What should you do to safely control buoyancy as you descend while wearing an exposure suit?

To safely control buoyancy during your descent while wearing an exposure suit, adding air to your buoyancy device is the correct approach. This action increases your buoyancy, helping you to manage your descent rate and ensure you are descending safely and comfortably.

When descending, the added air provides the necessary lift to counteract the weight of the exposure suit, which can contribute to a heavier feeling due to the suit's material and the added water resistance. Proper buoyancy control is essential to avoid rapid descents, which can lead to potential hazards such as barotrauma from pressure changes experienced during a fast descent.

This technique also allows you to make fine adjustments to your buoyancy, ensuring that you can hover at your desired depth or ascend if needed without sudden movements that could increase your risk of injury. It's a key skill that divers learn to maintain control throughout the dive.

Other options, such as decreasing weight in your pockets or removing the exposure suit, do not directly assist with buoyancy control during descent. Similarly, holding your breath is unsafe as it can lead to lung over-expansion injuries if you ascend while holding your breath. Thus, adding air to your buoyancy device is the most effective and safe method for buoyancy management while descending.