<p>The Autonomous Underwater Glider (AUG), driven by gravity and buoyancy forces, plays a vital role in ocean observation networks because of its cost efficiency, low noise, and energy-efficient operation. This study investigates the motion parameters and energy consumption of AUGs during spiral motion. Dynamic and energy consumption models for three-dimensional movement are established, incorporating variations in seawater density and AUG volume. The performance of AUGs is evaluated across various spiral motion scenarios in terms of spatial, temporal, and energy metrics. For example, during descent, the turning radius ranges from 73.6 m to 457.5 m, the turning angular velocity varies from 1.8°/min to 8.2°/min, and the energy consumption rate spans from 0.86 kJ/rad to 4.29 kJ/rad. Additionally, an optimization boundary surface targeting minimum energy consumption is presented for parameter selection. Considering ocean currents, a multi-objective optimization of control parameters reveals that <i>c</i>₁ frequently serves as the critical parameter affecting AUG performance. Both the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) and nondominated particle swarm optimization (NSPSO) methods are employed, yielding similar Pareto sets. Specific control parameter selections and simulation results for various task requirements demonstrate the achievement of both minimum energy consumption and maximum turning speed. For example, with a turning angle of 0.5<i>π</i>, the optimized maximum angular velocity reaches 8.18°/min, while the minimum energy consumption is 1.708 kJ. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing control strategies in AUGs’ three-dimensional spiral motion, enhancing ocean observation technologies.</p>