PADI - Professional Association of Diving Instructors Confined & Open Water Skills Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During an ascent, a diver fine-tunes their buoyancy primarily with their lungs. What is the correct technique to do this while maintaining a controlled ascent rate?
- Use the BCD inflator in short bursts to make minor adjustments.
- Continuously kick upwards to overcome negative buoyancy.
- Exhale fully to descend slightly and inhale fully to rise slightly. (Correct answer)
- Hold their breath to stabilize their position in the water column.
Correct answer: Exhale fully to descend slightly and inhale fully to rise slightly.
Proper buoyancy control during ascent involves using your lungs. By breathing in a slow, relaxed manner, a diver can make small adjustments to their buoyancy. Inhaling deeply will cause a slight rise, and exhaling fully will cause a slight descent, allowing for fine-tuned control without relying solely on the BCD.
Question 2: You are performing a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent (CESA) from a depth of 9 meters/30 feet. Which of the following actions is critical for preventing a lung-overexpansion injury?
- Keeping your regulator in your mouth and breathing normally.
- Dropping your weights immediately to ensure a rapid ascent.
- Making a continuous 'ahhh' sound throughout the ascent. (Correct answer)
- Flaring your arms and legs to slow the ascent.
Correct answer: Making a continuous 'ahhh' sound throughout the ascent.
During a CESA, the diver is ascending without breathing from scuba. As they ascend, the air in their lungs expands due to decreasing ambient pressure. To prevent a lung-overexpansion injury, it is crucial to release this expanding air by exhaling continuously. Making a continuous sound, like 'ahhh', ensures the airway remains open and air is constantly escaping.
Question 3: A diver signals that they are out of air. You are the donor. After presenting your alternate air source and seeing them begin to breathe, what is the next critical step for both divers to maintain control and prepare for ascent?
- Immediately begin swimming towards the surface as fast as possible.
- Signal 'OK' and then 'up' while establishing and maintaining physical contact. (Correct answer)
- Orally inflate the out-of-air diver's BCD.
- Switch to the out-of-air diver's alternate air source to conserve your own air.
Correct answer: Signal 'OK' and then 'up' while establishing and maintaining physical contact.
After establishing a stable breathing pattern on the alternate air source, the divers must communicate their intentions. The standard procedure is to signal 'OK' to confirm the situation is under control, then signal 'up' to begin the ascent. Establishing and maintaining physical contact (like a 'Roman handshake' grip) is vital for control and communication during the shared ascent.
Question 4: Which of the following is a key performance requirement for the PADI skill of hovering, demonstrating mastery of buoyancy control?
- Remaining motionless for at least 10 seconds without finning or sculling.
- Using the power inflator to maintain a precise depth.
- Achieving neutral buoyancy by rising and falling gently with each breath for at least 30 seconds. (Correct answer)
- Maintaining a vertical position in the water column.
Correct answer: Achieving neutral buoyancy by rising and falling gently with each breath for at least 30 seconds.
The skill of hovering demonstrates fine buoyancy control. A key component is using lung volume to make minor adjustments. The diver should be able to remain at a constant depth, rising slightly on inhalation and falling slightly on exhalation, for a sustained period (PADI requires at least 30 seconds) without needing to kick or use their hands.
Question 5: When performing the five-point descent, what is the correct sequence of the first three steps before you begin to deflate your BCD?
- Regulator in, Orientate, Signal
- Signal, Orientate, Regulator in (Correct answer)
- Orientate, Time, Regulator in
- Time, Signal, Orientate
Correct answer: Signal, Orientate, Regulator in
The PADI five-point descent follows a specific sequence for safety and control. The first three steps are: 1) Signal to your buddy that you are ready to descend. 2) Orient yourself to your surroundings and the descent line/area. 3) Switch from your snorkel to your regulator. Only after these steps do you check your time and then deflate your BCD to begin the descent.
Question 6: During a confined water session, a student diver is practicing removing and replacing their mask underwater. What is the most common problem instructors watch for immediately after the student puts the mask back on their face?
- The student exhaling through their mouth instead of their nose to clear the mask. (Correct answer)
- The student forgetting to replace the snorkel in their mouth.
- The student ascending uncontrollably due to the momentary stress.
- The student failing to trap the mask strap under their hood.
Correct answer: The student exhaling through their mouth instead of their nose to clear the mask.
A very common error for new divers when clearing a mask is to continue exhaling through their mouth out of habit, which does not displace the water inside the mask. The correct procedure requires the diver to press the top of the mask frame against their forehead, look up, and exhale through their nose to force the water out from the bottom of the mask skirt.
PADI - Professional Association of Diving Instructors Confined & Open Water Skills Questions and Answers
During an ascent, a diver fine-tunes their buoyancy primarily with their lungs.
What is the correct technique to do this while maintaining a controlled ascent rate?