How Many Calories Does Scuba Diving Burn?

At first glance, scuba diving might not seem like a calorie-burning activity. After all, divers strive for efficiency, slow breathing, and minimal movement. Yet beneath the surface, the body is working harder than most people realise. From maintaining thermal balance to pushing against water resistance, scuba diving can demand significant energy, often comparable to moderate land-based exercise.

So how many calories does scuba diving actually burn? The answer is nuanced, influenced by physiology, environment, and dive style. But research gives us reliable ranges that help paint a clear picture.

The Short Answer: Typical Calorie Burn

Most reputable estimates place recreational scuba diving firmly in the moderate-intensity exercise category.

According to reporting by The National, an hour underwater can burn roughly 300 to 600 calories, positioning diving as a low-impact activity that still delivers meaningful fitness benefits.

Energy-expenditure data published by FatSecret supports this range, estimating that a 160-lb (73-kg) person burns around 457 calories per hour, with the total varying depending on body composition, water temperature, and effort level.

Taken together, these figures align scuba diving with activities such as brisk walking or light jogging.

In practical terms, most recreational divers can expect 300 to 600+ calories per hour, depending on conditions.

What Science Says About Diving Intensity

A large-scale analysis summarised in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine research examined oxygen consumption across nearly 1,000 recreational dives and found that divers averaged 5 to 6 METs (Metabolic Equivalent of Task).

This equates to approximately:

• 300 to 350 calories during a 45-minute dive
• 400 to 500 or more calories during longer or more demanding dives

Since one MET represents resting energy expenditure, activities in the 5 to 6 MET range are classified as moderate-intensity exercise, especially notable given the added challenges of water resistance, equipment load, and breathing compressed gas.

Understanding METs in a Diving Context

A breakdown from Calculator Academy explains calorie expenditure using the standard MET-based formula:

Calories burned are calculated using MET value, body weight, and dive duration, with scuba diving typically rated between 5 and 7 METs depending on workload and conditions.

This explains why calorie estimates vary so widely. A calm reef drift and a cold-water shore dive may both be “scuba diving”, but they place very different demands on the body.

Why Scuba Diving Burns More Calories Than It Feels Like

Even on relaxed dives, several physiological factors quietly increase energy expenditure.

Thermal Regulation

Water draws heat from the body far more efficiently than air. As explained by Scuba Center Asia, maintaining core temperature underwater requires increased metabolic activity, particularly in cooler environments.

Water Resistance

Every movement underwater works against dense resistance. Finning, maintaining trim, and stabilising buoyancy engage major muscle groups continuously, even when the diver feels relaxed.

Breathing and Equipment Load

Breathing compressed gas increases respiratory workload, while exposure protection and scuba equipment add physical strain that does not exist during most land-based exercise.

How Diving Compares Using MET Values

Fitness analysis published by CaloriesFit assigns scuba diving an average MET value of approximately 7.0, reinforcing its classification as a solid moderate-intensity activity.

This places diving comfortably alongside other endurance-based exercises rather than purely recreational movement.

Factors That Significantly Affect Calorie Burn

Two divers on the same dive can finish with very different energy expenditure due to several variables.

Water temperature plays a major role, as colder conditions increase metabolic demand.
Currents and surface conditions raise workload, particularly during entries, exits, and long swims.
Body weight and muscle mass directly influence total calories burned.
Experience level matters, since newer divers often expend more energy due to inefficient movement and buoyancy control.
Dive profile and effort can push calorie burn well above average ranges.

Warm Water vs Cold Water Diving

An analysis by Deep Blue Diving highlights the contrast clearly, noting that warm tropical dives may burn closer to 300 calories per hour, while cold-water or shore dives can approach or exceed 600 calories per hour due to thermal stress and increased effort.

Looking at Kilojoules Instead of Calories

Energy-use estimates published by Abyss Scuba Diving place scuba diving between 1,700 and 2,900 kilojoules per hour, which converts neatly into the same calorie ranges reported by other authoritative sources.

This consistency across measurement systems reinforces the reliability of the moderate-intensity classification.

Is Scuba Diving Effective for Weight Loss?

Scuba diving does burn calories, but it is not typically a high-intensity fat-loss activity unless dives are physically demanding or conducted in challenging conditions.

In reality:

• Dive trips often involve increased caloric intake
• Cold exposure can stimulate appetite
• Energy expenditure varies widely between dives

As a result, scuba diving works best as a complementary fitness activity, rather than a standalone weight-loss solution.

That said, multiple dives per day can accumulate meaningful energy expenditure, especially when combined with equipment handling, surface swims, and shore entries.

A Realistic Expectation for Most Divers

Based on available research, a sensible framework looks like this:

• Relaxed tropical dive: roughly 300 to 400 calories per hour
• Typical recreational dive: around 400 to 500 calories
• Cold-water or demanding dive: 500 to 700 calories or more

Focusing on ranges rather than fixed numbers better reflects real-world diving.

The Takeaway

Scuba diving burns more calories than many people expect. While it may not replace structured gym training, it clearly qualifies as moderate exercise with measurable metabolic demand.

For most divers, 300 to 600 calories per hour is a realistic and evidence-backed expectation, with higher totals possible under more challenging conditions.

Perhaps the greatest benefit is that diving delivers this workload without high impact or monotony. Sometimes the most effective exercise is the kind you barely notice, because you are too busy exploring what lies beneath the surface.