I am getting anxious just reading, so I think you can guess what I’d do.

I like snorkeling too, but when we do it from a boat I am always anxious at least at that first jump off the boat into the (deep, deep) water.

Oh boy. I have some experience here, but don't want to dissuade you from trying something that takes you out of your comfort zone, so read this with that in mind, as it's only my story (and likely won't be yours).

A number of years ago we were going regularly to Mexico and fell in love with tiny Isla Mujeres. There was a beautiful restaurant/bar right on the beach called Fenix and it became our daily hangout. We'd lie on a beach bed and watch the divers come and go on excursions. We decided one year that we would become SCUBA certified and join them on our next holiday.

Now, keep in mind that I have a genuine fish phobia, so I knew I would have to overcome that in order to do this. But it's something I truly wanted to work past, so I went so far as to undergo therapy that put me into some immersive situations. I knew that we would become certified in a freshwater lake nearby, so one of the exercises involved going to a local aquarium and sitting beside an enormous glass tank with big (hideous) freshwater fish swimming by. I did it ... barely. But I sat there and shook and cried, as I was absolutely horrified about being that close to such big fish.

And yet, I still wanted to continue. I wanted to overcome my fear. I wanted to dive with the cool kids on Isla.

We found a certified SCUBA teacher who taught in his own backyard pool and signed up. There were four others in the class. We went through the first few classes just fine, mostly doing swimming tests and getting used to the equipment. It felt very strange to actually breathe while underwater, but I managed -- but then came the exercise when we were to dive to the deep end of the pool, remove our mask, clear it, then replace it. I could not do this. When the mask came off, water blasted up my nose and I instantly felt like I was suffocating. I panicked, and indicated to the instructor, who was there in the deep end with me, that I was "thumbing the dive" and going to the surface. Knowing my very strong apprehensions that I was trying to overcome, I guess the instructor thought he was "helping" me by trying to get me to regain focus ... but I still shudder when I remember that the man took ahold of the top part of my BCD (flotation device) and HELD ME THERE. Well, I totally freaked. I kicked him as hard as I could and panicked my way to the surface where I flailed and sputtered. Someone else in the pool was able to lead me to the shallow end where I sat for the longest time, choking and crying, with tears and snot streaming down my face.

Once I got out of the pool, I realized that the instructor had continued on with the lesson for the remaining students. DH, of course, was with me. The instructor's wife attempted to calm and encourage me, but I was thoroughly done, and angry at having been held down like that. I never went back, but I made sure the instructor heard from me following the experience. I decided shortly after that I didn't want to dive. I don't need to overcome my fish phobia, because I really have no desire to be in the water with them. Realistically, I know that tropical fish and coral reefs may have been amazing to see, but we soon after discovered how much fun we have hiking together, and our holidays now are planned around that activity. I'd rather take my chances with sprained ankles or bears. I'll leave SCUBA to those who are better suited for it than I.

I can't see well without my glasses and am not interested in paying for an rx mask, so I'm out. Bummer because I missed snorkleing in the Cook Islands. Years ago I could still see in BoraBora, so I'm okay in the long run.

My gut is always right. i’d guess yours is too.

It's on a par with skydiving for me so a hard no. I'll stick to snorkeling.

Oh geez I'm so sorry Ida! That was terrible judgment for an instructor.

Well a number of you have made me feel ok about "wimping out."

And a number have encouraged me.

Knowing, from here and from reading online, that some do panic, makes me feel ... panicky.

Though that is a good point that i feel panicky when i ski because I think I am going to injure myself; not really likely in diving. I need to figure out some good "self-talk" spiel if I am going to do this.

What helped me skiing is an instructor who said, any time you want to stop, you can sit down. Given how fast (not!) i go, she was right. It calms me to remind myself that.

When we were in Aruba several years ago, we did snorkeling with this underwater jet pack type thing that you held onto. It allowed you to snorkel greater distances and for a longer period. It was amazing. Wonder if they have some thing like that?

