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First Time Scuba Diving Experience

You have probably heard so much about the wonders of scuba diving. It’s a whole new world under the sea, so you decided to sign up for scuba diving lessons. You might not have a clear idea on what to expect during your first lesson, but your instructor will definitely brief you on the safety tips you must know by heart before you are allowed to venture further into the depths of the ocean. You should also get to know your instructor’s experience, or other scuba diver’s experience who are there on your first lesson.

What To Expect

Usually for a first time scuba diver, your first lesson will be conducted at a shallow dive site where it is safer for you and helps you to get used to the diving experience. This way, if you were to panic, you can swim over to the shallow part of the dive site to stand in. Before you get into the water, your instructor will get you familiar with your scuba gears and how to work with them using safe-dive techniques.

You may be asked to practice breathing through the scuba regulator first before going for a deep dive. Your first time breathing through this gear may feel strange because you have to breathe while your face is underwater. This can be a scary experience because humans do not usually try to breathe underwater. Just know that breathing with the regulator, you can absolutely breathe underwater safely, so do not hesitate to practice this.

If you had shown interest in scuba diving and done some research beforehand, you may have read somewhere that the ocean is a relaxing, quiet world. However, that is not the case. When you are breathing with the regulator underwater, you will be able to hear noise coming from it. But the more you scuba dive, the more you get used to breathing underwater, and thus you will automatically tune out the sound of inhalation and exhalation. When you get comfortable with diving, you will want to pay more attention to your surroundings rather than the sounds you hear.

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Another thing you should expect on your first scuba diving lesson, is that when wearing your mask gear, your peripheral vision will be blocked off. You may find it a little uncomfortable at first, especially since you will feel like you are losing part of your vision. But as humans, we are quick to learn and adapt. New divers will usually be able to quickly get accustomed to their limited vision. Similarly to driving a car that has blind spots, it is uncomfortable at first, but after driving a few trips, you learn how to work around them. The same thing will apply when scuba diving. If you cannot see something, just turn and look around yourself.

All in all, the underwater experience is definitely a different environment you will get used to. It can be overwhelming on your first dive because there is a lot of new sensation and information that your brain will have to process. If your instructor has to spend a little more time to train you, do not worry about it. Everyone learns at their own pace. Just remember that your instructor is patient with new divers and you should be patient with yourself too.