PADI Dive Skills 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A diver is negatively buoyant and sinking uncontrollably at depth. What is the correct immediate response?
- Kick hard upward and ditch the weight belt simultaneously
- Add air to the BCD in short bursts until descent stops, then establish neutral buoyancy (Correct answer)
- Inflate the BCD fully and ascend at maximum speed
- Signal the buddy and wait for assistance
Correct 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.
Question 2: Which of the following situations would most likely require a diver to perform an emergency weight drop?
- Running low on air at 15 m depth
- Being unable to establish positive buoyancy at the surface despite a fully inflated BCD (Correct answer)
- Having a flooded mask at 10 m
- Experiencing mild ear discomfort during descent
Correct 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.
Question 3: What does a momentary positive pressure test on a regulator first stage confirm before a dive?
- The tank is full to rated pressure
- Air flows correctly when the purge button is pressed
- There are no leaks at the first stage-to-tank connection (Correct answer)
- The SPG reads accurately
Correct 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.
Question 4: When conducting an underwater search using a circular search pattern, what is the diver's role who holds the line at the center?
- To pull the searching diver back if needed and pay out additional line each circle (Correct answer)
- To continuously inflate the SMB
- To maintain compass bearings for the searching diver
- To record the time of each completed circle
Correct 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.
Question 5: A scuba diver experiences a sudden reverse block (pain or pressure) in the ear during ascent. What should the diver do?
- Ascend faster to get through the pressure change quickly
- Descend slightly until the pain resolves, then ascend very slowly (Correct answer)
- Perform the Valsalva maneuver forcefully to clear the ear
- Immediately surface and seek medical attention
Correct 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.
Question 6: Which hand signal indicates a diver wants to ascend?
- Thumb pointing down
- Index finger pointing sideways
- Thumb pointing up (Correct answer)
- Open palm facing the buddy
Correct 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.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a safety stop at 5 m (15 ft) for 3 minutes at the end of a recreational dive?
- To allow the diver to practice buoyancy control
- To provide additional time for dissolved nitrogen to off-gas before surfacing (Correct answer)
- To equalize pressure in the ears after deep dives
- To allow the dive leader to count all divers before surfacing
Correct 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.
PADI Dive Skills 4
A diver is negatively buoyant and sinking uncontrollably at depth.
What is the correct immediate response?