I used to have no fear whatsoever of water, objects in water, or submersion. Did stupid things like scuba diving without partner or certification. Try to dive under or through anythings I can whenever I can

Then I thought it wise to get my self certified. During the open water dive the instructor brought the wrong wetsuit, and miscalculated the weights. So I had to make to with a woman's suit that was tight in all the wrong places and which constricted my rib cage's expansion, saddled with about 15 lbs of extra lead weight. I had to keep pumping up the BCD to stay afloat, and I could barely breath due to wetsuit constriction. I almost drowned. I acquired a reluctance to go diving for the next 5 years.

Even now, although I am out and about with scuba gear once more, I don't feel quite so completely at ease and carefree in water as I had been before the little incident. Fear of water is like bicycling. Once you acquire it, it never completely go away.

(September 7, 2012 at 9:00 pm)Chuck Wrote: I used to have no fear whatsoever of water, objects in water, or submersion. Did stupid things like scuba diving without partner or certification. Try to dive under or through anythings I can whenever I can

Then I thought it wise to get my self certified. During the open water dive the instructor brought the wrong wetsuit, and miscalculated the weights. So I had to make to with a woman's suit that was tight in all the wrong places and which constricted my rib cage's expansion, saddled with about 15 lbs of extra lead weight. I had to keep pumping up the BCD to stay afloat, and I could barely breath due to wetsuit constriction. I almost drowned. I acquired a reluctance to go diving for the next 5 years.

Even now, although I am out and about with scuba gear once more, I don't feel quite so completely at ease and carefree in water as I had been before the little incident. Fear of water is like bicycling. Once you acquire it, it never completely go away.

I didn't ever dive before becoming certified. After my basic open water cert, myself and the several friends who took the course with me had an overinflated sense of self-confidence. You probably know the feeling - that you have learned all there is to know and that you can do no wrong. The kind of feeling that only comes with youth and inexperience.

Many years later, after taking almost every recreational training course offered and who knows how many dives... (I don't log all of them, just notable ones, ones with instructors, etc - enough to show experience to the occasional op that might ask to see my logbook) ...I've come to appreciate that there's a bazillion ways to die. Fortunately, the vast majority are controllable. It's the ones you don't know about that'll sneak up and fuck you. When you're inexperience or untrained you don't know enough to be scared shitless (or plan for contingencies).

My biggest fear? Entanglement. Which is why I carry a knife and two pairs of titanium paramedic's shears, strategically located so that I should always be able to reach one of them.

Some amount of fear is a healthy thing. It can keep us from doing stupid things... at least a second time.

(September 7, 2012 at 7:29 pm)cato123 Wrote: ...the fear of a lack of control over our environment

This. Fear ultimately comes down to two things, lack of control and pain. All the things you mention CoH are large objects that can potentially trap you (or others) underwater and that would lead to suffering and death (or are you also afraid of e.g. submerged bottles?). Planes, boats, chains are all things that could potentially trap you under the surface and create quite a dangerous situation. Fear might seem irrational at times, but if you pick it apart you usually get the reason why. For instance, my fear of heights isn't really a fear of heights itself, but a fear of losing control, falling and thus hurting myself.

I've had a crippling fear of water and msubmerged manmade objects for as long as I can remember and found this thread while searching the web for pictures/videos/articles about sunken aircrafts to try and chock away the fear.

I'm 33 and never come across anyone else (irl or on the net) with this phobia and it has made me feel weird my entire life.
Just wanted to say, that finding this thread lifted a huge weight off my chest. Knowing I'm not some sort of weird anomaly has given me the courage to fight this even harder. Who knows? Maybe I can watch "The Little Mermaid" with my niece in a few months. Saw it when I was 16 and was struck with such panic when I saw the ships I actually passed out.

Thank you for bringing this phobia to attention. 

Ok, wtf is up with the necros today? -_-

How do you newbs manage to miss that huge red box telling you not to post? How do you even dig these up?!!?