What should you focus on while ascending or descending without visual reference?

When ascending or descending without visual reference, the focus should be on keeping your head above your feet. This posture helps to maintain a level orientation in the water, reducing the risk of disorientation and potential accidents. By keeping your head above your feet, you can ensure that your body remains oriented upwards during ascent and downwards during descent. This is particularly important when visibility is low, as it aids in controlling your buoyancy and airflow while ensuring safety.

Maintaining a constant descent rate, although essential for preventing rapid ascents which can lead to decompression sickness, requires the ability to monitor your position relative to the surrounding water column. In situations with no visual reference, relying on your sense of orientation by keeping your head above your feet becomes more critical.

While watching your surroundings closely is useful for overall situational awareness, it may not be feasible without visual reference. Breathing rapidly is not advised as it can lead to hyperventilation and affect buoyancy control negatively. Keeping a calm and steady breathing pattern is more effective for managing buoyancy and ensuring a safe ascent or descent.