When I first hooked up with SO, I planned to get certified because he loved it and it was always something I had thought about. I was a very strong swimmer and tend not to have fears under water (though I have obviously never been down SCUBA deep). I ordered the training kit as well as a prescription RX mask and then I had an injury that greatly reduced the muscle function in my left arm/hand-- so the whole thing was put on hold for a year for me to have surgery and recover. Then my eyes went south.. then pandemic..

I am not really interested anymore. I have enough vision issues including no depth perception and very poor focus/double vision at best of times. I would probably be fine but if an emergency situation arose, I would be more at risk due to my various vision issues-- PLUS I am so much more cautious in general and have a lot of situational anxiety due mild vertifo and poor spacial awareness/balance (because of no depth perception). The whole idea doesn't appeal to me anymore.

I do think it would be awesome to SCUBA.. but there are definitely risks and you have to balance against the benefits (as you are doing). From what I gather from friends, you either love it instantly or you don't. I get the sense that the euphoria of the experience isn't dependent on whether you are someplace spectacular-- but of course that enhances the experience. It sounds like your prior experience suggests you did fall in love with the diving experience. FWIW I think snorkeling is pretty darn cool too... esp in a location like the Maldives.

Fraidy cat here. You and I seem to share the same ability to tolerate physical risks profile. Imagine you are in the Maldives, how do you feel watching your children have all the fun? For me, it's easy since they have one another and their father to dive with. I am a great swimmer, but just can't make myself do it, and like you, I am not an anxious person, so when anxiety kicks in, I listen (even though I know it would probably be OK.)

Oh @User I'm so sorry that happened to you. How awful.

My son is a certified SCUBA instructor. He has led a number of dives.

Would i do it? No way. I get totally panicked in situations like that. It just isnt fun. In your situation, id do the pool part, see how you feel about it and then decide whether or not to go in open water. Personally, Id sit on the beach drinking fruity cocktails with DH if I were you.

I do enjoy snorkeling. Spanish, I found that the goggles magnified things enough that i could see without my glasses. I got contact lenses for skiing.

Thanks for the kind words. It was truly a traumatic experience, and it was kinda the beginning of me learning when I should "settle into" my comfort zone. I no longer put myself into situations that truly unnerve me, just to prove to myself that I can "overcome." As has been stated above, the "gut" is a valuable mechanism.

Just now reading all the answers.

Ida, wow, what a nightmare! I am so sorry.

I am also getting anxious just reading this!! I was never a super adventurous child, and as I age I find myself less and less adventurous all the time. 😂 However, I never wanted the children to be wimpy like me, so I kept my inner turmoil quiet. Both of the kids, particularly dd, were very adventurous (dd was always THAT kid, scrambling to the highest point of anything to jump off. Went skydiving for her 18th bday. 😳 I literally was ill the entire time she was up there….thinking about her stepping out that plane door still makes my heart race.🤢😩)

Anyway, we went to Costa Rica for ds’s HS grad. We stayed basically at the base of Arenal volcano, and ziplining is de rigeur. We were all going, everyone goes, it seemed you really can’t NOT zipline there. At the zipline place, it all looked very professional and safe. Fun videos of grandmas, toddlers (not really but close) you name it…everyone had a blast. So…we rode this enclosed gondola thing up. And up. And up. My hands started feeling clammy. We got off and I found out there were 7 stages (you land and start again.) The first one was fairly short and quick. I managed, but felt jittery. The kids & dh LOVED it. Laughing, exhilarated…i hated them all. 😂

I was second in line, and when I saw the next stage, I almost passed out. The line basically went out into….nothing. Like the ground was so far below you couldn’t SEE it. There were no trees anywhere near you. Just clouds and that THIN wire. And there was no other way out of this hell…I HAD to do it. I squeezed my eyes shut, jumped off & prepared for death. Dh told me later the Costa Rican guys laughed and said, ”You got a screamer!” 🙄🤬😂

