Buoyancy Control Training

[ACHiPo]

You'll get a lot of folks on the forums offering tips and techniques. My recommendation: hire an instructor and pay their fee. Make it clear to them that your goal is not to have 'fun,' but to get your buoyancy in check. Be very specific about any problems you are running into. Ask them to critique and challenge you.

I've found that approaching it this way changes the tone of the experience and helps the instructor. My buoyancy was TERRIBLE when I first started diving, and neither my OW or AOW classes or PPB clinic solved it (too many students, not enough time; I wasn't flailing so they moved on). It wasn't until I went to Burma when I asked an instructor to spend a dive with just me and really critique me that I got it sorted out.

I strongly second this advice. I hired an instructor for a private pool session before a diving vacation and it was very valuable (~$200 for 2-3 hours which is minuscule compared to the cost of the trip). I wanted to focus on buoyancy/trim as well as make sure I knew how to use new equipment before my trip. I communicated my objectives with the dive shop owner and he hooked me up with a great instructor. While my buoyancy was less than perfect on the first dive of the trip, within 3-4 dives I dialed it in and significantly improved buoyancy control (and reduced air consumption!) I'll probably do it again before my next trip in May as a refresher.