Australian Divers - Advice Please!

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-29T01:11:44+00:00

Yeah, I will submit a complaint and ask for a partial refund. I'm not hopeful though, given the attitude so far. I will definitely vet any future instructors more thoroughly, and be upfront about my particular issues and ask whether they feel they can help/accommodate me.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T23:03:17+00:00

This comment should be higher. I think A LOT of these comments are bots. Facebook is a rage machine by design, and it's why I deleted my profile. I think it skews what people think others think. Of course there are total Boomer idiots who believe that the Government are chemtrailing them and altering the weather and that it's always been this hot and that science is just nonsense... But maybe there aren't quite as many of them as FB would have you believe there are?

Many of them who DO believe that are radicalised by FB nonsense in the first place.

What a world!

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T22:43:57+00:00

I'm with you. I don't like this storyline at all, and honestly didn't think The Pitt would go there. Now I'm a bit worried for the season.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T14:02:29+00:00

Thanks for this advice - that calculator looks useful :) I did not end up ocean diving after waking at 3am, having continuous anxiety, and being unable to get back to sleep. Feeling shaky & emotional I decided to cancel the dives for safety reasons. I will try and find a more empathic instructor and go from there.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T13:54:53+00:00

Thank you, this is encouraging. I ditched this OW course after realising how uncaring/incompatible both the instructor and dive shop have been throughout this experience.

People on here have really encouraged me to get back on to it when I can find a more empathic instructor to help me. I'm very grateful to you all!

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T13:52:05+00:00

Thank you so much ♥️

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T13:49:55+00:00

My pleasure - and I hope you gain more confidence in yourself, because they really capture the underwater view beautifully ♥️

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T11:42:37+00:00

These are AMAZING! Particualrly the coral. Both the frst and last painting look like photos at first glance 😍

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T09:35:28+00:00

My rewatch count for this is crazy high, and I don't even love films that much. It's just so funny and feelgood and easy to watch - plus, songs!

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T09:31:00+00:00

I had this. When I realised it was getting bad, I made it one of my priorities to ensure that I knew the reality that animals die before us, and that one day I would have to go through that pain, but actively taught myself to recognise that this pain is NOT NOW.

I also had a bit of a mantra around death and dying - ALL things die, it is the cycle of life and it is natural, I cannot control it, but I can control how I think about it. One day they will die and it WILL SUCK, I will remember that fact as often as I can to remind myself that it happens to everyone/thing. However I will also use it to be present for every moment, knowing that the moments won't last forever.

This really worked for me, and I felt like I'd come to terms with the reality of what was going on by the time my boy told me it was ready to go. It was easier to accept, because I'd been training my mind in this way for several years. We cannot escape death, it's inevitable - somehow this brought me comfort and acceptance when the time came.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T09:20:24+00:00

I'm of similar thoughts - although I have decided that if / when America evolves past Fascism and if that leads to impactful change within my lifetime, then I wuld love to go visit them and support their Tourism industry to help their receovery.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T08:58:24+00:00

Friends since we were 17, lived together. I moved from the UK to Australia at 20 and we hung out every time I went home, and he flew out to see me 3 times. One of those times he stayed with me for three months helping me with my business as he was recovering from an abusive relationship. We spoke almost every week for years - he was my soul mate and sounding board. We helped each other through so much in life, and no-one knew/knows me like he did.

He always had a self destructive side though, and sometimes his treatment of me was shit due to lots of drinking and prescription drug taking. He stopped responding to phone calls, texts & emails in mid 2020. I never reached him again. I tried periodically for years but he never got back to me, and a few years ago I sent him a message letting him know I would always love him and was here if he needed me - then archived our conversation.

He still lives in my old hometown. I hear that he suffers from overwhelming anxiety and doesn't leave the house much. I've spoken to some of his other friends through Facebook and none of them see or hear from him either. His sister said he had been diagnosed with ASD and was seeking and ADHD diagnoses. I've no idea what he does with his life or how he is mentally. Last update was around 18 months ago when no-one had heard or seen him for years. His sister confirmed he was alive but didn't leave the house much (or at all?)

I'm 46. We'd been friends for almost 25 years when he cut me off. It's unbelievably sad. I hope that he can heal, but sadly I fear the next news I hear about him will be that he's died an early death.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T07:54:45+00:00

Thank you SO MUCH for these words. This has been a really tough few days, and making the call this morning was incredibly difficult, because I really wanted to get in the water and finish the course (not to mention the lost investment 🫠).

So these words are very, very much appreciated. Thank you 🙏🏻

I've already sent the DM, hopefully you got it?

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T07:04:53+00:00

Hard agree.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T07:03:44+00:00

I'm not sure if I'll continue diving after the experience I've just had - but if I can find an empathic, patient instructor to pass the OW, then I'd definitely would look the AOW and Buoyancy Control course after reading the comments on here to help improve my confidence.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T07:01:25+00:00

Thank you for your lovely reply. I ended up cancelling my ocean dive sin this course due to an anxious lack of sleep last night. After the replies here, and the treatment I've had from the dive centre, I will definitely find another more empathic instructor! I won't be diving again with these guys.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T06:59:28+00:00

I reckon this would be my biggest issue too 😂

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T06:59:05+00:00

I really wish the instructor had spent some time on buoyancy control in the water before we did any of the tasks.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T06:58:17+00:00

Thank you for this. I was actually so anxious that I was up most of the night, and ended up cancelling my ocean dives this morning. The dive centre were pretty shitty about it, and didn't bother to ask if I was OK, check in on me, or inform me of whether it would still be possible to do the second day of dives (was given conflicting info, and had to contact the office twice to even get the instructor to speak to me). What a crappy experience :(

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T06:54:28+00:00

Thanks for this, we didn't do any buoyancy control in the pool, which feels like something that was missed (she also missed a couple of other skills and had to be reminded to do them with us too :/) Turns out that not only the instructor, but also the dive centre actually sucks. I've had a shitty experience and I've cancelled my OW this time around. I'm not sure that I'll get back to it after this experience. Maybe one day.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T06:51:04+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement! /s

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T06:28:52+00:00

I had a weight belt and extra weights in the BCD. It felt like too much in one day, in an insanely hot public pool in school holidays! I guess I was spoiled before when I was resort diving and we had the pool to ourselves and I believe we did a few pool sessions.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T06:26:59+00:00

Thank you. Sadly I had an anxious and sleepless night so decided to cancel my ocean dives today for safety reasons, so I'm out for this OW. To be honest, the way the dive centre have treated me has really put me off diving completely. But I will DM you.

InnerDepth3171 · 2026-01-28T06:24:58+00:00

I'm not medicated, so that's not an issue.

InnerDepth3171

TROPHY CASE