So I just screamed/blacked out/prayed my way down the remaining sections. Dh said he was proud of me, the kids laughed at me & posted videos.🙄 Dh said, ”I know it was scary, but aren’t you glad you did it?” I honestly wasn’t. I mean, sure, now I can say I ziplined and I know the experience bc I did it, but I was too scared to even take in the nature (eyes squeezed shut.) And I still feel anxious when i think about it now. four years later! 😂 So….no, i dont think pushing yourself to do something that terrifies you always leads to you being glad you did! 😂

I took SCUBA lessons, passed the two open water dives with no problems. I dove maybe 3-4 more times and then a friend died diving. I never dove again. The friend who was diving with him also never dove again and they were both very experienced divers.

I'm not going to tell you to yes, do to because you'll love it or it's great family bonding or whatever - this has to be up to you. It is a dangerous sport.

Now panicking over skiing - that I really don't get. :)

When I was in high school I had a boyfriend who was a scuba instructor, so he taught me. I enjoyed the pool dives and the open water in a local quarry. Then, he took me to the RI shore and I had to wear a wetsuit, which was a total pain to put on and it ruined a NEW bikini with the velcro and then when we finally got in the water there was not much to see. It was murky RI coastal water...I was over it after the bikini incident (rolls eyes). I think I would have really enjoyed it if I had my first ocean dive in clear tropical waters with lots to look at. I LOVED how quiet it was under water.

I gave my son and DIL dive lessons for Christmas last year and they are finally doing their pool dive next weekend, then open water and then a trip to Mexico in October.

@blfenton I love skiing, but it’s a dangerous sport. I suffered a traumatic brain injury while skiing several years ago. I’m lucky to be alive. The majority of people with my injury either die or are severely incapacitated. I can‘t imagine that I’ll ever ski again. I think I would be too panicky which would likely lead to injury.

I have enjoyed snorkeling many times and have had a lot of opportunities in my life to take Scuba lessons. Even though I was a very strong swimmer in my younger days, I was also terrified at the thought of it. Our family did try Snuba in Hawaii however which is where you are tethered to an air tank on the surface and only diving about 15’ max. it was fun and doesnt require anything except surface instructions. Several on the boat snorkeled. I discovered after I couldn’t clear my ears properly and ended up with some ear blockage in one ear for a couple of days after. It convinced me I should not ever Scuba.

I am perfectly okay with all those around me enjoying the experience.

For me, I have nothing to prove and if I have to talk myself in to something that much, it's a no go.

Side story: I get nausea on roller coasters. I am not afraid of them, I grew up going on Coney Island’s Cyclone. But, fast forward, as an adult that changed.

However, while raising my two DD’s I went on all the rides and did not let on that they made me sick.

As a result, they love doing all things high, fast etc.

Only you know if it is with it for you. You are so adventurous in so many ways, I can see you getting satisfaction just for doing it. The verdict is out of if you’d be willing to repeat it.

My vote is that you get certified here. Why wait until you get there?

I think that if you're thinking this hard about it, you don't want to do it. So why would you? I love snorkelling and I'm a very strong swimmer, but I have no desire to SCUBA. In regard to skiing, when I was about 20, several of my friends were avid skiiers and I had never tried so was quite nervous about it. They convinced me to go, saying that they would teach me. Well, their "teaching" was basically taking me up on what was beyond a beginner run, giving me a few tips and off I went. I too was told, if you're scared or feel out of control, just fall down. Ya well, I as going too fast to fall down successfully and ended up doing what my friends still refer to as a "half Brooker." Todd Brooker was an Olympic skiier who had a devastating fall in the 1987 winter olympics. Remarkably, I came out relatively unscathed, but hung up my skiis after that. I switched to cross country and that felt comfortable. Long story short, if you think don't you want to, then don't. You won't be remembered as Mtn., who didn't Scuba.

We went on the same zip line Nini. Skytrek. I closed my eyes and counted the amount of seconds it would take to get to other end.

