Do you use your SAC for anything? POLL

[Notso_Ken]

Does anyone actually use their SAC in planning dives???




Everything effects it temp/viz/current/surge/day/night. WTF!!!!

Yes.

Yes, it does, but you should be able to see the results tending to fall into a range unique to you. Take the highest end of that range for use in calculating your rock-bottom pressures. Use a more moderate value from the range for general purpose dives.

 

[Slamfire]

I use it for gas planning and also I like to see what it is based on various conditions I have been under on a dive. I have recorded my SAC for nearly 500 dives in all sorts of conditions and am very accurate now at knowing what it will be depending on what type of dive I am doing.

I also record my SAC rate for nearly every dive I make. In addition to getting accurate at knowing consumption under different external conditions, you also start finding patterns related to your own self. For instance, if I get sea sick on the boat and I do the dive nauseated, I more or less have an idea of how much faster my consumption will be. Another one is when I get in a rushed headspace -- ie I got late into the dive site and made my buddies wait for me sitting in full gear. Suit up rushed, got in the water rushed... Just don't be late and when another of your buddies is late, do your best to set them at ease and try not to make them feel pressured.


And it is crucial if you do staged deco dives. If you get into the habit of asking your buddy how much air they have left over after a dive, then you can also use your own SAC rate as a base reference to estimate your buddy's consumption and double check that there will be enough gas.

 

[cudachaser]

Just when I teach AOW...my normal SAC is so low that everybody is at 500psi way before me

 

[Puffer Fish]

Planning, tank decisions. Use it a lot.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I use an RMV of .8 or .9 for planning, which is what I can expect if swimming into a VERY light current or surge, or if I'm working harder than normal or slightly stressed for some reason.

So, for me planning is the answer. It helps me decide if I can do the dive with the tank(s) I have available.

During the dive, I compare what the SPG actually reads to what I anticipated it would read, and respond accordingly.

Best wishes.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Just when I teach AOW...my normal SAC is so low that everybody is at 500psi way before me

You need to dive with different people then, as I know several female divers with SAC rates under .2, and have yet to see any male that low... several don't live that far from you.

 

[MarineResearch]

I don't use a SAC rate for planning. I do use several different SAC rates for planning based on the type of dive I'm planning. I continually update SAC rates for different types of dives and conditions. My dive plans note where I should be at a given time and how much of each gas I should have remaining. So, for cave, wreck and deep deco dives, everything is well planned and can be easily adjusted if unexpected conditions are encountered. However, for tropical vacation recreational dives, my plans get pretty loose and ignore SAC rate.

 

[scubadada]

My SAC is remarkably constant, I use if for gas planning routinely.

 

[sam1]

I also record my SAC rate for nearly every dive I make. In addition to getting accurate at knowing consumption under different external conditions, you also start finding patterns related to your own self.

Ditto. See my previous posts.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/5385111-post57.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/5397624-post64.html

On most dives I do not "use" my SAC. On those occasional dives where available gas will affect bottom time, etc., I do indeed use it for planning.

 

[W8less]

For the past 3 years I have recorded SAC/RMV on every dive plotted against heart rate.
For me the range has been fairly consistent and reliable. Yes the info is used for figuring gas requirements on deeper dives.