Estimate calories burned scuba diving from your weight, dive time and dive style, with snorkeling and swimming options and calories per hour.

Time in the water. For several dives, enter the total.

Demanding: strong current, cold water or hard finning. Swimming and snorkeling use Compendium MET values.

Optional settings

Related Calculators

Scuba Diving Calories Burned Formula

This calculator uses body weight, dive time, and a dive factor based on how relaxed or demanding the dive is.

Calories = Weightlb ร— Timeโ‚˜แตขโ‚™ ร— Dive Factor

Dive Factors

Dive Style Dive Factor Best Fit
Relaxed 0.040 Calm water, easy movement, light finning
Typical 0.056 Normal recreational dive with steady swimming
Demanding 0.071 Strong current, cold water, heavy gear, hard finning

How to Calculate Scuba Diving Calories Burned

  1. Enter your body weight in pounds.
  2. Enter your dive time in minutes.
  3. Keep the typical recreational dive, or choose a relaxed or demanding dive, snorkeling or swimming.
  4. Press Calculate.

Example

A 150-pound diver doing a typical 30-minute dive burns:

150 ร— 30 ร— 0.056 = 252 Calories

Scuba Diving Calories Burned Per 30 Minutes

Body Weight Relaxed Dive Typical Dive Demanding Dive
125 lb 150 210 266
150 lb 180 252 320
175 lb 210 294 373
200 lb 240 336 426
225 lb 270 378 479

What Raises Calories Burned During Scuba Diving?

  • Current: Swimming against current raises workload quickly.
  • Water temperature: Cold water increases demand.
  • Finning pace: Stronger, more frequent kicks burn more Calories.
  • Gear load: More drag and heavier equipment increase effort.
  • Entries and exits: Surf entries, ladder climbs, and shore walks add work.
  • Surface swims: Long swims before or after descent raise total burn.

Choosing a Dive Style

  • Default: Uses the typical dive factor of 0.056.
  • Other styles: Choose a relaxed or demanding dive, snorkeling, swimming, or a custom MET value.

Common Questions

Is the typical dive style enough for most dives?
Yes. The typical dive style fits a standard recreational dive with steady movement.

When should I choose another dive style?
Choose relaxed or demanding when the dive was clearly easier or harder than a normal recreational dive.

Does body weight change the result a lot?
Yes. Heavier divers burn more Calories at the same dive time and dive style.

Does a longer dive always burn more Calories?
Yes. If dive style stays the same, doubling the time doubles the Calories burned.