How to reduce air use?

[Seuss]

> Seuss, please explain more what you mean by "The divemaster explained to me that
> there is a difference between holding my breath and not breathing. Once I started
> taking deep breaths, and allowing a bit more time for oxygen exchange, things really
> started to improve."

Basically what H2Andy said:

> slow down your breathing, pause after you inhale (but keep your airway open;
> don't hold your breath), so that your breathing patter is : inhale, pause, exhale,
> inhale, pause.

You can pause in your breathing without holding your breath. Don't bother pausing after you exhale, that doesn't help. A slight pause after inhaling allows more oxygen to transfer into your blood stream. Practice on land until you get the feel of having full lungs while maintaining an open airway.

As I said, I am still very new to diving. Listen to the experts before me.

 

[Mako Mark]

Cancun Mark, to say it costs the same to refill an empty tank as it does a half full tank is not the issue. If I want to dive on my vacations and spend $2000 for my wife and I to dive for a week (travel, food, lodging, diving) and our dives are half or two-thirds as long as they could be that is shortchanging both of us. Brian.

That was my point! there is no benefit from finishing the dive with a half full tank. Especially if it means that you have a splitting headache and a far higher risk of DCS.

I think a well planned recreational dive should have sufficient gas to meet the planned bottom time. If you run out, then you failed to plan the dive properly. Running out is not the objective, NOT RUNNING OUT IS!

If you dont have enough gas to finish you dive you need to get a bigger tank.

 

[Boogie711]

Women always do better than us guys at air consumption. They have smaller lungs and no hearts.

 

[Twister]

Is this another married man talking??

 

[rufous]

Cancun Mark, I guess I do not follow what you are saying. The whole reason I posted my original question is to learn how to make the air in my tank last longer so that I could dive longer. I have to come up when my tank is at 500 or so psi. I would rather that it take me 60 minutes to deplete my tank to that point rather than 30 minutes. Clearly I want to extend my dive time safely and not get a bad headache or DCS. The diving I am talking about doing is with a group and is planned by the divemaster. Rufous.

That was my point! there is no benefit from finishing the dive with a half full tank. Especially if it means that you have a splitting headache and a far higher risk of DCS.

I think a well planned recreational dive should have sufficient gas to meet the planned bottom time. If you run out, then you failed to plan the dive properly. Running out is not the objective, NOT RUNNING OUT IS!

If you dont have enough gas to finish your dive you need to get a bigger tank.

 

[JPBECK]

Why would my advice be blasted off this post and not Christophers? That's crazy telling a new divers to take their reg out and fill their BCD orally! At least my advice was clearly a joke ! What is this world comming to!

 

[Uncle Pug]

I agree with you that telling folks to orally inflate the BCD is very bad advice... and I corrected that immediately... however that has in the past been accepted practice before the advent of power inflators. Your posted suggestion has never been accepted practice and I would like to think that everyone would know you were joking... but unfortunately as has already been proven in this thread that is not something we can assume.

Back on topic please and if any of you have anything further to share concerning deleted posts please do so in a PM to me.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

Many divers, particularly new divemasters and instructors compete with eachother and themselves to see how low they can get their air consumption.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves, I used to dive with another DM who would check at the end of every dive, "How much air do you have left? I came back with XXX psi."

It's not a contest, and trying to outbreathe another diver is going to get someone hurt, skip breathing, breath holding, all bad mojo. I track my consumption to facilitate dive planning in the future, I usually don't share that info post dive. When you start planning more advanced dives you'll know how much gas to plan for based on the dive.

In the meantime as you're gaining experience, practice makes perfect. Dive locally in quarries, rivers, lakes, whatever you have at your disposal to get more acclimated to the water. Making vacation dives one week a year isn't going to help you get where you want to be on air consumption.

 

[Uncle Pug]

I always ask my buddies how much they have left and I always tell them how much I have left. Actually I usually try to guess how much they have and then ask them.

The reason has nothing to do with who is *better* on consumption. It is so that I can zero in my *onboard computer* to their expected gas useage.

During a dive I like to know what my SPG will read before I look at it and I also like to know the same about my buddy's SPG.

 

[JPBECK]

I dont think your DM was trying to make you feel bad... I think he was communicating with you--so that you two could be a functional dive pair--- I always check my buddy's air supply --he/she may not know it, but I do--- After the dive I ask what was you RMV--or What was your SAC or How much gas do you have left?--Since I asked the question I tell them what mine was---Is that bad--no that is what Buddy team functioning is all about--- If I notice that their SAC was high I ask why--Is that bad? No that is how we get better!
Lots of divers just dive without doing any planning--- That's fine for them-- As long as they were never my students that is-- Knowing ones SAC is a good thing knowing your Buddy's SAC is just as important as knowing your own... It's called GAS MATCHING! Not bad --Good!

there is that better advice PUG?