1) Listen to and watch your instructor. When your instructor is demonstrating a skill, pay attention. The instructor is demonstrating the skills for your benefit (hopefully they have already mastered the skills themselves).

2) Everything in your course has a reason (even that damn snorkel), even if to begin with you don’t understand what the reason is. Your instructor should explain why you are required to do A, B & C. They are not asking you to do something for the sheer hell of it.

3) Relax – easy to say, not always easy to do – nearly everyone has problems (sometimes major, sometimes minor) when they start off, it is almost expected. 

4) Don’t beat yourself about the head over something, your instructor will work with you until the perceived problem is no longer. 

5) Don’t worry if the student next to you seems to grasp the theory or water skills quicker than you. It is not a competition. People learn at different speeds. It doesn’t matter how quickly you complete the course, all that matters is you complete the course.

6) Never be afraid to ask questions. People often don’t ask questions or ask for another demonstration as they’re afraid of appearing stupid or slow witted.

7) Don’t confuse the Open Water course for diving. Some people get halfway through the course and then say “this isn’t really for me”. For most people a dive is jump in the water, have a look at the fish or wrecks, and get out of the water. On most general dives we don’t remove our masks underwater, perform fin pivots, remove our regulators etc. The course is a means to an end, not the end itself.

8) One last thing – Enjoy it. That is what it is fundamentally about, fun. That’s why we call it recreational diving.