Is scuba diving dangerous for someone who gets the feeling that they can't breathe??

Question

Is scuba diving dangerous for someone who gets the feeling that they can't breathe??

Answer 1

It can be. If that fear isn't controlled it can lead to a full blown panic. I was with a diver last weekend that had a panic attack that started with his feeling that his reg wasn't delivering enough air. It was...he was just nervous to start with and that increased his breathing rate. In his panic he spat out his reg and tried to use his snorkel instead. Not a good idea at 70 feet. They don't work well.  He should have called off the dive right off the bat if he was feeling that way.

Thing is...he forgot all his training in his panic and the outcome may not have been very good if another diver (me in this case) wasn't within a few feet of him to control the situation.

That could have been a dangerous event but turned out ok. He got his fear under control after this and actually did two dives later that day with no problems.

If you can overcome that fear, diving within your limits and proper training isn't as dangerous as some people like to think. It's mostly in your head. Try what's called a Discover Scuba. It's offered by many PADI dive shops. You do it in a pool, it's free ( or nearly so) and it's done under the supervision of an Instructor in the shallow end. If you feel an issue coming on, you simply stand up.