Before each dive, work with your stu­dents to closely examine the objects of their fear, help them rationally weigh the risks, and then develop a sound procedure to control the perceived risk or danger. By teaching our students to perform such an analysis, the stresses associated with common fears and concerns can be relieved.

The Cycle of Stress and Panic

It’s important for our students to un­derstand how too much stress can lead to panic. As part of the discussion, we can review how an accumulation of stressed causes an increase in heart rate, as well as rapid shallow breath­ing, the result being a buildup of CO2. Especially when breathing through a regulator, a diver can experience a real or perceived inability to breathe, or in­crease in breathing resistance, that heightens the stress and leads to panic. Oftentimes, a panicked diver will remove his regulator or mask, causing a more dire situation. When a diver un­derstands this cycle, he is better pre­pared to deal with stress, and may be more likely to take steps necessary to alleviate common stressed.

The Signs of Stress

The closer we get to the water, the more important it is to carefully moni­tor stress levels, so part of our efforts in teaching about stress must focus on identifying the signs of stress, and tak­ing actions to alleviate it.

A variety of subtle and not-so-subtle signs can let us know when a diver is experiencing elevated stress levels, and we should review these with our stu­dents both in class and as we prepare for an in-water exercise. Before a dive, we might see changes in personality. While one diver might become “dis­tant” or preoccupied, another might become giddy or start laying on the one-liners. A diver who becomes for­getful or who has problems assembling his gear, or who becomes angry or frustrated may also be experiencing el­evated stress levels.

Physiological stress can also be building in the pre-dive period. A fully suited diver sitting in the sun may be overheating. A diver who becomes overly quiet and looks pale could be experiencing the onset of seasickness. Remind your students that physiologi­cal stress can add to or heighten the psychological stress of a dive.

Once in the water, a number of signs may become apparent in divers who are becoming stressed. Our students should know to look for wide eyes, a high breathing rate, and flailing of the arms that signal a diver’s stress level is high or on the rise. A diver who “freezes” to the boarding ladder or down-line might also be experiencing high stress levels. When a diver is fum­bling with equipment underwater, or appears to be having some form of equipment problem, chances are his stress level is rising.

Just Relax

The time to be thinking about stress is long before it becomes a problem. One technique that can help students be on the lookout for stress is to in­struct them to take notes (mental or written) regarding the signs of stress they see in themselves and others be­fore, during and following a pool ses­sion or open-water training event.

When students are tuned in to looking for these signs, they are more likely to identify them. Follow-up after the pool or open-water training will help rein­force what they have learned, and help them develop better strategies and techniques for avoiding stress.

While we can always tell our stu­dents to just relax and enjoy the dive, several steps and procedures are more likely to help a diver relax before a dive. One key to maintaining confi­dence and alleviating stress is to re­view the plan for the dive, the normal and emergency procedure to be used, and underwater hand signs for the dive. Reviewing these items will help the diver develop a confident frame of mind and become mentally prepared for the challenges ahead.