buoyancy compensator

American  

noun

Scuba Diving.

1. an inflatable vest used to control one's buoyancy underwater or to rest at the surface, usually having a connecting hose for inflation or deflation by mouth and a CO 2 cartridge for rapid, emergency inflation.

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Example Sentences

Our main worry was if a shark bit our buoyancy compensator and it burst, all of a sudden we’d be incredibly heavy and sink to the bottom with no way of getting back to the surface.

From The Guardian

Coast Guard officials in San Diego on Friday held a news conference to discuss safety rules for lobster diving: always dive with a buddy, plan your dive carefully, practice dropping your weight belt and inflating your buoyancy compensator, and see your doctor before diving.

From Los Angeles Times

In the sole panel that constituted the unfortunate outing, Trail is plainly depicted diving without a buddy, without a buoyancy compensator, with no snorkel handy in case of emergency and sporting a single-stage regulator — the last of which was manufactured about 50 years ago.

From Washington Post

So you and your buddy run through the steps: Does your buoyancy compensator work?

From Forbes

Scuba equipment has not changed much since the buoyancy compensator was developed a few years ago.

From Time Magazine Archive