Courses in Tasmania
Advanced Buoyancy Diver
Course code: SDI-02
Master the control that makes every other diving skill easier, safer, and more efficient.
The SDI Advanced Buoyancy Diver course develops precise weighting, balanced equipment configuration, horizontal trim, controlled breathing, efficient propulsion, stable hovering, smooth ascents and descents, and reliable safety-stop control. Training examines how cylinders, exposure protection, equipment placement, body position, breathing patterns, depth, and changing gas weight affect buoyancy throughout a dive. The objective is not to hold one pose for a photograph, but to build calm, repeatable control that reduces effort and gas use, protects visibility and aquatic life, and creates a stronger platform for photography, dry suit, deep, wreck, sidemount, rescue, and technical-diving progression.
Quick Course Overview
• Learning materials
SDI Advanced Buoyancy eLearning or current academic materials, completed before or alongside instructor-led training.
• Knowledge development
Environmental responsibility, equipment and exposure-protection effects, cylinder buoyancy change, breathing patterns, BCD and dry-suit use, centre of gravity, weight amount and distribution, streamlining, body position, and efficient movement.
• Configuration assessment
Review the diver’s normal equipment, weighting, trim, hose and accessory placement, cylinder characteristics, exposure protection, and any additional equipment that changes balance or drag.
• Dive one
Assemble and check equipment; perform a buoyancy check with an almost-empty cylinder; adjust weight; repeat with a full cylinder; descend under control; hover; refine with breath, BCD, or dry suit; move close to the bottom without contact; ascend and hold a safety stop; log final weighting.
• Dive two
Repeat and refine weighting, descent, hovering, breath control, buoyancy-device use, close-to-bottom movement, ascent, and safety-stop performance until the control is stable and repeatable.
• Neutral-skills development
Open Water skills may be repeated while neutrally buoyant at the instructor’s direction so buoyancy remains stable while attention is divided.
• Assessment
Complete all academic, practical, logging, and performance requirements safely and efficiently, with sound judgment and environmental awareness.
Training Options
Standard small-group training
Standard small-group training is available once the course reaches the minimum number.
Standard Cost*
$750 AUD
Note* *Standard training requires a minimum of 2 (Two) participants. Date options will be provided once the course is filled.
Premium one-on-one training
One-on-one training is available for divers who want focused coaching, flexible pacing, and dedicated support.
Private 1 on 1 Cost
$1,200 AUD
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Prerequisites
• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, SDI Junior Open Water Scuba Diver, or equivalent.
• Minimum age 18, or 10 with parental consent.
• Required administrative and medical documentation completed before in-water training.
• Bring the equipment configuration normally used for diving wherever practical so weighting, balance, and streamlining adjustments transfer directly to future dives.
Course Format
Learning Materials
SDI Advanced Buoyancy eLearning and instructor-led knowledge review.
Dive Requirements
Two dives completed in confined water or open water, with complete instructor briefings and debriefings.
Training Focus
Training focuses on weighting checks, buoyancy control, hovering, trim, breathing control, streamlining, controlled ascents and descents, and safety stop control.
Skills Integration
Skills from the Open Water course may be practised while neutrally buoyant at the instructor's direction.
What You Will Learn
Determine appropriate weighting and understand how cylinder pressure, exposure protection, added equipment, and environmental changes alter buoyancy.
Adjust weight distribution and equipment position to improve centre of gravity, horizontal trim, comfort, and access.
Use breathing, BCD or dry suit inputs, and body position together for precise depth control without constant correction.
Descend, hover, move close to the bottom without contact, ascend, and hold a stable safety stop with control.
Reduce drag and unnecessary movement, improve propulsion efficiency and gas use, protect visibility, and avoid contact with aquatic life.
Record a repeatable weighting baseline and understand when a new buoyancy check is required.
What's Included
- Required learning materials | SDI Advanced Buoyancy eLearning or current academic materials, as confirmed at booking.
- Instructor-led development | Knowledge review, equipment and weighting assessment, dive planning, complete briefings and debriefings, direct coaching, and performance evaluation.
- Two training dives | Confined-water or open-water sessions covering the required weighting, hovering, trim, movement, ascent, and safety-stop performance.
- Configuration refinement | Practical adjustments to weight amount and location, tank position, equipment placement, streamlining, and body position using the diver’s training configuration.
- Core dive support | Use of tanks, air fills, weights, and specifically confirmed centre equipment where required and available.
- Certification | Assessment, remediation where required, dive logging, and SDI Advanced Buoyancy Diver certification processing after successful completion.
What's Not Included
- Personal equipment including mask, snorkel, fins, boots, exposure protection, BCD, regulators, dive computer, cutting device, DSMB, reel or spool, and preferred accessories unless specifically confirmed.
- Equipment hire, replacement parts, equipment servicing, permanent configuration changes, or additional weight systems unless included in the booking confirmation.
- Dry-suit training, technical configuration training, photography instruction, propulsion specialty training, or other separate certifications.
- Non-standard gases, additional cylinders, boat fees, site fees, permits, or third-party facility charges unless specifically included.
- Travel, accommodation, meals, hard-copy materials where digital materials are supplied, and anything not listed in the final booking confirmation.
Why Train With Us
Buoyancy coaching informed by thousands of real dives—not a pair of exercises completed only to issue another card. • Thousands of recreational and technical dives behind our coaching | Our team understands how weighting, trim, equipment, exposure protection, task loading, and environmental conditions interact across real diving—not only ideal pool demonstrations. • Individual configuration, not a generic number | We assess your actual equipment and help establish a repeatable weighting and balance baseline that makes sense for your body, cylinder, suit, and diving goals. • Control that transfers to every course | Build the stable platform needed for dry suit, photography, rescue, deep, wreck, sidemount, DPV, and technical training. • Cold-water relevance | Learn how thicker exposure protection, changing cylinder buoyancy, thermal load, surge, visibility, and Tasmanian conditions affect real buoyancy decisions. • Small groups and precise feedback | Receive direct coaching on subtle changes in breathing, posture, weighting, equipment position, propulsion, ascent, and safety-stop technique. • Better diving, not just better hovering | We connect buoyancy to awareness, efficiency, environmental protection, gas use, team position, and calm problem-solving.
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