Anyone else have a fear of the ocean?
 

So I was wondering, does anyone else have a fear of the ocean?

For example, for me, I have a hard time going in the ocean farther than I can stand in. Watching Jaws when I was little, and having a fear of heights ("vertigo" in the water?) gets me everytime. Hell, even in a swimming pool, in the back of my head, an eery feeling sometimes gets to me. I think it's mainly the thought of how deep the ocean can get that really gets me. Of course, being in a part of the ocean that may have sharks, just compounds the effect for me.

So for anyone else who may be afraid, how might you suggest getting over it? Something I have always wanted to do, scuba diving, snorkeling, requires me getting past this. I plan on doing it when I make my trip to the Philippines.

this thread isn't Community Buzz material, so I'll transfer to OMNI,

Willie
co-moderator of community buzz

Good thing it wasn't moved to the FT Cruise Forum. :D

Where the OP can no longer access it? Awesome. I'm sure he appreciates it.

But the OP doesn't have OMNI access......

On the chance that this gets moved back...part of your success getting into the ocean (scuba diving or snorkeling) may be the fact that you can now see what's happening around you.

I don't have a fear of the ocean, per se, but I do have a fear of obese people in swimwear that generally tend to be bobbing in it near the beaches.

Sadly, there are some folks who should have had more fear of the ocean:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hawai...d-threads.html

... or at least respect...

I am an uncomfortable (and poor) surface swimmer... but found myself to be a keen and (dare I say it?:D) smooth and graceful scuba diver...

Being under the water made a world of difference to me... hard to explain but true...

Actually like being ON the ocean in a ship or boat too.... maybe I'm just weird...;)

I'm not afraid of sharks, but at a beach I too only go in as far as I can comfortably stand. I don't think it's a fear...I just don't like swimming on the surface. I rarely ever really *swim* in the ocean at all.

I want to try scuba. Everyone I've talked to says that it's a totally different sensation without the unpleasantness of snorkeling in choppy water. The problem is finding time to learn and get certified... I can see this being a thing that once I learn, I'll want to do a dive trip somewhere new in the world every year. If only I can find the time in my everyday life to do the certification classes...

Maybe the Omni mods should kick this back.. For fun :D

Well, at least you did not use the word logic in your post! ;)

Usually I don't have a fear of the ocean, although our last vacation to the Hawaiian islands, since the Tsunami hit a few weeks prior, had us wondering about the safety in the oceans, because of the Japan nuclear fallout. There was lots of talk with food and milk with radiation.. hence our thinking that the ocean may have had dangerous radioactive levels. But I don't think any concerns were documented in Hawaii. We'll be enjoying the ocean once again this year extensively.

I think a person with a fear of the ocean wouldn't fair well with Scuba. I was in Maui last week and took a Scuba class with 4 others. 2 of the other people in the class couldn't get back the 4' dept in the training pool due to their fear of the ocean closing in on them.