Hi Everybody,
I need your help. I am writing a book that aims to help people overcome their fear of water or deep water and I need some input and interviews with anyone who fits the following categories:
1. You are comfortable in the water/underwater. Yet you can remember a time when you were not and can describe in great detail what changed for you.
2. You consider yourself part fish(!) and are extremely comfortable in any one or all of the following: surf, deep scuba, competitive swimming, open water swimming, or freediving. How do you view fear in your activity? Are there things that are beyond your considerable comfort zone?
3. You may be a confident swimmer, but still have fear or anxiety about being in deep water/open water/ or water over your head. What thoughts, feelings, and ideas are contributing to that unease? How do you feel in a pool, lake, river, sea, or ocean?
4. You or someone you know overcame a fear of the water on their own or with the help of someone else. What made the difference?
Obviously, it would be great to have a discussion here, but I am also looking to interview those of you with have interesting things to say that can help other people see their own relationships to water in a new light. I believe that thread content is copyrighted, so I don't think I can use anything posted for my book. I will ideally like to conduct the interview over the phone, Skype, or by email. If you are in Vancouver, BC, I'd be happy to meet you.
Please send me a Private Email if you can help!
Many thanks,
Peter Scott
Vancouver, BC
Hi. I consider myself part of the second category. I am very comfortable in the water, no matter how deep. I do open water swims and the vast, deep blue does not phase me at all. In the middle of the channel for the Great Cheasapeake Bay Swim, the water gets about 90 to 100 feet deep - doesn't phase me.
As another example, when I did the Bonaire Ecoswim in 2005, I pulled really far to the right and ended up way far from the shore. The kayakers didn't even know where I was. I was pretty much alone out there. When I stopped for a second to look around and saw that I was truly alone, I thought, oh well, they'll catch up. I can get some water and the turnaround boat. And I just kept swimming. They did eventually find me, and I found my way to the turnaround. I was dead last, so the turnaround boat pulled anchor and followed me all the way back to the finish line. I was alone on the way there, but very well accompanied on the way back. (The organizers and the support boats were very upset. Last year, they kept really good track of us. Plus, I swam a bit straighter and didn't end up so far from shore.)
I also don't worry about sharks or any of that stuff. I won't be stupid and jump in in the middle of a bunch of them, but I won't let the threat of sealife stop me from swimming. NOTE: I might draw the line at the Amazon swim, though. Ugh! He's just plain certifiable!
I also scuba dive and love it very much. I am a bit less comfortable at great depths (more than 100 feet) in full scuba, since more can go wrong than swimming on the surface. But I still do it, it doesn't bother me much. This might be something that challenges my considerable comfort level. Scuba diving to more than 100 feet I do get a bit nervous, but it doesn't phase me when swimming on the surface.
I really don't think of fear when I am doing these things. I am not a super duper strong swimmer, but I am good enough to do the 10K Bonaire Ecoswim and the 4.4 mile Bay Swim multiple times each. I guess I just love water, and I don't fear it at all - I don't know why. I never had a bad "drowning" experience when I was little, I don't actually remember taking swim lessons, just learned to swim. I am the youngest of 7 kids, but the only real swimmer in the family. I can't really explain it, but I do feel one with the water, it just feels natural.
Feel free to send me a private message if you would like to discuss more.
Diana
Hi. I consider myself part of the second category. I am very comfortable in the water, no matter how deep. I do open water swims and the vast, deep blue does not phase me at all. In the middle of the channel for the Great Cheasapeake Bay Swim, the water gets about 90 to 100 feet deep - doesn't phase me.
As another example, when I did the Bonaire Ecoswim in 2005, I pulled really far to the right and ended up way far from the shore. The kayakers didn't even know where I was. I was pretty much alone out there. When I stopped for a second to look around and saw that I was truly alone, I thought, oh well, they'll catch up. I can get some water and the turnaround boat. And I just kept swimming. They did eventually find me, and I found my way to the turnaround. I was dead last, so the turnaround boat pulled anchor and followed me all the way back to the finish line. I was alone on the way there, but very well accompanied on the way back. (The organizers and the support boats were very upset. Last year, they kept really good track of us. Plus, I swam a bit straighter and didn't end up so far from shore.)
I also don't worry about sharks or any of that stuff. I won't be stupid and jump in in the middle of a bunch of them, but I won't let the threat of sealife stop me from swimming. NOTE: I might draw the line at the Amazon swim, though. Ugh! He's just plain certifiable!
I also scuba dive and love it very much. I am a bit less comfortable at great depths (more than 100 feet) in full scuba, since more can go wrong than swimming on the surface. But I still do it, it doesn't bother me much. This might be something that challenges my considerable comfort level. Scuba diving to more than 100 feet I do get a bit nervous, but it doesn't phase me when swimming on the surface.
I really don't think of fear when I am doing these things. I am not a super duper strong swimmer, but I am good enough to do the 10K Bonaire Ecoswim and the 4.4 mile Bay Swim multiple times each. I guess I just love water, and I don't fear it at all - I don't know why. I never had a bad "drowning" experience when I was little, I don't actually remember taking swim lessons, just learned to swim. I am the youngest of 7 kids, but the only real swimmer in the family. I can't really explain it, but I do feel one with the water, it just feels natural.
Feel free to send me a private message if you would like to discuss more.
Diana
