In order to be successful at diving, here are some tips for beginners and advanced alike:

• Take your time and breathe; before you get into the water, take two full minutes to run through the checklist of all the things you need; do you have all of your equipment on? Does it feel well fitted and ok? Do you feel ok? Are you feeling sick or unwell at all? Do you have a plan for rescue/ in case of emergencies? Make and run through your mental checklist as part of your pre- diving routine.
• Buddy system; it is almost always mandatory and non-optional to use the buddy system when diving. Make sure you have someone with you who is experienced enough and make sure that anyone diving has a buddy. There should always be one buddy per diver, that is the ideal and safest ratio.
• Be aware when you reach different depths; Ask yourself how you feel and if everything feels normal and safe as you get deeper. Take a minute to stop and check all of your equipment and verify your buddy is still nearby and wit you.
• Relax; this is for a number of reasons, one of the main ones being to find ideal buoyancy. Going limp is the best way to find ideal buoyancy.
• Go slowly; when diving and swimming, the faster you go, the more air you will use. So. to minimize air consumption and maximize your time spent under water, go flower and try and keep a steady and stable pace.
• Don’t swim along the bottom or along the surface; Both the surface and the bottom create turbulence that can make it harder to swim and to move.
• Steady breathe; be sure to take slow and steady breathe, the faster you breathe, the more air you will consume and use. This is also important in order to keep buoyancy and for overall safety.
• Take turns leading; the buddy system doesn’t require that the same person be the leader at all times. In fact, to maximize the buddy system, it can be best practice to take turns leading and in different roles.
• Communication; when diving and using the buddy system, be sure that both parties are on the same page in terms of setting boundaries, and on the overall limits and rules of diving. Keeping open lines of communication ensures the comfort and success of both divers.