Tips to Overcome Fear of Scuba Diving in Andaman

Scuba diving in Andaman is an unforgettable adventure! This is to say, feeling nervous about your first experience with the possibility of an extraordinary world waiting for you under the ocean is entirely normal. Even if it is either your first dive or you are one of the lucky few to have been diving previously, growing up swimming in the ocean, it is natural to feel that fear of not knowing what is under the water or even fear of the gear. 

Thankfully, it is possible to be educated and have the right frame of mind to help relieve your fear and put your mind at ease to enjoy an incredible scuba diving experience in Andaman, which you will not soon forget! In this blog, we're going to give you some practical tips that you may find useful not only to get comfortable and calm about your experience but also to feel very excited to discover the incredible marine life of the Andaman Islands. 

1. Start with a “Try Dive”

If scuba diving in Andaman is a new experience for you, it is worth starting with a "Try Dive", or what is commonly called an introduction to scuba diving. The try dive is your first dive and a comfortable way to ease into your scuba diving experiences. Aim to check that also both you and the equipment are safe for your scuba diving experience. The dive will typically occur in a shallow (~6-10 M) section of water with low to manageable current, an ideal environment for a beginner learning to dive. And your instructor is with you at all times.

2. Choose Calm and Beginner-Friendly Dive Sites

Selecting the appropriate dive site is also a point to consider, as it impacts your ability to manage and enjoy diving in Andaman.  As a general rule, if new divers are nervous about their first experience but realise they are on a dive boat in a coastal area where the waters appear calm and the surface conditions look calm. North Bay Island, located near Port Blair, is typically popular as a diving site, as it has a good reef system that includes a variety of beautiful, colourful coral and a calm water condition made gentle by a usable wave action created by the ocean waters.

3. Learn Breathing Techniques

Most of the fear that scuba divers demonstrate comes from lack of control underwater, and utilising correct breathing techniques can assist someone tremendously. Breathing deeply through the regulator will help keep you relaxed, engaging you to continue to focus on exhaling all air, which will calm you and help keep you buoyant. If you practise breathing still on the surface, this will likely help your confidence and comfort level while underwater. When you are conscious of your breath, you'll find both your mind and body will settle, and the experience will be filled with much more richness and enjoyment. You'll be better suited to enjoy all the sights, sounds, and feelings of being a scuba diver without feeling anxious.

4. Dive with Certified Instructors

The good news is that diving with professional instructors is one of the easiest things to do to regulate fear of scuba diving in Andaman. A PADI instructor will supervise and lead you through scuba diving practices to make you feel every element of your dive is safe and achievable. Your instructor will teach you proper gear use, will point out navigation plans while scuba diving, and will even help you immediately if you feel anxious while underwater. Knowing that an expert is always nearby will assist you to relax, trust the experience, and focusing on the fun of observing marine animal life, which is more enjoyable than the focus on safety or technique. 

5. Visualise and Prepare Mentally

Mental preparation for scuba diving is just as important as physical preparation for scuba diving, as it relates to changing your fear or anxiety for scuba diving into excitement and confidence for scuba diving. Visualisation for scuba diving is an effective strategy that can be used as part of your scuba diving preparation. A good visualisation practice before scuba diving is to even close your eyes and imagine yourself swimming freely and without issues, preparing to scuba dive, scuba diving in the ocean, and seeing all of the beautiful corals and tropical fish swimming around. In addition to this, once you are scuba diving, ensure that you have the thought that your scuba diving instructor is with you and the instructor is responsible for your safety while guiding you along with the dive sets. 

6. Take It Slow

Ultimately, learning to scuba dive for the first time will take time and patience. You don’t have to dive deep or stay submerged for any long period immediately; start by just diving shallow and shallow and work on time between dives and depth. Listen to your body to take a break during, as a few minutes underwater could be enough to further your experience with the ability to go for longer periods with depth.

7. Trust the Equipment

Scuba diving gear is designed to be convenient and, for the most part, safe, but understanding should only enhance your experience; it makes your dive easier, safer, and more comfortable, helping reduce any possible anxiety on your part before the dive. Buoyancy jackets, fins, and regulators are made and maintained intermittently, regardless of brand, to keep you educated throughout the whole dive, so the underwater experience can exist for you as a dive. Equally, your instructor is there to manage any of the technical aspects of the gear to allow you to concentrate on being submerged underwater and discovering your underwater experience. Appreciating what the gear means, how it works together, before diving means the comfort you will gain in relation to the level of control you will be able to have during the dive and during your experience as a diver in total. 

Read more - Learn How to Scuba Dive

8. Focus on the Experience, Not the Fear

In closing, it is important to shift your mind from fear to means and diving into the exclusive experience of scuba diving in Andaman. Think back to why you wanted to get into diving or the water in the first place – to experience beautiful coral reef systems and fish and to experience the calm weightlessness of the ocean. It is through excitement and beauty and a sense of adventure that you must focus on, rather than on negative thoughts and risks. Creating the shift by focusing on all of the incredible sights and sensations once underwater, the fear will then subside enough for you to appreciate the one experience in life that you will likely be thankful for happening! 

Experience Scuba Diving Without Being a Swimmer

Although scuba diving in the Andaman may initially seem overwhelming, especially for the new diver or non-swimmer, with the proper attitude, support, and preparation, anyone can put aside their fears. A good approach is to first do the "Try Dive" experience, then choose one of the calm, entry-level dive locations, such as North Bay or Elephant Beach, and go with a certified dive professional who will be with you to guide you step by step. Trust in yourself, trust in your gear, and make sure to focus on what you are experiencing rather than any fear of scuba diving.

Prepare for your dive in advance through mental preparation, breathing techniques, mental rehearsals of the dive and risk management, and thinking of safety procedures will also help reduce the effects of worry and anxiousness on your diving activity. Slowly, you'll become more comfortable and will begin to forget to be apprehensive and instead be fascinated by the presence of colourful fish, seeing a magnificent coral reef in front of you, and the feeling of weightlessness. As soon as you take your first exceedingly cool breath while underwater, all sense of fear of breathing underwater will immediately evaporate to be replaced it with enthusiasm, excitement, awe, and an uplifting sense of accomplishment. The beauty, ease, and excitement of scuba diving in the Andaman seas will linger in and hold a positive impression for you since your first dive will become such a special memory for you as long as it lasts, carrying forward with you for your lifetime.