Wouldn't do again. But I am glad I participated.

Not same as scuba diving.

My only SCUBA experience was a resort course in Mexico that involved in-pool instruction and then an ocean dive (not particularly deep). I don't seem to have any trouble maintaining my zen (and keeping my oxygen consumption to a minimum) while underwater. My then-husband ran out of oxygen way before I did.

I would go for it.

I used to think whitewater rafting seemed scary. Then we had a chance to do it on a vacation. I didn’t want to be The Wimp (esp since all the kids were going and the youngest was maybe 10) so I went. Guess who was the only one to fall out of the boat? Next time the opportunity came up, the kids and DH went, and I went shopping.

We’ve been horseback riding on vacations, too. The last time we went, ”my” horse decided to lay down mid-trail-ride and rolled over onto my leg. Guess who’s not getting on a horse again?

I want to try ziplining but I just don’t know if I am brave enough.

Another fraidy cat here. I had to stop reading all the comments. Started feeling anxious. I would stick to snorkeling.

Tried SCUBA when I was young, adventurous and a strong swimmer, not my thing. Love snorkeling and white water rafting. Not a zipline or skydiving person, heights make me dizzy.

At this point in life I generally try new physical challenges if I am a tad nervous, but if I am down right scared or it involves the need for good depth perception, I pass.

🙋🏻‍♀️Fraidy cat here. I don't even like snorkeling, so SCUBA is out for me.

Funny, I love ziplining. We went twice in Costa Rica and I found it exhilartaing and freeing. I assume the difference between zip lining and skiiling/scuba diving is that with zip lining, I just had to listen to the landing instructions and then just hang on. Scuba diving and skiing take much more participation and learned skills IMO.

I'm another fraidy cat here. Generally I am less afraid of things with the water. I have this irrational feeling that I am not afraid on trans- ocean flights because you know, like I can swim and float.

Flying over land can get me worked up about crashing. Not rational at all.

I think it might make sense to try it at home, and as others have said, you don't have to do it there.

I never tried snorkeling but I think I might like it.

Scuba diving \ is beyond my realm. I also know 2 very bad outcomes , one with a very experienced scuba diver who had even moved to Bonaire for scuba diving. He lived there for probably 10 years. Very experienced..... but s--t happens and unfortunately he died.

The other was a novice who was actually saved at the last minute but had to be hospitalized for almost a week. We got a call from Dr something in Cairn (Australia) telling us our daughter was going to be ok. We had no clue she had even gone scuba diving. She's the one who just gave us our 4th grandchild.

I'm in the camp that if something is requiring too much convincing, Let It Be.

What Pricklypear said is all so very true!

My experience with diving is that basically I'm married to someone who lives to dive ;). When I met my husband he had just gotten certified and then he became an assistant instructor-our university where we both worked actually taught a SCUBA class (for credit!). A year after we got together I got certified, and we dove together a lot until our kids were born at which time as I always say I took a little 30-year break LOL.

Meanwhile he was a volunteer diver with Biscayne National Park which is an underwater park near Miami for well over 25+ years. He exclusively works on diving projects and he is also an avid diver recreationally. He trains constantly along with the professional dive team, he maintains the highest level of certification and safety ratings and he actually trains divers for the park. He's logged literally thousands of dives.

We basically moved to the Florida Keys so he could set up life to enable him to walk out the back yard, get in the boat and go diving. I'm not kidding. He now volunteers for several marine dive teams both federal and local, so when the weather is decent he is out on the water as much as possible.

As for me...I love shallow dives in warm, clear current free water during which I feel the most amazing sense of calm and peace. Scuba is so different from snorkeling because you are basically one with the underwater world. You aren't floating along looking-you are within that world. It's also so quiet and again on a perfect summer day in a tropical shallow sea, the life around you both coral and swimming is simply spectacular. There is nothing like it.

