6 Reasons to Take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Course

After completing PADI Open Water Diver, you’ll know what buoyancy is and how it affects you as a scuba diver. But, like riding a bike or learning to drive, it needs practice to get right — and that’s one of the reasons to take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course.

Sure enough, with time and experience underwater, your buoyancy will only get better. Even so, why wait? The Peak Performance Buoyancy course is your shortcut to grasping this essential underwater skill, transforming your diving adventures and looking the part.

But why is buoyancy important in scuba diving? What exactly are the reasons to take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course? Read on for the answers.

What is PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy?

Peak Performance Buoyancy is one of the most popular PADI Specialty courses, and with good reason. As well as honing your underwater abilities, it’s great fun and often involves games and obstacle courses! Through independent study, buoyancy checks and two dives, you’ll learn:

How to determine the correct weight for different environments and suits Where to place weights to trim your position and fine-tune your buoyancy Scuba buoyancy control tips and techniques for streamlined movements and hovering

Whether you want a brush-up before taking further PADI courses or gain extra confidence before a scuba vacation, it’s easy to fit in a PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course. You can even get started from the comfort of home with PADI eLearning.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PADI PEAK PERFORMANCE BUOYANCY

If you need more reasons to take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course, here are six.

Two divers hovering with good buoyancy, which helps air consumption and is possible by having the proper weighting for diving

Improved air consumption

Too much weight needs a fuller BCD to compensate, which creates more drag; not enough weight takes effort to stay down. Either way, the added exertion impacts your air consumption. With the correct weighting, you also won’t need to inflate and deflate your BCD as much or as often. Instead, you’ll use your lungs for minor buoyancy adjustments. So, get your buoyancy right, and you’ll use less air — and that means more time underwater!

A seahorse hiding in seagrass, and a creature you can help to protect by practising good Peak Performance Buoyancy skills

Protect marine life (and other divers)

No diver wants to be responsible for flattening a protected seagrass meadow or destroying fragile corals. Your buddy probably won’t thank you for crashing into them, either. Mastering your buoyancy is the best way to stop yourself from landing uncontrollably on (and damaging) the reef, marine life and other divers.

A diver explores a wreck, where avoiding sharp edges is one of many reasons to take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course

Be a safer diver

Uncontrolled rapid ascents can lead to decompression illness. What’s more, flailing arms and legs means more chance of getting stung or bitten by marine life or injuring yourself on sharp rocks and rusty wrecks. For this reason, being able to hold your buoyancy is essential for your safety and one of the top reasons to take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course.

Three happy divers posing for a photo, enjoying clear visibility thanks to them following scuba buoyancy control tips

Keep a clear view

Divers with poor buoyancy often find themselves clumsily bumping over the seabed. As they swim along, there is sure to be clouds of silt (and frustrated buddies) following close behind. It’s also a fast way to ruin scuba equipment. If you want to save popularity points and money, keep yourself and your dive gear off the bottom by learning to control your buoyancy.

A diver practising underwater photography, a hobby in which good buoyancy control is key to taking great pictures and videos

Be a better photographer

We’re not saying that Peak Performance Buoyancy skills alone will turn you into Wildlife Photographer of the Year. After all, underwater photography has its own set of techniques to grasp. But being able to sneak up and stay motionless in front of your subject will go a long way to producing close-up, blur-free shots worthy of framing.

A diver swims above a colourful coral reef, where Peak Performance Buoyancy helps with having a balanced and enjoyable dive

Balanced body, balanced mind

Using the proper weighting for diving and fine-tuning your trim will help you maintain a horizontal and comfortable position. You’ll be able to glide effortlessly along the reef or stop and hover on command. Overall, being relaxed and ‘balanced’ underwater means you’ll feel calmer, happier, and will enjoy your diving so much more.

A diver practising a yoga pose while hovering underwater, which is possible if you've mastered excellent buoyancy control

Master your skills with PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy

By now, you shouldn’t need any more reasons to take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course. So, are you ready to jump in? Book your course with a PADI Dive Centre or Resort, or start today with PADI eLearning.

START PADI PEAK PERFORMANCE BUOYANCY TODAY