t ready yet to go underwater with all that scary gear attached to my body, and weighing it down!!

A year later, my husband encouraged me to go for the Open Water certification along with him. I had a dramatic reaction of panic and anxiety on the first session in the pool. My discomfort breathing through the regulator was a huge challenge. The heavy weight belts and wet suit suffocated me. On top of all that, I had this gigantic Scuba tank on my back. It was all too much frankly. I made it all the way to the Red Sea and completed my first dive only to panic again and abort the dive.

The Slow Internalization Process

As my husband pressed on with his course and obtained his Open Water certification, I started a slow, calculated internalizing of all the information I had learned throughout the class sessions. I still was curious to know everything about Scuba diving.

I studied the map of the off-shore diving site we used to frequent on the Red Sea. Every time we went on a dive trip, I focused my energy on perfecting my snorkeling skills. With each dive the divers took, I tracked them out into the sea snorkeling, and tracked them back to shore. I focused on my breathing, and perfected the use of fins on my feet to move around.

Snorkeling helped me observe the water currents, visibility, low and high tide, and I got to enjoy all kinds of sea creatures and magnificent coral reefs close to the surface. I also tried as best as I can to listen, watch, and learn from the divers. I sought the divers’ feedback every time they came back from a dive. I made mental notes and compared their feedback to my knowledge, and I always went back to reading more about diving especially the articles that chronicle divers’ experiences on the PADI website and Facebook page.

What really helped me eventually is that I went back to my dive instructor and expressed every concern that was holding me back with fear from diving. My dive instructor was patient and practical. With his wealth of information, and sometimes with practical exercises he would guide me through the specific skill or technique that would help me feel maintain control, and address my fear. For instance, when I wasn’t sure I would have enough breath to exhale in an emergency ascent situation, he sat down with me, and with a stop watch in his hand, timed the seconds that elapsed while I exhaled singing. I had enough breath to enable a successful execution of an emergency ascent.

Yoga Helped

Breathing through the regulator remained a huge barrier. I am not used to breathing from my mouth, and the skill of exhaling from your mouth while removing a mask, was too scary for me. It was not difficult, but scary. I was scared the water will come into my nose and that it will interfere with my breathing into the regulator. It didn’t!!

Again with his patience and wealth of information and practical advice, my dive instructor invited me to try breathing through the regulator in pool sessions and in the open water. Every time he made sure I would wore a wetsuit, weight belts, mask, fins, and Scuba tank, to get used to the entire outfit. The sensation of breathing through the regulator although remained uncomfortable, I started to get used to it. And because I had worked on my breathing while snorkeling, familiarity started to sink in!

My Aha Moment!

All the while I have been practicing Hatha yoga. For seven years to be exact I have practiced Hatha yoga and became very comfortable in breathing techniques and challenging yoga positions.

One day, a friend of mine who is an experienced diver came out of her dive declaring simply and cheerfully that her dive was as refreshing as a yoga session! She explained, “you breath slow, and move slow. You move deliberately and slowly just as you do in yoga.”

I envisioned myself with all the Scuba gear and weights, breathing slowly and moving deliberately under water. That’s when I confided to my dive instructor that I was now ready to go underwater for real. By that time, my husband had advanced enough and was working on his Dive Master certification. The last hurdle, which was not a challenge for me but rather a skill that needed to be mastered with practice, is buoyancy. With my dive instructor, my husband, and two other dive masters, I went underwater for the first time, feeling in control. I was in control of my breathing through the regulator. I was in control of myself with buoyancy, and I was comfortable with the Scuba gear. I breathed slowly and moved deliberately, expertly using my fins to navigate, and I was finally able to enjoy a controlled dive.

I finally broke away from anxious diving, to a controlled enjoyable dive!

I finally obtained my Open Water certification.