Help!

I have just started diving lessons (off boards not scuba)and having big problems. I am scared of water and am trying to face my fear but infact am only managing to a) hurt myself and b) humiliate myself. :blush:

Last night, I won the 'Splat of the Week' trophie with no competition and my face is marked from repeatedly smacking it into the water. :sad: My confidence is now at rock bottom and I am very worried about my next lesson.

BUT I am determined! What I really need is some suggestions about where I could practice without the humiliation of a big audience (all at Ponds Forge were gripped by how rubbish my next belly flop would be). I am sure I can do this if only I can get my confidence back. :smile:

Any suggestion very gratefully received - I am even considering hypnotism...

Thanks in advance

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Practice would seem to be the key issue. If you want to dive in private, you could try filling the bath, standing on the shower curtain pole, and launching yourself forwards. It might help if the bath only has water in it (no boyfriends, comfort objects, or animals. Fun as this might be, it won't help your diving :nono:)

How springy is your bed? Perhaps you could use the wardrobe as your diving board? (same rules re blokes, furry teddy bears, and domestic pets - fun, but not very practical or safe!)

Perhaps I'm missing the point? :confused: maybe its the fear of water that needs to be overcome, rather than out and out diving practice. See a psychiatrist and get some cognitive behavioural therapy, go apple bobbing, take a shower more regularly (this also help with personal hygiene), stand with your face to the sky when it's raining, get someone (perhaps a friend at work) to constantly shoot a water pistol at you, shove your face in a sink full of water on a regular basis (the water should be warm, or tepid at least. Very cold water will just make you take a sharp intake of breath, which is not good when your face is underwater! :loopy: )

Good luck whatever you do, and I do hope someone somewhere has a much more adequate suggestion than I've been able to come up with. :bigsmile:

thanks Grinboy :wave:

Not sure I'll take you up on your suggestions (good tho they are). Kinda more looking for a little swimming pool with a diving board for practice. Or someone who dives to give me some tips.

Or a good hypnotherapist...

I need to beat my fear. AND oh yes, I WILL!

(again any tips gratefully received)

Start from a sitting position on the side of the pool. Put your hands together as if praying, put them in front of your face pointing downwards and slowly topple forward into the water. Keep doing this until you're more confident then try it from a standing position. Treat the first several dozen as a falling into the water rather than a dive and keep praying. Good luck.

Thanks for that Max. It seems as if I missed a useful point out ........................ Prayer.

Obviously, it makes sense that on launching yourself from the shower curtain pole, or the top of the wardrobe, a quick prayer beforehand would be for the best.

Don't know how I missed that one

You may consider joining in with this lot (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36606) !:D

Cheers Max. I can kinda do the forward push dive, and I'm pretty good at Backwards diving (as can't see the water). Getting stuck on tuck dives. I jump up and do the tuck thing then see the water below, legs and arms all over the place - SPLAT.

Red face. Red arms. Red legs.

I think that you're supposed to stay in the 'tuck' thingy until you turn over and then stretch your legs out and dive. Does anyone know if this is true cos I think it is suspicious :suspect:

hmmm

will definately try the praying thing tho...

bombing! this is definately something I could be good at!