Freshwater diving is fun, but reef diving is awesome. I went in the bahamas a few years ago and since i didnt have any corrective lenses at the time, i had to get a little closer to the fish, corals, and a nurse shark then the rest of the divers to see them... the shark was quite awesome. No better way to get over a fear than to just do it! I must say, if it were a great white, i wouldnt have gone in at all without a cage. lol