Even the smoothest divers started out kicking like frogs and chasing lost regulators. It takes time to master the basics—and that’s perfectly okay. But if you want to blend in with the pros and skip the rookie mistakes, a few smart habits can make a big difference.  

This guide breaks down how to avoid looking like a new diver, so you can focus on enjoying the underwater world with confidence and control.

How to Avoid Looking Like a New Diver

You don’t need fantastic gear or dramatic moves to look like a confident diver. Just a few smart tweaks to your habits can help you blend in with the pros. Let’s learn together in the next lines how to avoid looking like a new diver underwater by avoiding the next acts:

• Overusing the power inflator.
• Chasing After the Interesting Sea Creatures.
• Diving Beyond Their Training Limits.
• Not Asking for Help.
• Arm Swimming and Bicycle kicking.
• Touching or Holding on to Things.
• Forcing Themselves to See the Entire Ocean in One Day.
• Poorly-fitting Gear/Being Unfamiliar with Gear.
• The Buddy Check.
• Avoid Looking Like a New Diver By Skill Development.

Overusing the Power Inflator

New divers often rely too much on their inflator and dump valves in order to control depth in the water. Don’t ever treat your BCD like an elevator.

Most divers learn to control their depth using their breath by practicing, experience and training. You mainly see them venting small amounts of air while ascending from depth.

Chasing After the Interesting Sea Creatures

Both beginner and experienced divers realize well that even the tiniest fish in the ocean can out-swim them. Unfortunately, new divers usually swim towards turtles and any other interesting creatures. This makes the animal scared away. If you are looking for ideal marine life encounters, try to remain as still and calm as possible.

Diving Beyond Their Training Limits

There are certain types of scuba diving, such as wreck, deep, and cavern diving that will demand special training. During your Open Water Diver course®, you will learn many things but there are also many things you should know. Being a new diver shouldn’t make you feel obligated to prove yourself to others.

• If swimming through or a cut out in a wreck makes you feel comfortable, try to swim over the top. Experienced divers understand—and you won’t be the one blamed for messing up the water.
• If you have problems related to buoyancy or other skills, don’t worsen them by taking underwater photos or video.
• Take the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course, as it will help you gain confidence and experience in your diving skills. No need for tests, and there is less bookwork than in the Open Water Diver course. It is recommended to try different types of scuba diving such as underwater photography or dry suit diving and work on perfecting your basic scuba skills like navigation and buoyancy.

Not Asking for Help

Scuba Diving is buddy support, so it is insane to move around with 22kg/50lbs of dive gear on uneven ground or a rocking boat without some help!

Also, some divers prefer gearing up in the water while boat diving. Wear your mask, fins and snorkel, then jump into the water and ask the crew to send your gear down. It’s a common request and seasoned divers often say they should’ve done it earlier.

Arm Swimming and Bicycle kicking

Humans don’t have pectoral fins like fish. Your arms may be useful for swimming in a pool, but they don’t have the same importance underwater. As a new diver, you can use arm swimming, bicycle kicking and plowing through the water at a 45 degree angle (which is referred to as the seahorse position).

In one weekend, if you want to achieve a streamlined swimming position, extend your time underwater, and reduce the used weight, enroll in the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty course.

Touching or Holding on to Things

New scuba divers usually have a tendency to touch the reef even accidentally or on purpose. One of the golden rules of diving is “Look but don’t touch”. When you stick to this rule, you won’t only protect the diver from scrapes and injuries, but you also preserve the underwater environment.

Forcing Themselves to See the Entire Ocean in One Day

Improving your gas consumption underwater needs time and practice, but if you are a new diver, you can easily enjoy longer dives by slowing down.

Many novice divers make the mistake of trying to see the entire ocean in one dive. Slowing down lets you enjoy the underwater world, and stretch your dive time while you’re at it.

Poorly-fitting Gear/Being Unfamiliar with Gear

Ill-fitting gear or being unfamiliar to your dive gear is another sign that you are a new diver. Using rental gear is a good option, but it’s a crucial thing to know how your equipment works, regardless of it’s your personal or rental gear.

Not knowing the proper way to use the oversized gear, dive computer, and fumbling with the BC are small problems many season divers overcome by acquiring a personal set of scuba diving equipment over time and enrolling in the one-day PADI Equipment Specialist course.

The Buddy Check

Experienced divers may try to take a risk upon their safety but you should never do that. It’s fun to see the different ways people remember BWRAF.

Avoid Looking Like a New Diver By Skill Development

Engraining your scuba diving skills won’t only help you avoid looking like a new diver, but also will help you to become an experienced one. Here are 4 tips to do that:

Gain Experience:

Frequent diving will help you sharpen your skills. This will help you to acquire a more confident and experienced look.

Take Advanced Courses:

Scuba Diving courses, such as the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course can help you become a more confident, experienced diver in addition to refining your scuba skills.

If you are extra passionate in this sport, you can delve more in this world by enrolling in more specific courses, such as, cave diving, night diving, etc…

Join a Club:

Dive clubs offer opportunities to practice your scuba skills and gain valuable experience with other seasoned divers. Find a local dive club from here.

Focus on Fundamentals:

Avoid complicating your dives by using extra scuba equipment, like cameras, until becoming highly experienced so that the basics of scuba diving is natural skills.

Why We Love New Divers

After reading the previous tips, don’t think that scuba divers are mean and judgmental. We can say that scuba divers are just super-passionate about the deep blue and want everyone to prioritize their safety while enjoying their adventures.

Divers are super friendly and happy to help beginners—more than most sports. Even old-school divers love hearing turtle stories and gladly share advice on scuba diving equipment and their favorite dive spots.