Scuba diving is arguably one of the best feelings in the world. You are completely weightless in the water as you glide over coral with marine life swimming past. Safety is the number one priority for divers around the world. Diving within your certification limits and experience level is required in order to dive safely. If you don’t feel like it or are physically unwell, don’t dive. It’s that simple. 

Listen to your instructor. Your instructor is your guide and ultimately wants you to succeed and become another advocate for the underwater world. They have years of experience and knowledge of a sport that is still new to you. Ask them questions and anything you do not understand. There are no stupid questions and your instructor is here to teach you the fundamentals and ensure that you can dive with a buddy unsupervised. 

In every entry-level course for scuba diving, you will have several confined sessions, theory, and open water dives. The course teaches you the fundamentals of diving practices, safety procedures, buddy systems, dive theory and skills. During the confined and open water dives you will practice and demonstrate these skills. The idea of any beginner course is to provide a diver with all the knowledge that they will need and that in the case of an emergency they will know what to do. 

Try to stay close to your buddy and dive guide or instructor. In the case of an emergency, it’s important to be relatively close to your buddy so you can swim to them and signal what the issue is. Once certified, plan dives according to the least experienced divers’ level and experience. It is both a buddy and group activity. 

One of the best pieces of advice from experienced scuba divers is practice your natural buoyancy. While using your BCD effectively is part of the skills required to become a scuba diver, you will become a lot more comfortable once you begin to use your lungs. With some practice, you will be able to control your body effortlessly with only your breath. 

Get some practice in the pool before you start. Being comfortable in the water will help when it comes to diving. Try opening your eyes and swimming underwater to get used to the sensation. Understand your equipment before getting in the water. The more time you spend learning about your equipment the easier it will be once in the water. 

Remember to relax and have fun. Scuba diving is truly remarkable and should be a fun experience.