- Home
- Dive Confidence
- I cannot hold a hover or a steady depth
What is happening
Your depth changes up and down as you try to stop in the water column. You may touch the bottom with your fins or hands, kick constantly, and struggle at a shallow safety stop.
Why it happens
Ordered from the most common cause down. Open one to see the mechanism behind it.
Most beginners are overweighted. A large gas volume in the BCD expands and contracts with depth changes, amplifying the oscillations and making them harder to stop.
- too much lead
- large additions of gas to the BCD
- adjusting only after movement has started
As you breathe, the mass of gas in the cylinder falls and your configuration becomes more buoyant. This can change the BCD adjustment you need near the end of the dive.
- an aluminium cylinder
- an adjustment change near the end of the dive
- no weight check with that cylinder
Holding your breath increases buoyancy and makes depth unstable. It is also dangerous when breathing compressed gas.
- trying to rise by inhaling
- shallow or interrupted breathing
- tension during the hover
Salt and fresh water, your exposure suit, BCD and cylinder material all affect the lead you need. A previous setup does not guarantee neutral buoyancy in a new configuration.
- moving between fresh and salt water
- a different exposure suit
- a different cylinder or BCD
What to try on your next dive
One thing, not ten. Give it a full dive before you judge it.
Hover without kicking or sculling
- Choose a safe depth with enough clearance above the bottom.
- Adjust your BCD for neutral buoyancy.
- Stop kicking and moving your hands.
- Breathe naturally and watch your depth, making small adjustments only when needed.
- Do a weight check in the full configuration you will use that day.
- Make small, early corrections with every depth change.
How you will know it is working
| Published reference | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PADI Open Water hover requirement | at least 30 seconds | PADI Instructor Manual |
| Reference tolerance from target depth | within 1.5 m | GUE Fundamentals Standards v9.1 |
Choose a target depth on your computer and time the hover. Note whether you kicked, sculled or touched the bottom.
- Never hold your breath to change depth.
- Your BCD is not an elevator. Manage depth changes in a controlled way with small adjustments.
- Do a new weight check after changing equipment or environment. If you make an uncontrolled ascent, end the dive once the situation is under control.