What is a common practice to manage buoyancy when ascending?

Managing buoyancy during ascent is crucial for ensuring safety and comfort while diving. A common practice for achieving this is exhaling air from the buoyancy control device (BCD). When divers ascend, the pressure around them decreases, which can cause the air in the BCD to expand. To prevent rapid rises that could result in decompression sickness or other hazards, it's important to control this buoyancy by releasing some air from the BCD.

By exhaling air from the BCD, divers can help manage the overall buoyancy, making it easier to ascend slowly and in a controlled manner. This careful ascent allows for the necessary equalization of pressure in the body and the surrounding water while preventing potential lung overexpansion injuries.

In contrast, a rapid ascent can introduce significant risks, including the potential for decompression sickness due to the rapid change in pressure. Adding weight is not a practice that aids in ascent; it would make the diver heavier and harder to float upwards. Holding one's breath while ascending is also dangerous, as it can lead to lung overexpansion injuries if the air in the lungs expands during ascent due to decreasing pressure. Thus, releasing air from the BCD is the safe and effective method for managing buoyancy while ascending.