Ally

What breathing exercises or other methods should a new diver do if they start to feel panicky?

Should a new diver who is suffering a panic attack go straight to the surface or should they signal they are in trouble and wait for assistance?

Scuba Mama

I was more worried about this when I first started diving. After time I found be familiar with diving and the enviroment helps. When I'm doing new types of diving sometimes I don't feel as comfortable but as the time passing and I gain experience I am calmer.

Thinking is the best thing to do. Think, Breathe then Act.

MgicTwnger

If you are suffering an all-out panic attack things might be out of control already, especially with an inexperienced diver. The trick is to catch yourself before it goes that far. If I start getting jittery I try to think about my training, calmly evaluate the situation, and decide on a course of action. When in doubt, end the dive in a controlled manner.

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glynneco

We call thenm the heebe jeebes. They can come on at the strangest of times. I think it has something to do with being in an alien enviorment. As thrilled as I normally am occasionally the heebe Jeebes creep up. My main weapon is quite simple. I stop what I'm doing and concentrate on breathing normally. Slowly inhale and then slowly exhale. Repeat until the moment passes. It does and then I go merrily on my way.

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Huggyd

To add on what Glynneco was saying + others. I would tend to say the best course of action (if the heebe jeebes are not going away) would be to signal to your dive buddy something wrong and level up slowly and safely to a depth that your more comfortable at and where the "heebe jeebes" have gone then continue on your dive. There is no point stopping a dive totally unless needed. The heebe jeebes are more of a lack of confidence / experience then anything else. But everyone is a little different and if you need to get out of the water then by all means do so. Safety First

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