Skill demonstration – how to demonstrate a buoyancy check at the surface

Today we will look at a skill that is useful for both your PADI Divemaster and PADI IDC course.  It is part of the skill circuit that you are required to complete for both of these courses.

Getting comfortable with the skill requires some practice.  It is also important to understand the intent of the skill: what is it meant to explain to the student and/or make them understand about diving?

The buoyancy check at the surface is designed to ensure the diver is properly weighted before a dive.

In order to demonstrate this skill, here are a few steps to follow:

• With a fully inflated BCD, position yourself in water that’s too deep to stand.
• Show your students that you are breathing normally, then take a big breath and hold it.
• Deflate your BCD fully. As you are holding your breath you should still float at the surface with the water around eye level.
• Slowly exhale and you should begin to sink down. With good breath control, you can then easily reach neutral buoyancy below the surface. You can now show your students how using good breath control can assist their descent.

This skill is very useful when diving in open water with people who are diving for the first time or who haven’t been in the water for a while, and are unsure how much weight they need.

You can also use this quick check after a dive when the diver is low on air. By performing this skill, if the diver still sinks pretty fast they are most likely using too much weight.

During your PADI Divemaster or Instructor course you will practice this skill and hopefully, these tips will help you master it!