Hi Chard,
I have probs with water too. I grew up with a cousin who thought it hilarious to yank people underwater. Unfortunately, I am not a very good swimmer, probably because of my anxiety. For me it hits whenever I get deep enough that it comes up to my chin. But it does get better the more frequently I go into deeper water. Sometimes to help me, (this might sound silly) I'll keep close to the edge of the pool so I feel like I have an out if I need it. I know that even if I panic and suddenly can't swim, that I can kinda almost jump to the edge if I'm close enough. Does this new pool you're trying out get deeper gradually? If so, maybe you could practice slowly going in deeper and deeper. Also, if part of the problem is that you can't stand being submerged, practice submerging yourself in the shallow end for longer and longer periods of time, then start practicing it in deeper and deeper water. Wish I could give you advice coming from someone who's mastered this phobia but I'm still a work in progress. :)
Good luck!
Cynthia