That said, I am not a natural scuba diver. I'm a very anxious person and scuba still scares me! I hate all the gear; when I'm fully suited up until I get in the water I"m literally hauling half my body weight around with the tank, weights etc It's so awkward and ungainly. Granted once I get in the water everything is effortless but still, what a PITA. Until I'm into the dive I'm always nervous imagining what could go wrong. Breathing artificially under the water just feels very unnatural in the abstract!

But I truly have never felt any fear about sea creatures, in fact the only time I ever get nervous about critters is if I'm swimming in deep water on the surface where I can't see what's underneath! Sharks, turtles, barracuda, giant goliath groupers...they are all so beautiful and so at one with their world underwater. It's a very zen experience and one I do love, once I get over my jitters. It helps that I trust my husband, my dive buddy, implicitly. He is a superb diver with decades of training and experience and always keeps safety at the forefront. I just asked him and he told me he has 2000+ dives under his weight belt LOL.

However, while I like a pretty, easy fair weather shallow dive and so does he, what my husband really loves is challenging himself. He has always sought out deep dives, usually on submerged shipwrecks for which he has to have supplemental oxygen tanks for safety, do decompression stops and generally experience a HIGHLY structured and planned activity in order to do it safely.

That terrifies me. I do not do decompression dives with him. I also don't do dives with strong currents or when the seas are rough.

Mtn I'd say try out the pool practice and see how you feel about being on scuba, being underwater breathing etc. You might like it, you might decide no way. Either decision is fine. Going to the Maldives I suspect if you do decide to try it, you will be doing the kind of paradise diving I describe, and it may well be something you absolutely will keep as a treasured memory.

As noted I've 'split the difference' in that I do only the kind of diving I like and feel comfortable experiencing, and I skip the other kind. As pricklypear said the most important factor for scuba diving is you absolutely positively must remain calm. If you don't feel your fear will let you get to that point--skip it!

BTW, husband is almost 70 YO now and he's slowed down on the deep diving to my great relief...as experienced and safe as he is, age has its effects including the increasing possibility of a health emergency underwater. I think he is accepting that this part of his dive life is coming to an end as it should.

And last Ida your experience does sound absolutely awful but I'm going to suggest the instructor might have been concerned that if you rocketed up too fast you would have an embolism-for those who aren't familiar with the term it's a serious dive accident caused by coming up too fast while inadvertently holding your breath or otherwise being out of control.

It can happen in very shallow water, so the instructor probably was trying to be sure you weren't in danger...at least that's my guess. Husband once had someone panic doing just that exercise and I recall him telling me how he and his dive trainer partner had to hold the diver down in a few feet of water till they could safely get him to the surface. Not to dismiss a terrifying moment, but there's some medical dive background that perhaps he never explained to you that would have made him hold you down like that.

Sueb, there are easier zip lines. They are rated. They also rate each line. How fast, how long, how high are etc.

You also want to be sure it's rated high for safety.

I received my SCUBA certification by taking lessons in NYC and going to Key Largo for the two open water dives. I tried to do the open water dives in a quarry in Pa. and found it so disgusting it scared me. It was dark, and they had old cars, a school bus, and a small airplane for you to view. All I could think was what happened to the people in those vehicles. It felt like a horror film. I surfaced and refused to continue. I then went to Key Largo and had a great experience. The water was clear, beautiful, and the most peaceful experience I have ever had. It was like being in an aquarium. I rarely dive, but when I do, it is only in shallow waters like the Keys, where the water is clear and warm, and beauty abounds.

Ida, what you describe is abusive and horrible. It is too late, but he should have been reported to the PADI association. He had no business teaching a safety first type of sport.

