Avelo at Acacia: The Philippines Welcomes a New Chapter in Buoyancy
The underwater world has always invited curiosity, wonder and a certain sense of freedom. Yet for all its appeal, scuba diving has long carried challenges that even experienced divers accept as part of the deal: heavy equipment, unstable buoyancy and constant adjustment. Avelo aims to change that. Fresh from its Innovation Award at Boot Duesseldorf 2025, the system is quickly becoming recognised as one of the most meaningful shifts in scuba design in recent memory. With Solitude Acacia Resort now offering Avelo courses and equipment rental, the Philippines has become part of this new momentum.
Why Avelo Is Getting So Much Attention
The idea behind Avelo is both simple and surprising. Instead of relying on the expanding and contracting air bubble inside a traditional BCD, the Avelo System integrates water directly into its Hydrotank. This turns buoyancy management into something steady, predictable and far more intuitive. The design is inspired by submarine ballast systems: submarines hold neutral buoyancy at depth because their control mechanism is water-based rather than air-based. Avelo applies that same principle to individual divers.
Because water does not compress under pressure the way air does, buoyancy stays stable throughout the water column. It means a diver who is neutral at five metres stays neutral at 30 metres, without the sudden shifts that often catch divers off-guard. For anyone who has ever fought an expanding bubble on ascent or battled with constant micro-adjustments, the appeal is clear.
Taking the System Underwater for the First Time
Even with thousands of dives behind me, I approached my first Avelo sessions with a mix of interest and scepticism. Years of using BCDs create certain reflexes, and those habits do not disappear the moment you strap on new equipment. Instructor Ben Larson could tell straight away when I slid back into BCD-style breathing patterns. Old instinct told me to time my breaths for buoyancy control, even though the system no longer required it. I found myself holding back from adding water when I should have, then overthinking everything that would otherwise be instinctive on a standard setup.
After only two dives, my profile data made my struggles obvious: spikes of stress, awkward depth changes and a few moments where my traditional habits got in the way. Ben reminded me that I was comparing thousands of BCD dives to only a couple of Avelo dives, and that the learning curve was surprisingly short if I allowed it to be.
He was right. By the third dive, my entire experience shifted. The stable buoyancy that had felt so foreign became natural. The effort dropped away. Instead of managing my position, I found myself simply enjoying the water. Hovering felt effortless, movements became smoother and my camera work steadier. The sense of calm that divers chase became easier to reach.
How It Changes the Diving Experience
The most immediate difference is weight. The system comes in at nearly half the weight of a standard scuba setup, making entries, exits and gearing up far more comfortable. For divers who struggle with back strain or mobility issues, this alone changes what is possible.
Underwater, the system reduces the need for constant corrections. With buoyancy no longer dependent on a changing air bubble, divers breathe more naturally. Because of this, air consumption improves. Many users report extended bottom time, and the Hydrotank offers up to 30 percent more gas capacity depending on the cylinder configuration.
From a safety perspective, the removal of depth-sensitive buoyancy eliminates one of the sport’s most notorious risks: rapid uncontrolled ascents. There is no expanding bubble pushing you upwards as you rise. The stability not only builds confidence in new divers, but also allows experienced divers to focus fully on their objectives.
Industry Support and Integration
Avelo’s rapid uptake is helped by partnerships with leaders in instrumentation. Shearwater Research and Scubapro both now offer specific Avelo modes on selected dive computers. These modes include real-time buoyancy status, percentage-based gas consumption tracking, Hydrotank pressure, cloud support for dive profiles and tools for instructors to review diver performance. This collaboration points to a shared belief that diving is entering a new phase where equipment communicates more seamlessly with diver behaviour.
Who Benefits Most
Avelo’s advantages reach across the spectrum of diver experience.
- New divers gain stability that usually takes many dives to achieve. Their confidence builds faster, and early dives become more rewarding.
- Photographers and scientific divers find precision positioning easier, reducing task load during complex work.
- Technical divers benefit from reduced carried weight and improved streamlining.
- Instructors and dive pros gain from easier student buoyancy management and a calmer teaching environment.
Across all groups, the common theme is reduced cognitive strain underwater. When buoyancy becomes one less thing to manage, divers can give more attention to environment, safety and awareness.
A New Direction for Diving
There is something refreshing about a system that removes barriers between diver and ocean. The Avelo System blends the free-flowing feel of freediving with the security and duration of scuba. It offers a glimpse of what diving might look like in the years ahead: equipment that adapts to the diver, not the other way around.
By adopting the system early, Solitude Acacia Resort places the Philippines at the forefront of this shift. The resort now offers Avelo training, recreational certification, guided dives and access to Avelo units for rent.
For more information, visit DiveAveloatSolitude.world or email emailus@solitude-acacia.com.