Which skill is essential for staying in a position while floating on your back?

The essential skill for staying in a position while floating on your back is finning. Finning involves using your legs to create small, gentle kicks, which helps maintain stability and buoyancy in the water. This action promotes a streamlined position, allowing you to stay afloat effectively. When you use finning techniques, you engage your core and legs properly, facilitating a balance that is crucial for back floating.

In contrast, paddling typically refers to using your arms to move through the water and is not primarily focused on maintaining a floating position. Sinking is the opposite of staying afloat, as it involves a loss of buoyancy, and diving requires descending rather than maintaining a surface position. Therefore, finning is the key technique that aids in staying positioned while floating on your back.