I took the classes and did the first test dive but couldn't complete the certification because my ears wouldn't clear. I hemorrhaged my ear drum and had to cancel the flight I have scheduled to Australia where I planned to dive the Great Barrier Reef. I was able to reschedule the trip a month or two later, but when my ENT cleared me to fly again, he required me to have a stop on the wet coast so I still had the option to return home by land if I had any trouble on the descent. I went, enjoyed New Zealand and Australia, but I did not go to the Great Barrier Reef and I have never completed the certification. My problem is my ear and I continue to have trouble when flying, but I agree with pricklypearcactus 100%. If you have doubts about how you will handle being underwater, the lessons and test dives will give you a clue. But I would also think about whether you can keep your cool under water when something isn't quite right, can you follow directions if something is wrong, if water leaks into your mask will you freak out? If you have reservations, snorkeling is still wonderful or you could look into one of those controlled shallow dives OutsidePlaying talked about. Scuba isn't for everyone -- and that's okay.

Ida, that is awful -- the man should not be an instructor. I'd like to think my foot or knee would have been firmly planted in his crotch on my way to the surface.

HCBM you were diving in my backyard-literally! We're ocean side and can be on those aquarium lookalike sites within 15 minutes of walking out our back door, to our dock and into the boat.

It is a diver's paradise that's for sure, we schedule our diving to get out before the head boats' first trip or during the mid day tour changeovers.

Husband's working with one of his teams now on a project to replace mooring buoys at the dive sites, it's hilarious to watch. He shows up with the buoy and the dive captain will thank him then tie on as soon as he gets it safely anchored LOL

Only you can decide your comfort level, and whether you are willing to give it a try. As a certified diver, and former snorkeler, I'll tell you the truth, at least as I see it; scuba is SO MUCH more than snorkeling can ever be, that I can't help but encourage you to give the first few lessons a chance.

You can't stroll the little streets of Paris, or float along the Seine, without the hassle of the airports and flights to get there. And you can't make the most inspiring scuba dives without the hassle of equipment and boats. But, once you are in the water, with arms folded in front of you, just quietly kicking along with your fins and very little effort, you become one with the marine life around you. It is so quiet, calm, peaceful, beautiful, complex, and a completely new experience of our planet, that (IMHO) it's well worth the hassle.

One of the resorts in the Maldives, Boutique Beach All Inclusive Diving Hotel, has been posting youtube videos of some of their dives for the past several years. You might consider looking at one or two to get an idea of the variety of life you could see there. It's like diving in an aquarium.

Will your family have private dives, or share boat space and dive masters with other guests? I ask because the Maldives are sort of an apex diving spot, with some more experienced divers. They may be able to gear up and be ready to enter the water quicker than newer divers, and they could kick up your anxiety if you feel rushed. Maybe book a private dive for the first outing?

If you choose to skip the diving, there are also long, lazy, and beautiful beaches to walk mornings and afternoons. Guests from all over the world. Hope you have a fantastic trip!

I have zero desire to breathe underwater. Just like I have zero desire to go into space. I don’t think one needs to explain or justify.

Running, that's perhaps one possibility, but not what happened in my situation. The instructor and I spoke several days after the incident, and he made it clear that he held me down as he thought I could "work through my panic." He was horrible. I'll just leave it at that.

Ida, I hear your pain. At my checkout dive my instructor put me with someone I didn’t know, rather than the buddy I had been with through the whole class. When it came to buddy breathing instead of taking 2 breaths and handing back the regulator, he just kept breathing. I didnt know what to do so I surfaced (ocean dive, maybe 15+ feet) and promptly failed the class. I was told to handle my problems on the bottom.

Mntn, my suggestion is to take the class with your fam in your own private pool and enjoy that phase of the journey, (sounds like a good fun time in a comfortable environment). When you go on your trip you then have the option of diving or not. If you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to dive and why should you? You’re at the stage where you get to choose what sparks your joy.

Ida...that never should have happened. The instructor should have given you the OK hand signal....and when you were ready....maybe in a week or two...asked if you wanted to go to the shallow end of the pool....where you can stand up easily. I'm so sorry that happened to you. What a jerk that guy was!

