Mine came in a quarry in Ohio. I had learned in the warm waters of south Florida and other tropical Carribean locations with plenty of viz and no more than a 3 mil wetsuit. I decided that I wanted to do a LOT more diving, and a friend of mine owned a dive shop so I started diving a little with him. I was invited to a quarry that we frequently visit, though this was my first time when this happened. Everybody had already entered, and my buddy, a divemaster student, was waiting for me a little on the impatient side. It was taking me a while gearing up because I wasn’t used to a 7 mm two peice with a whole assload of bouyancy and all the extra encumberance of cold water diving. I also was used to boat dives where I got ready and jumped right in, not having to walk 100 yards to get into the water. I did all of it got all ready, 88 degrees outside, I’m sweltering and headed into the water, out of breath, hooded for the first time, everything that could be set up for disaster I had it. I got in swam out to my buddy and we started to descend, I kept having trouble equalizing my ears on the way down, having to stop and ascend slightly then continue (the only time that has ever happened to me before or since). We finally reached about 49 feet then started our swim to meet the others that were down, but I kept having problems with my bouyancy with the 7 mil and all this weight. At the same time my buddy keeps grabbing for my inflator and making me more stressed. So let’s see low viz, cold water, barely controlled bouyancy, overheated, out of breath, difficulty equalizing, check. I was right there and it happened, my mask moved letting just a little water into my nose, and I FREAKED. Planted my right foot on the bottom and laddered my way to the surface. The whole time I knew I was freaking, and I couldn’t control it. I knew all the things to stop doing and did it anyway. Well I was ready to sell my dive gear right then and there and quit. My buddies wouldn’t have any of it, and helped regain my confidence so much so that I am a trimix tech diver now. Nothing phases me underwater now. I know that if I am breathing, I have time to take care of anything. My friend that owned the shop got me into his pool and doing a lot of task loading exercises to the point that if my mask floods I just close my eyes and sometimes don’t even clear it right away. I took, and got my rescue cert and trimix, and deep diver certs. By the way I got rid of the stupid 7mm two piece and bought a drysuit so I don’t have that bouyancy problem again!