Dive Skills Flashcards
7 cards from real PADI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Dive Skills flashcards as text
A diver is negatively buoyant and sinking uncontrollably at depth. What is the correct immediate response?
Answer: Add air to the BCD in short bursts until descent stops, then establish neutral buoyancy
Adding air to the BCD in short bursts is the controlled response to an uncontrolled descent, allowing the diver to stop sinking and regain neutral buoyancy.
Which of the following situations would most likely require a diver to perform an emergency weight drop?
Answer: Being unable to establish positive buoyancy at the surface despite a fully inflated BCD
Ditching weights is appropriate when a diver cannot achieve positive buoyancy at the surface with a fully inflated BCD, as staying afloat is the priority.
What does a momentary positive pressure test on a regulator first stage confirm before a dive?
Answer: There are no leaks at the first stage-to-tank connection
Pressurizing the first stage and checking for hissing sounds confirms the valve-to-first-stage connection is leak-free before the dive.
When conducting an underwater search using a circular search pattern, what is the diver's role who holds the line at the center?
Answer: To pull the searching diver back if needed and pay out additional line each circle
The pivot diver holds the center, feeds out additional line after each sweep, and can pull the searcher in if needed to recover an object or in an emergency.
A scuba diver experiences a sudden reverse block (pain or pressure) in the ear during ascent. What should the diver do?
Answer: Descend slightly until the pain resolves, then ascend very slowly
Descending slightly relieves the overpressure in the middle ear; the diver can then ascend very slowly, allowing the Eustachian tube to equalize.
Which hand signal indicates a diver wants to ascend?
Answer: Thumb pointing up
A thumbs-up signal underwater means 'I want to ascend/end the dive' — it is not an OK signal in scuba diving.
What is the purpose of a safety stop at 5 m (15 ft) for 3 minutes at the end of a recreational dive?
Answer: To provide additional time for dissolved nitrogen to off-gas before surfacing
The safety stop gives the body extra time to off-gas nitrogen absorbed during the dive, providing an additional safety buffer against decompression sickness.