1985 We got Padi certified. Specialities: Night, deep & search & recovery. I LOVE scuba diving. I'm not big on getting stuck in a foreign country and held for covid tests . That part scares me.

Ida, that's horrifying. One doesn't cure fear with force. I'm so sorry that happened. 💜

I've been thinking about mtn's question...

In my younger days I would have been first in line for this, or any adventure. Now? The thought makes me uneasy. I can't explain why. I grew up swimming, played underwater so long that my lungs would be screaming as I surfaced. Now I even get nervous just body surfing in the ocean if it's more than minor waves.

I've had mother nature beat the crap out of me a few times so maybe that's it? Do we get wiser with age? More aware of what can go wrong maybe?

Ida, that is a completely different scenario and I"m so sorry you had that experience.

I have a terrible fear of heights. One of our family hiking vacations morphed into canyoneering, where you drop into a slot canyon and then manouver through it. With the help of a very supportive guide I was able to do it. I have no desire to scuba though I love to snorke. In your position I would go for it, you have nothing to lose in the training and if you dont get certified or do and choose not to use it thats still okay. Ithink you’ll regret not trying.

If it was me - I would take the course (do better then my kids) knowing I can stop at any point, decide later if I use my new certification.

I always look at stats, the percentage of divers hurt while diving is very low.

You get to decide what is best for you.

My first lesson was pretty informal. A friend, a mask, a tank and regulator, a private pool - I did my first pool dive at 14. My ’instructor’ was also 14. Her father left his equipment next to the pool, we tried it while he supervised from a lounge chair. We dove a lot without formal SCUBA education and before there even was PADI ’certification’. We watched Jacques Cousteau films, that counted. I did end up getting certified when in my 20s.

Like mentioned in a post above, the worse part of diving for me was the wet suit. I stopped diving in cold water. Cold is relative. I have no problem diving or swimming in springs, others may think 72 degrees is too cold.

Most fun experience was actually while snorkling in Homosassa Springs (back in olden times when doing so was still allowed). A baby manatee took a liking to me and kept nudging me. Trying to nurse?

I'm changing my answer. I spoke to dh and read him my response and he said how terrible it is that we're advising giving in to fear. Then I reminded him it's not fear, per se, but rather the anxiety that I get from hearing that hhhgghh, hhhgghh, sound while snorkeling. He told me that you don't hear that while scuba diving. What you hear is the sound of bubbles. Then he replicated (or tried to) the bubble sound. It was delightful (and funny). I know I would love the feeling of weightlessness and water all around me, and, sorry Ida, the natural sea life (I'm avoiding the "F" word.)

So, an about face from me. Try it and let us know if you end up loving it. I may do the same.

I feel kind of the same-- I answered the question based on how *I* feel now for me. I so remember the joy and excitement I felt when I first considered scuba diving-- the otherworldly sense of peace and being a part of the world under water.

I definitely don't want to dissuade you from giving it a try-- it very well could be an experience that develops into a new love for you!

I SCUBAed when I was in my 30s and 40s and always had a bit of apprehension before going into the water, but once I was in and down, it was such a glorious experience.

One thing you might look into is whether you could do shore dives versus boat dives. It all depends on the location. Bonaire, for example, has some great shore diving. I found shore dives less stressful than being on the dock at a certain time, piling onto a boat with 20 other people, smelling the gas fumes, feeling rushed to get my equipment on and then jumping in.

WIth a shore dive, you take a tank, walk out, and start swimming.

Graywings, shore dives sound so much easier. I watched way to many Jacques . Cousteau shows and was already thinking how hard it would be to fall backwards into the sea.

I never did that backwards roll unless there was no choice. It left me discombobulated once I in the water. Why start out doing a backwards somersault? I would either step off the dive platform or climb down the ladder, putting my fins on once I was in the water.

Last year I tried zip lining for the first time. Loved it! We did the whole course! There are LOTS of things to try....that might be scary...

Hmm, looks like you don't need a wetsuit. And shore dives are not uncommon. Both helpful...