SH240: Top Tips for Beginner Divers: Leadership and Followership

This episode explores what happened when an inexperienced diver, John, assumed he was “just meant to follow” his far more experienced buddy, Shona- and how a simple sea dive turned stressful when expectations weren’t shared. Their miscommunication shows that good teamwork in diving isn’t automatic: leaders need to notice when teammates are struggling, and followers need to speak up, ask questions, and stay involved in the plan. We look at how beginners can build both leadership and followership from day one through curiosity, clear expectations, simple pre-dive questions, and short debriefs. The story highlights that safe, enjoyable dives come from shared mental models, mutual accountability, and the courage to communicate- no matter how new you are.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-leadership-and-followership

Links: Debrief model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debrief

Top Tips for Beginner Divers- Teamwork: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/top-tips-for-beginner-divers-teamwork

Dive briefings: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/Why%20are%20dive%20briefings%20important%3F%20How%20to%20deliver%20them%20effectively

Psychological safety: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/HFforD-part-10-psychological-safety

Tags:  English, Beginners, Communications, Followership, Gareth Lock, Leadership, Teamwork