This article is for information only and does not replace advice from a doctor trained in diving medicine.
In a public safety announcement published in Alert Diver in 2019, Divers Alert Network (DAN) describes panic as the moment divers become overwhelmed by fear or anxiety and behave wildly, without thinking. That last part matters most. A panicking diver stops solving the problem in front of them.
The good news is that panic rarely comes out of nowhere. It usually builds from stress you can spot, name and handle before it takes over. This page explains how that happens, what the warning signs look like in you and in your buddy, and how training gives you a better response when a dive gets difficult.
What is the difference between stress and panic underwater?
Stress is the tension you feel when you expect a problem; panic is the point where that tension takes control of your actions. SSI (Scuba Schools International) puts it simply in its article on dive panic: stress is the expectation of future threat, while fear responds to a threat that is already there.
A little stress is normal. It keeps you checking your gauge and watching your buddy. The trouble starts when it keeps growing. Your breathing speeds up, you feel short of air, and the feeling of air hunger feeds even more anxiety. At that stage, SSI describes panic as a sudden and powerful surge of fear that can push a diver toward a dangerous escape, such as a rushed ascent to the surface.
What usually triggers stress on a dive?
Most dive stress comes from three sources: something you were already worried about, something that surprises you underwater, and the pressure not to speak up. DAN lists all three in its announcement.
- Fears you have not dealt with. Mask clearing and the idea of getting tangled are two examples DAN gives. If a skill made you uneasy in training, it can come back at depth.
- A startling event or a hard problem. A free-flowing regulator, a mask full of water, a sudden current, low visibility or losing sight of your buddy.
- Ego. DAN points out that some divers get in the water despite feeling uneasy, because they do not want to look nervous or hold up the group.
SSI adds that panic tends to appear when a person has no solution to a critical problem, and that disorientation and reduced sensory input are common triggers, even for experienced divers.
Even something small can start the chain. A jellyfish brushing your face during a dive will hurt, and the shock alone can speed up your breathing. If that happens, our page on remedies that relieve a jellyfish sting covers what to do once you are out of the water.
How can you spot stress in yourself or your buddy?
You can often see stress before the dive even starts, and the signs change once you are underwater. DAN groups them into two lists, summarized below.
| When | Signs listed by DAN | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Before the dive | Talking much more than usual, or being unusually quiet; avoiding a subject; checking gear over and over; asking the same question repeatedly; odd behavior | Ask calmly how they feel, go over the dive plan together, and agree that anyone can call the dive |
| At the surface | Thrashing, struggling with equipment | Get close, help them establish positive buoyancy, keep your voice calm |
| Underwater | Wide-eyed stare, rapid breathing, spitting out the regulator, no answer to signals, wrong hand signals, sudden loss of buoyancy control | Make eye contact, signal to slow down and breathe, offer a simple fix, end the dive together if needed |
SSI also describes a second, quieter form it calls passive panic. The diver looks calm from the outside but has mentally shut down. According to SSI, such a diver may lose their regulator and not try to put it back. That is why a buddy who seems a little too still deserves a check, not just one who is thrashing around.
What should you do when stress starts building during a dive?
Stop, think and breathe: that is the first response DAN recommends when you feel uncomfortable underwater. Stop moving, get hold of something solid or hold your position, and take slow, full breaths. Long exhalations help bring your breathing rate back down.
Then deal with one problem at a time. Is it the mask? Clear it. Is it the regulator? Switch to your alternate source or your buddy’s. Is it your buoyancy? Add or release a little air. Most dive problems have a known fix, and you practiced it in training.
If you are still overwhelmed, DAN’s advice is to move to shallower water or end the dive safely. Signal your buddy, ascend at a normal rate and make your safety stop if you can. Ending a dive early is not a failure. It is a decision.
When it is your buddy who is struggling, DAN suggests staying positive and reassuring without brushing off their fear, and helping with simple equipment problems.
How does training help you respond better in difficult situations?
Training works because it replaces a frightening unknown with a familiar routine. When you have flooded and cleared your mask twenty times in a pool, a flooded mask at 18 meters becomes a task rather than a threat.
SSI names four ways to keep panic away: formal training, regular diving, respecting your limits and increasing dive difficulty gradually. DAN points the same way when it recommends practicing challenging skills in a pool to build confidence.
In practice, that means a few habits:
- Repeat the skills that bother you. Mask removal, regulator recovery and air sharing are the usual ones. Do them in a pool or in calm, shallow water until they feel boring.
- Dive often. A long break makes basic gestures less automatic. A refresher session with an instructor after months out of the water is a sensible step.
- Add one new difficulty at a time. A first night dive, a first drift dive, or a first deeper dive, but not all three on the same day.
- Take a stress and rescue course. Several agencies offer one, such as the SSI Diver Stress and Rescue program or the PADI Rescue Diver course. These courses teach you to recognize a diver in difficulty and respond, which also makes you calmer about your own problems.
A good dive center will let you go at your own pace. If you are planning a trip to Corsica, the Hippocampe diving centre in Porto-Vecchio is one of the clubs presented on our site.
Why does talking before the dive make such a difference?
Because many stressful situations start on the boat, not underwater. DAN’s first advice in its announcement is to communicate openly with your buddy about your concerns and the dive plan before you get in.
Say it if you slept badly, if the current worries you or if you have not dived in a year. Agree on hand signals, on air limits for turning the dive, and on what happens if you get separated. A shared plan gives both of you an answer before the question comes up. That is exactly what someone in panic lacks.
If a dive leaves you shaken, talk about it afterward too. Going back over what happened, with your buddy or an instructor, helps you turn a bad moment into experience instead of a lasting fear. If the anxiety sticks with you between dives, a doctor or a professional familiar with diving can help.
FAQ
Is it normal to feel stressed before a dive?
Yes. Some stress before a dive is normal and keeps you alert. It becomes a problem when it grows to the point where you stop thinking clearly, which is what panic is.
What are the first signs of panic underwater?
Rapid breathing, a wide-eyed stare, poor buoyancy control, no response to hand signals and spitting out the regulator are among the signs listed by DAN. Some divers show passive panic instead and freeze while looking calm.
What should I do if I start to panic during a dive?
Stop, think and breathe slowly. Hold your position, deal with one problem at a time and, if you still feel overwhelmed, signal your buddy and move to shallower water or end the dive safely.
Can training really reduce panic?
Yes. Repeating skills such as mask clearing and air sharing makes them automatic, and SSI lists formal training, regular diving, respecting your limits and gradual progression as the main ways to prevent panic.
Sources
- Public Safety Announcement: Preventing Panic (Divers Alert Network, Alert Diver, 2019)
- Dive Panic: Why it Happens and How to Prevent it (SSI, Scuba Schools International, undated)