From Panic to Passion

By Alexandra Caine

For many people, getting into scuba diving starts with a lifelong dream. For Alex, it started with a classic honeymoon compromise.

Back in the spring of 2006, Alex and her then husband were backpacking around Thailand. He really wanted to learn to dive. Alex wasn’t super enthusiastic, but it sounded like a fun adventure, so they headed to Koh Chang. It was long before the days of TripAdvisor, so they simply walked into the very first dive center their accommodation recommended.

They had no idea what they were getting into.

The Nightmare Ascent on OW Dive 4

Their confined water instructor was a former Russian Navy diver. He tried his best, but Alex struggled immensely with mask clearing and buoyancy—skills she admits she didn’t truly master until years later during her Rescue course.

Then came the Open Water dives, a new instructor, and a recipe for pure terror.

Because all their skills had been taught in a swimming pool, transitioning buoyancy to salt water felt overwhelming. Everything reached a breaking point on Open Water Dive 4 at 15 meters:

“I still have no idea what caused the initial unintended ascent. Maybe I confused the inflate and deflate buttons, took too big a breath, or kicked too hard while out of trim. But I clearly remember my instructor frantically signalling to me to release air—and I just didn’t understand what to do.”

With her legs going “flippity-flap” and breathing like a steam train, she couldn’t stop. She shot all the way to the surface.

She was left floating alone and terrified. When the instructor finally surfaced, he shouted at her, likely out of his own fear that she might have given herself DCS. To make matters worse, despite the near-miss, he still signed her off as an Open Water Diver.

Alex made up her mind right then and there: she was never diving again. She was a danger to herself.

Cyprus, 2007: Taking Control

A year later, on a holiday in Cyprus, friends convinced her to give it another shot. She decided to take the Peak Performance Buoyancy module as part of her Advanced course.

With different instructors and a calmer environment, things began to click. Her buoyancy was far from “peak,” but the sheer terror was gone, replaced by a healthy respect for the water. Still, surrounded by octopuses in the Mediterranean, she hadn’t quite fallen in love with the underwater world yet.

Dahab, 2010: The Turning Point

Three years passed without a single dive. In 2010, her ex wanted a dive trip to the Red Sea. Extremely nervous, Alex started researching and discovered a laid-back town named Dahab. It felt like a much better fit than Sharm El Sheikh, so she booked a local dive center (we shall not mention names).

The first dive in Dahab was a disaster. So was the second. In fact, most of the dives that week were a struggle.

And yet, that was the exact week Alex fell in love with diving.

The Lesson: Persistence Over Perfection

It took a long time, countless dives, and years of practice for Alex to master her buoyancy. Today, after nearly 14 years of teaching others, she still looks at photos and videos of herself floating perfectly still underwater and feels a quiet sense of amazement.

The water is now her happy place.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago in the Canyon. Now a rock-solid instructor with 14 years of teaching experience, Alex got her photo taken by a fellow diver (Alberto Groppo, @groppoalberto) and can now confidently say:

“Happy because I’m exactly where I want and need to be.”

Photo © Alberto Groppo (@groppoalberto)

Every expert was once a terrified beginner. Every confident technical instructor once had a dive that made them want to quit. If you are struggling with your buoyancy, panicking through mask clears, or feeling overwhelmed during your course, don’t give up just yet.

Your “Canyon moment” is waiting for you. It just takes time, patience, and the right team by your side. 💙

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