Posted on Aug 8, 2016
Does anyone have prior training or tips on how to remain calm in/under the water?
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Water: the great equalizer. It is easy to lose your head in the water, and easy to panic once stress is induced. What training or advice can you pass along to help others remain relaxed and become confident in a water environment?
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Swimming
Diving
Scuba Diving
Navy Diver (ND)
SO-Special Warfare Operator: SWO
Swimming Diving Scuba Diving Navy Diver (ND) SO-Special Warfare Operator: SWO
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 22
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Zero substitute for experience. Training leads to equipment familiarity. Familiarity of diverse conditions (night, low visibility, overheads environments, etc) leads to confidence (and calm) when things go awry. It all comes through experience. The more you dive, the more probable it is that you or a dive buddy will have something go awry that must be solved. Get in the water, get new certifications, know your gear inside and out. With experience comes confidence.
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Special Operations diver for the US Army here, also certified at age 16 to open water dive in 1989 to 130 ft (I know it's shallower now) I have well over 4,000 dives logged, that many or more non logged. Have worked tube blast from subs, mine and underwater missions all over the blue planet. Have dove black water so bad you couldn't tell if your eyes were closed or open and would rely on the line tender to direct you via bubble trail. I can say, everytime I enter the water, I still after 35 yrs of diving still get nervous. Like everyone said before, training, training and more training will help you learn to handle your fears. You will gain muscle memory and will perform tasK with out thinking.
Even to this day, after being retired from 26 yrs spec ops, I dive with a joint task force in our town of fellow fire dept divers, swift water personal as well as ex military divers from the Navy, airforce and army. We assist PD's in weapon/evidence retrieval, body searchs and recovery ect. Most everything is in darks, cold swift black water. Whenever I feel a little nervous, our handler is trained to listen to your breathing, watch your heart rate ect. We have to constantly remind ourselves to pause, breath slow and relax. The worst thing is what you can not see and what you fear. Training will help with it, but you will always feel apprehensive about entering the water and always deal with the adrenaline rush after it's over.
Even to this day, after being retired from 26 yrs spec ops, I dive with a joint task force in our town of fellow fire dept divers, swift water personal as well as ex military divers from the Navy, airforce and army. We assist PD's in weapon/evidence retrieval, body searchs and recovery ect. Most everything is in darks, cold swift black water. Whenever I feel a little nervous, our handler is trained to listen to your breathing, watch your heart rate ect. We have to constantly remind ourselves to pause, breath slow and relax. The worst thing is what you can not see and what you fear. Training will help with it, but you will always feel apprehensive about entering the water and always deal with the adrenaline rush after it's over.
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MSG B D.
ENS (Join to see) - Good luck bud. Best thin is to get in the best shape of your life and start now on breath control, how long you can hold it, not while sitting, but holding it while you swim, run, doing squats ect.
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MSG B D.
SN Greg Wright - Only did it one time during training. Back in the early to mid 90's the services were finally cross training everyone better. A few of us got to go on board and train with the navy. It wasn't anything spectacular. Didn't dive on a Russian sub and deactivate the reactor ect. Was just a training op. I quickly found out how you can get sea sick while in a sub. Guess I never thought about it moving, swaying ect.
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SSG Bradley Peterson
SN Greg Wright - I can. Trunk Lock out. It's an Combat Diver thing. Only did two in my life but what a pain in the ass RUSH!
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Sgt Jeff Kelly
I used to captain PT-728, a WWII PT boat in Key West that took tourist around the harbor for kick and giggles. One night my boss asked me it I would take divers from the US Army dive school on Fleming Key near Key West. These guys had rebreathers and were packing what looked like little machine-pistols. I dropped them out near Tank Island and they navigated underwater all the way back to Fleming, about 2 mile, at night, in the strong currents of Key West harbor. It was very impressive. They had handlers in inflatables following them but man, that had to be a long, tiresome swim.
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It's only unnerving the first minute, once you realize you can breath, you can relax. Good Dive Masters can instill an even calm across a group also.
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