#1639
SeaGoat - 8/22/2015 1:16 PM
Tamara put it very well.

The one thing I would add is patience. When I began to dive, I was afraid of putting my head under water (Yes, seriously!) and it took me almost 6 months to get through Open Water training. During this time, I had two instructors and both of them gave the impression of having all the time in the world for me and let me work through my issues at my own pace. Ten years later, I became an instructor myself and I have never seen another diver have as many problems as I did. In hindsight, I think I forced them to learn new teaching techniques and I was an excellent problem child for their dive master candidates.

I encourage my students to let me know when they are uncomfortable in their gear or even a bit nervous. Usually just a small adjustment or a different explanation will make them more comfortable and, in turn, make your job easier underwater.

Finally, never underestimate the power of eye contact or touch. One of my instructors let me hold his hand and it really put me at ease. He said he did it because he could always tell how a student was doing according to whether they tensed up or relaxed. I do it all the time now.