5 Tips to Achieve Neutral Buoyancy When Scuba Diving

Whether you’re new to diving or you’re an old pro, there’s one thing you’re likely to struggle with: buoyancy. The goal for scuba divers is to achieve neutral buoyancy, allowing them to float weightlessly in the water, without rising up or sinking down. This stillness is key to getting close to reefs and other underwater treasures without coming into contact with them.

Peak bouyancy will make your dive easier. You’ll use less energy, which means less air consumption, longer dives, and feeling less tired after your dive.

A wide range of factors contribute to buoyancy—diving depth, wetsuit thickness, body mass and more. So how do you achieve the perfect balance for neutral buoyancy? Here’s what you need to know.

THE 3 ELEMENTS OF BUOYANCY CONTROL

THE BUOYANCY CONTROL

The buoyancy control (BC) is a diver’s best friend. This special vest contains inflatable bladders that allow divers to adjust their buoyancy throughout their dive.

DIVING WEIGHTS

Weights also aid divers in negating natural buoyancy. Whether using lead weights, weighted belts or weighted harnesses, these devices give divers the extra weight they need to get to the ocean floor.

LUNG VOLUME

Breathing affects buoyancy more than you might think. Air will do everything it can to rise, dramatically increasing a diver’s buoyancy. In fact, lungs filled with air can increase buoyancy up to 10lbs!

5 TIPS TO ACHIEVE NEUTRAL BUOYANCY WHEN SCUBA DIVING

FINE-TUNE YOUR WEIGHTS

The general rule of thumb when choosing diving weights is to go for 10% of your body weight. While this is a good jumping off point (pun intended), there are still many factors to consider when weighting before a dive.

For example, if you’re donning a brand new wetsuit, you’ll need more weight than someone wearing and older one. Or, if you have a naturally high lung capacity, you may need extra weight. By keeping a log of the weights you use in different diving locations and the buoyancy you experience, you’ll be able to hone in on your best weight combo.

LEVERAGE YOUR LUNGS

Breathing is key when it comes to buoyancy. Full lungs will help you to surface, while empty lungs can help with a smooth decent. By keeping your breathing calm and even during your dive, you’ll level your buoyancy.

PERFORM A BUOYANCY CHECK

Before diving in, make sure to do a buoyancy check. Find a spot that’s just a little bit too deep to stand in. Once in position, start to let the air out of your buoyancy compensator and take a normal breath in. Hold that breath at the top and stay still for a moment. If you’re properly weighted, you will float at about eye line to sea level.

USE THE DEFLATOR

While making your decent, always hold your deflator pointing toward the surface. This will assist you in sinking to the optimal level for diving. And don’t forget to be patient—air can often get trapped in your vest, especially if it’s not fitted properly. You should be able to get rid of it by getting in a head up position and raising the deflator.

RELAX

Many divers unintentionally move around more at the start of the dive. We are conditioned, as humans, to make movements to avoid drowning when sinking in water. As minute as these motions may be, they interfere with buoyancy, and can make you feel lighter than you really are. Aim for a calm stillness as you make your decent.

BETTERING YOUR BUOYANCY

While these tips can help level out your buoyancy, keep in mind that no two dives are the same. You may need very different weights, breathing tactics or BC usage depending on dive location, equipment or even physical health. By staying in tune with your body and being patient, you’ll be able to attain the weightless dive you’ve been “weighting” for.