Little brother is afraid of going scuba diving?
We’re planning on going scuba diving this summer under the supervision of a certified instructor as a cruise excursion. Unfortunately, my brother is worried he’ll run out of air (we’re only going about 15-20 feet deep, so on the off-chance that happens, it isn’t too hard to swim to the surface (plus, there are a bunch of people who’ll be there just in case; it’s the clear waters of the caribbean, so they can see him). Anything I can say to reassure him that he isn’t gonna drown?
From what it sounds like, you do not fully understand the danger of SCUBA diving. Even at 15-20 feet, with the air that you will be breathing, coming up too fast could do some serious damage. Do not dismiss the dangers because you are "shallow." Even though running out of air is unlikely, worse things can happen.
One of the most important things to having a safe dive is confidence. It is very easy to freak out down there and that is when bad things happen. If you brother does not feel up for diving, forcing him to do so is dangerous.
There are considerable safety measures in place. Knowing the specifics might ease him.
You are never alone. There is always someone there to help you.
Every diver has a second re breather so if you run out of air, you can grab your buddy’s spare and surface safely.
Before you dive, you take a considerable amount of time going through safety procedure and equipment.
Every diver has a pressure gauge telling him/her how much air he/she has left.
You might be able to get your brother to go through the training without committing to dive. Once he sees how it works, he may change his mind. But please, to not pressure him into something he is ultimately not wanting to do – especially with the danger so high.
go talk to people at a local dive shop. most shops have something called "Discover SCUBA", and it allows people to try it for free in the shallow end of a pool, about 3-4 feet, under the supervision of professional instructors
References :
First and foremost – never force your brother to go Scuba Diving. This is not macho sport. I am not sure how long you have before your trip. If possible arrange with the instructor if he or she would entertain some preliminary introduction for your brother in a swimming pool. Also you should ask this instructor evaluate your brother if it is going to be suitable for him to go Scuba Diving.
Diving is not about running out of air. As Scuba Diver we manage our dives in many aspects, and air management is extremely important. We need to surface from our dives with adequate amount of air left over. We never empty the tank of air – takes extra maintenance before you will be able to use the tank again.
If your brother is not able to perform this controlled effort underwater, even at a introductory dive, and has a tendency to panic – Do Not force him to Dive. May be next time when he sees all the fun you all have had in this trip, he may sign up and enjoy it in his own terms.
References :
http://www.scubadiving.com – this magazine has good dive safety articles
http://www.howtoscubadivesite.com
tell him to be confident and if h thinks he lost air or something like running out to go to the surface.and tell him if he runs out of air you will caryy him to the surface just be nice to him and help him be confident
References :
CJ’s idea is a good one. If you can, get your brother to try a Discover Scuba at the local pool. It’ll probably start in a depth where if he’s not comfortable, he’s able to stand up. Once he’s comfortable with that, he’ll move probably move a little deeper. Whichever way, he’ll learn that it’s great fun – especially in the Caribbean!
If he doesn’t like it – don’t force it! It’d be a pity to miss out, but at the same time, he’ll NEVER enjoy it if it’s forced on him!
Have a great time.
References :
Fortunate enough to own dive centre in Caribbean!
From what it sounds like, you do not fully understand the danger of SCUBA diving. Even at 15-20 feet, with the air that you will be breathing, coming up too fast could do some serious damage. Do not dismiss the dangers because you are "shallow." Even though running out of air is unlikely, worse things can happen.
One of the most important things to having a safe dive is confidence. It is very easy to freak out down there and that is when bad things happen. If you brother does not feel up for diving, forcing him to do so is dangerous.
There are considerable safety measures in place. Knowing the specifics might ease him.
You are never alone. There is always someone there to help you.
Every diver has a second re breather so if you run out of air, you can grab your buddy’s spare and surface safely.
Before you dive, you take a considerable amount of time going through safety procedure and equipment.
Every diver has a pressure gauge telling him/her how much air he/she has left.
You might be able to get your brother to go through the training without committing to dive. Once he sees how it works, he may change his mind. But please, to not pressure him into something he is ultimately not wanting to do – especially with the danger so high.
References :
Every diver does NOT have a second re breather as previously stated from another poster. A re breather is another more advanceed type of breather. However, Every diver has a second air regulator which is known in the scuba diving field as (an octopus). It is in fact a second regulator carried by every recreational diver and attached to his own bcd.