Finally passed my NAUI open water exam after two attempts, here's what helped

So I just got my certification card in the mail yesterday and I'm still kind of in disbelief. Failed my first attempt back in March — I got a 72 and you need a 75 to pass. Honestly embarrassing, but I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was. The equipment assembly section completely wrecked me because I'd been skimming those chapters.

What turned things around was actually committing to a proper NAUI practice test routine instead of just rereading the manual. I'd do a timed 50-question set every other day for three weeks. The repetition made the regulator and buoyancy compensator questions feel automatic by the time I sat down for the real thing. Also spent time with a solid study guide that broke down the decompression theory in plain English — that stuff is dense.

For anyone prepping right now: don't underestimate the dive tables. I thought I understood them until I actually had to work problems under pressure. Practice those until they're second nature. Happy to answer questions about my experience if it helps anyone else get through this.