What Is The Most Important Skill For A New Diver?

[OE2X]

Someone has gotten OW certified. What is/are the most important skill(s) to learn?

If there are more than one skills please list the order of importance.

Please lets keep this from being a flame fest, as we all started out or may still have skills to work on.

 

[Dive-aholic]

No question - buoyancy.

Navigation is important too, but you can always follow your buddy around. You can't hang on your buddy to keep off the bottom or from surfacing.

 

[baitedstorm]

breathing

 

[HammerNoMore]

I agree, boyancy is number 2, not holding your breath would have to be number 1.

 

[JeffG]

Breathing underwater without freakin

 

[SeanQ]

I vote for bouyancy control. A lot of beginning dives tend to be "trust me dives" where the newbie is not doing much navigation or planning. Good finning techniques will follow shortly after bouyancy control. [assumption warning] A new diver is more likely to be injured from an uncontrolled ascent than bad navigation skills. (Unless they navigate into a propellor) [/assumption warning]


This is turning out to be a calender month for Scubaboard. What inspired all these good threads?

 

[Rick Inman]

I said bouyance & trim because attitude is not really a skill.

 

[StSomewhere]

Good buoyancy, because most OW divers aren't taught it.

 

[drbill]

I say bouyancy because when I watch other divers at the Casino Pt. Dive Park, that is the element that seems to be missing the most especially in newer divers.

Dr. Bill

 

[Wildcard]

How about thinking? You know, using common sense?