SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Practice Exam

What should you do to manage buoyancy effectively?

1. Add air in small puffs only

2. Keep a steady hand on the BC inflator

3. Ignore any changes in depth

4. Hold your breath to sink

The correct answer is: Keep a steady hand on the BC inflator

Managing buoyancy effectively while scuba diving is crucial for safety, comfort, and environmental protection. Keeping a steady hand on the buoyancy compensator (BC) inflator allows divers to make precise adjustments to buoyancy as needed. This involves making small, controlled additions of air to the BC to achieve neutral buoyancy, which is essential when ascending, descending, or hovering. Talking about the other options, adding air in small puffs is a practice that can help but is reliant on the diver being able to monitor their position in the water and might not be sufficient alone for managing buoyancy effectively. Ignoring changes in depth would lead to potential uncontrolled ascents or descents, which can be dangerous. Holding your breath to sink goes against safe diving practices, as it can lead to lung overexpansion injuries if the diver ascends suddenly while holding their breath. Therefore, maintaining a steady hand on the inflator is the most effective method for managing buoyancy during a dive.