How to Control your Buoyancy

Controlling your buoyancy while SCUBA diving is one of the most important skills you can master. Losing buoyancy control can send you much too deep or send you in an out of control ascent to the surface, risking decompression sickness.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A SCUBA certification (such as from PADI, SSI, NAUI, etc).
• A standard SCUBA equipment set up with a buoyancy control device (BC or BCD).
• A diving buddy.

1. As you descend, add air to your BCD in quick bursts using the low pressure inflator button. Add enough air to keep your descent speed under control.

2. At any time, you should be able to take a deep breath in and stop your descent.

3. When you reach your target depth, add just enough air to keep yourself neutrally buoyant with your lungs half full of air.

4. At this point, you should be able to ascend by breathing in, and descend by breathing out.

5. Your normal breathing patterns will affect your buoyancy. Adjust your breathing so you stay at relatively the same depth.

6. You will find that as you ascend from this depth, you will have to keep less air in your lungs to stay neutral. Eventually you will have to vent air from your BCD to adjust to the new depth.

7. You will find that as you descend from this depth, you will have to keep more air in your lungs to stay neutral. Eventually you will have to add air to your BCD to adjust to the new depth.

8. While ascending, make sure you vent air from your BCD to keep yourself from ascending too quickly out of control. Use your depth gauge or computer to make sure you ascend no faster than 30ft/minute.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice remaining neutrally buoyant throughout your entire dive.
• Always use short bursts when adding air to your BCD and give it time to take affect. Adding too much air will send you to the surface quickly.
• Do not use your inflator/deflator like an "elevator" button. Breathe in or swim up to start ascending, breathe out to start descending. Use the inflator/deflator to adjust to neutral buoyancy afterward.
• Never hold your breath at any time during SCUBA diving. Always keep your airway open especially if you take in a deep breath to ascend, because the air in your lungs will expand as your start to ascend.