Bubbletrubble
Contributor
The sine qua non of proper weighting is performing a weight check. It can be conducted at the beginning of the dive with a full tank or at the end of the dive with a near empty tank...so long as you are compensating for the remaining gas in the tank. Try your best to work out any air pockets if you are doing the check at the beginning of the dive.
Others have already mentioned what to look out for in beginner divers who are having buoyancy control/weighting issues: kicking, funny breathing, non-horizontal trim, etc.
The fact that your daughter was floating up while clearing her mask doesn't necessarily mean that she was under-weighted. It just means that she was changing her breathing pattern while doing the mask-clearing skill. Loss of buoyancy control (up or down) during mask clearing is common, particularly in a novice...and particularly when diving in cold water (that cold water can cause a diver to gasp a little).
Others have already mentioned what to look out for in beginner divers who are having buoyancy control/weighting issues: kicking, funny breathing, non-horizontal trim, etc.
The fact that your daughter was floating up while clearing her mask doesn't necessarily mean that she was under-weighted. It just means that she was changing her breathing pattern while doing the mask-clearing skill. Loss of buoyancy control (up or down) during mask clearing is common, particularly in a novice...and particularly when diving in cold water (that cold water can cause a diver to gasp a little).