Factor's Affecting a Diver's Buoyancy
Breathing and Buoyancy
Your lungs also have an effect on your buoyancy. Most people can float comfortably at the surface with a full breath of air, but sink when they exhale. This is because your lungs produce several pounds of lift when full, and loose that lift when empty.
This affects your buoyancy as you dive. If you're neutrally buoyant, you'll rise as you inhale, and sink as you exhale. For this reason, it's important to maintain a consistent breathing pattern to balance out these shifts in buoyancy.
You can use your lungs to make temporary adjustments in buoyancy. For example, when swimming over rocks or reefs, you can take shallower breaths to compensate for wetsuit and BCD expansion until you return to your original depth.
This affects your buoyancy as you dive. If you're neutrally buoyant, you'll rise as you inhale, and sink as you exhale. For this reason, it's important to maintain a consistent breathing pattern to balance out these shifts in buoyancy.
You can use your lungs to make temporary adjustments in buoyancy. For example, when swimming over rocks or reefs, you can take shallower breaths to compensate for wetsuit and BCD expansion until you return to your original depth.
