The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Buoyancy Part 1
In diving, mastering neutral buoyancy is a crucial skill. The key is to anticipate changes in buoyancy rather than reacting hastily after the change occurs. Understanding and preparing for these changes in advance is a skill every diver should master.
Descending Phase:
During descent, we are usually in a state of negative buoyancy. At this stage, you need to pay attention to your current depth, ear pressure equalization, and the position of your dive buddy. Especially at advanced dive sites, we may need to maintain a stable position at a specific depth (like 20 meters) rather than descending all the way to the bottom. This requires us to inflate the BCD while descending to achieve neutral buoyancy.
Depth Changes:
When moving to deeper waters, the increasing pressure compresses both the wetsuit and the air in the BCD, reducing buoyancy. At this time, we need to timely inflate the BCD to maintain buoyancy balance.
Ascending Phase:
Due to the decrease in water pressure, the air in the BCD expands, increasing buoyancy, which may cause too rapid an ascent. Also, as the water pressure decreases, the wetsuit returns to its normal thickness, further increasing buoyancy. Therefore, we should be ready to release excess air from the BCD immediately to avoid uncontrollable rapid ascend.
Conclusion:
Whether descending, deep water swimming, or ascending, understanding and anticipating buoyancy changes, and timely adjusting the BCD, is key to safe diving. Hope every diver can become a master of neutral buoyancy!