True or False: You will float if weighted for neutral buoyancy in salt water and you dive freshwater with the same weight.

True or False: You will float if weighted for neutral buoyancy in salt water and you dive freshwater with the same weight.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends on water temperature
• D. You will sink

Answer: (B)

Buoyancy is set by the balance between your weight and the buoyant force from the water, which depends on the water’s density. Saltwater is denser than freshwater, so it provides a greater buoyant force for the same diver. If you’re neutrally buoyant in saltwater with a certain weight, switching to freshwater with that same weight means the buoyant force is smaller while your weight remains the same, so you will sink rather than float. Temperature can affect density a bit, but the main factor here is salinity. So you will not float with the same weight in freshwater after being neutral in saltwater; you will sink.

Buoyancy is set by the balance between your weight and the buoyant force from the water, which depends on the water’s density. Saltwater is denser than freshwater, so it provides a greater buoyant force for the same diver. If you’re neutrally buoyant in saltwater with a certain weight, switching to freshwater with that same weight means the buoyant force is smaller while your weight remains the same, so you will sink rather than float. Temperature can affect density a bit, but the main factor here is salinity. So you will not float with the same weight in freshwater after being neutral in saltwater; you will sink.