PADI Open Water Dive Exam Questions And Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) 2026/2027
An object is positively buoyant when:
It displaces a volume of water weighing more than its own weight.
What two pieces of equipment do you use to control your buoyancy?
BCD, Lead Weights
Buoyancy control is one of the most important skills you can master because it
allows you to control where you are in the water. (T/F)
True
An object will be more buoyant in _____ than it would be in _______.
Salt Water, Fresh Water
When you exhale, your lung volume decreases. This means you have _____
buoyancy. (more or less)
Less
You usually feel pressure only in body air spaces because:
Your body is mostly made of incompressible liquid, but air is compressible and
changes volume with pressure changes.
Pressure changes inw ater for a given ascent or descent are much more substantial
than the same distance ascent or descent in air because water weighs more (T/F)
True
The three major air spaces affected by pressure when you descend are:
Mask, Ears, and sinuses
A Squeeze is
A pressure imbalance in which pressure outside an air space exceeds pressure
inside an air space, resulting in pain or discomfort
,Equalization is adding air to an air space as you descend so the pressure in an air
space equals the surrounding water pressure (T/F)
True
Which are techniques for equalizing your ears?
Pinch your nose and blow gently against it, swallow and wiggle your jaw from side
to side
You want to equalize your ears?
Every metre/few feet before you feel discomfort
If you feel discomfort and can't equalize, ascend until you relieve the discomfort
and try again. Don't be forceful in equalizing. If you can't equalize, discontinue
dive. (T/F)
True
The most important rule in scuba diving is: Breathe continuously and never hold
your breath (T/F)
True
Ascending while holding your breath:
Can cause lung overexpansion injuries
Can cause serious injuries, including paralysis and death
causes injuries that are easy to avoid by not holding your breath
A reverse block is:
Pain and discomfort caused by expanding air trapped inside an air space during
ascent.
If you feel discomfort during ascent due to a reverse block, you should:
slow or stop your ascent and give the trapped air time to work its way out.
As you go deeper, you consume air from your scuba cylinder _____.
Faster
The most efficient method for breathing underwater is rapid and shallow. (T/F)
, False
You need a mask to see underwater because
The human eye can't focus underwater
A mask needs to enclose your nose:
so you can equalize the mask
The features you look for in a mask include
Low profile
nose or finger pockets
Wide vision field
The most important factors when buying a mas (and other dive gear):
Fit and comfort
To prepare a new mask for use:
scrub off the protective film left from manufacturing
adjust the strap
Maintenance for your mask (and most dive gear) includes:
Rinsing in fresh water after use
storing in a coll, dry place
You need a snorkel when scuba diving:
to conserve air while swimming or resting at the surface
Make it easier to breathe when the surface is rough
In case you have a long swim with an empty cylinder.
An easy breathing snorkel has which features?
Large Bore
Smooth, rounded bends
A properly adjusted snorkel ___
remains in your mouth with a relaxed jaw
sits on the left side of your mask
Answers (Verified Answers) 2026/2027
An object is positively buoyant when:
It displaces a volume of water weighing more than its own weight.
What two pieces of equipment do you use to control your buoyancy?
BCD, Lead Weights
Buoyancy control is one of the most important skills you can master because it
allows you to control where you are in the water. (T/F)
True
An object will be more buoyant in _____ than it would be in _______.
Salt Water, Fresh Water
When you exhale, your lung volume decreases. This means you have _____
buoyancy. (more or less)
Less
You usually feel pressure only in body air spaces because:
Your body is mostly made of incompressible liquid, but air is compressible and
changes volume with pressure changes.
Pressure changes inw ater for a given ascent or descent are much more substantial
than the same distance ascent or descent in air because water weighs more (T/F)
True
The three major air spaces affected by pressure when you descend are:
Mask, Ears, and sinuses
A Squeeze is
A pressure imbalance in which pressure outside an air space exceeds pressure
inside an air space, resulting in pain or discomfort
,Equalization is adding air to an air space as you descend so the pressure in an air
space equals the surrounding water pressure (T/F)
True
Which are techniques for equalizing your ears?
Pinch your nose and blow gently against it, swallow and wiggle your jaw from side
to side
You want to equalize your ears?
Every metre/few feet before you feel discomfort
If you feel discomfort and can't equalize, ascend until you relieve the discomfort
and try again. Don't be forceful in equalizing. If you can't equalize, discontinue
dive. (T/F)
True
The most important rule in scuba diving is: Breathe continuously and never hold
your breath (T/F)
True
Ascending while holding your breath:
Can cause lung overexpansion injuries
Can cause serious injuries, including paralysis and death
causes injuries that are easy to avoid by not holding your breath
A reverse block is:
Pain and discomfort caused by expanding air trapped inside an air space during
ascent.
If you feel discomfort during ascent due to a reverse block, you should:
slow or stop your ascent and give the trapped air time to work its way out.
As you go deeper, you consume air from your scuba cylinder _____.
Faster
The most efficient method for breathing underwater is rapid and shallow. (T/F)
, False
You need a mask to see underwater because
The human eye can't focus underwater
A mask needs to enclose your nose:
so you can equalize the mask
The features you look for in a mask include
Low profile
nose or finger pockets
Wide vision field
The most important factors when buying a mas (and other dive gear):
Fit and comfort
To prepare a new mask for use:
scrub off the protective film left from manufacturing
adjust the strap
Maintenance for your mask (and most dive gear) includes:
Rinsing in fresh water after use
storing in a coll, dry place
You need a snorkel when scuba diving:
to conserve air while swimming or resting at the surface
Make it easier to breathe when the surface is rough
In case you have a long swim with an empty cylinder.
An easy breathing snorkel has which features?
Large Bore
Smooth, rounded bends
A properly adjusted snorkel ___
remains in your mouth with a relaxed jaw
sits on the left side of your mask
