You consider yourself an adventurous person. You’ve been rock climbing, parasailing, and pushing your limits as a regular routine. But something about scuba diving gives you pause. We are, after all, air-breathing mammals. Diving and claustrophobia don’t have to go together. Read through our post for some helpful things to think about when you feel that tightness in your chest.
Diving Isn’t for Everyone
You may have experienced some level of anxiety in other aspects of your life and you’re afraid this will prevent you from ever trying diving. Or perhaps you’re very experienced and an odd occurrence of diving and claustrophobia has put you off the sport.
Not everyone can become accomplished at every recreational opportunity. Regardless, claustrophobia does not have to control every sport you’d like to try.
It’s About Trust
The right instructor and partner are key in almost any sport. Let your dive instructor know you have some trepidation about diving and claustrophobia. If they are not very understanding or patient about your hesitation, find another instructor.
Also know that you never have to go any further than you want to during a dive. If you have a great dive buddy, they’ll be right there with you.
Communication and Safety
Learn the basic types of underwater communication and practice them. You can learn more about about these tools in one of our earlier posts. Knowing safety techniques can give you a sense of strength and independence thereby alleviating anxiety before it happens.
Empower Yourself
Merriam-Webster defines claustrophobia as an “abnormal dread of being in closed or narrow spaces.” Understanding this empowers you to prevent fears like diving and claustrophobia before it ever occurs. First, review any medications you may be taking with your doctor and discuss the situation.
Purchase gear that will help lessen the closed-in feeling, like a mask that has a clear skirt or a front zip wetsuit. And most importantly, don’t dive in tight spaces with overhanging features. Stay in open waters with a clear field of view.
Learning how to trust yourself and others while exploring exotic underwater worlds may actually translate to other areas of your life. When you become proficient at something challenging like diving, you could become a more confident person. Diving may not be for everyone, but there’s a whole new underwater world out there waiting for you if you’re willing to work through the pain to get to the prize.
