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Long slow inhale, slight pause, long slow exhale. The pause is the opposite to what we do when breathing on land.
I need advice on...breathing.
- Thread starter bourj
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razorbackdiver
Contributor
One other thing you might do is get someone to video you while diving. Being in trim will save you alot of air. It's hard to fix something if you can't see what's wrong. Also, as has already been mentioned go slow. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Being a new diver, you will be amazed at seeing yourself on video. Most new divers use their arms quite a bit, even when they don't realize it. Also, try dropping a couple pounds each dive. I outweigh you by more than fifty pounds and use 18 pounds of lead with a drysuit and thick undergarments. If you use your drysuit for buoyancy you create a bubble that moves around to the highest point, throwing off your balance and forcing you to dump, then add more air. Use your BC as it was intended and only add enough air to your suit to relieve the squeeze.
One more thing. Diving is not a race. There is no need to get from Point A to Point B in a hurry. Spend as much time as you want checking out the little things. It takes time and a lot of dives, but your breathing will get better.
One of the best sayings I've read stated that at fifty dives, I thought I had it down. At 100 dives I was surprised at how little I knew after fifty dives. At 500 dives I realized I have a lot more to learn.
One more thing. Diving is not a race. There is no need to get from Point A to Point B in a hurry. Spend as much time as you want checking out the little things. It takes time and a lot of dives, but your breathing will get better.
One of the best sayings I've read stated that at fifty dives, I thought I had it down. At 100 dives I was surprised at how little I knew after fifty dives. At 500 dives I realized I have a lot more to learn.
CT-Rich
Contributor
I don't actually recall saying anything about a custom mouth piece reducing SRMV by 50%. what I meant was that until I started using a custom bite grip I wasn't aware of how much stress I had in my jaw (also keep in mind mouth pieces in 1980 weren't what they are today). With a mouth bit contoured to the shape of my bite I realized that my whole body relaxed. I could let the mouth piece float in my mouth without effort. The point being, good fit and comfort will have an effect on your SAC. We are talking about a new diver with only 25 dives. Getting his gear squared and dialed in will definitely help, and is certainly more likely to give an immediate improvement than changing his exercise routine. If you want to find out how much difference it will make try holding a quarter in your teeth for half an hour, not as extreme as a 1980 reg, but I would be surprised if didn't finish with a sore jaw and a headache.
Bob DBF
Contributor
Don't worry about your SAC rate it will just make you nuts. Besides, you should take care of weight, buoyancy, and just get comfortable diving and the SAC will take care of itself. At a certain point it is what it is, even if a bit high like mine, do some more diving and check it again in 20 or 30 more dives.
If you are constantly adjusting buoyancy you will be surprised how much air you can burn, or as I tell others, "my SAC rate isn't good, but it really sucks when I fill lift bags".
Bob
---------------------------------
I think that advocating unsafe and dangerous practices is both stupid and foolish. That is why I don't tell people to do what I do. Dsix36
If you are constantly adjusting buoyancy you will be surprised how much air you can burn, or as I tell others, "my SAC rate isn't good, but it really sucks when I fill lift bags".
Bob
---------------------------------
I think that advocating unsafe and dangerous practices is both stupid and foolish. That is why I don't tell people to do what I do. Dsix36
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Yeah, that's about it. Lots of good other advice, but basically I think it boils down to how much you exert yourself and how slowly or fast you breathe. I've at times wanted to go (what for me is) a great distance in a short time. Watched my air disappear. I don't think my breathing has changed at all in my 9 years diving. And I use the same amount of weight as on dive #1. But for a lot of people this is not the case. My dives last long enough.
r4e
Contributor
bourj, I had similar experiences as you during my 25 first dives six years ago. I'll show you how my figures improved from the beginning to present date after 570 dives.
I am a middle-aged male with some extra bioprene in the middle. My BMI has varied between 29 and 31. Apart from regular diving, I might do 0-2 hours of relatively easy fitness per week. Six years ago I thought that a single tank (10L) with weights (12kg/26lbs) was heavy. Now with 100kg/220lbs of technical gear and a camera, it feels a bit heavy.
Six years ago, my very first 25 dives showed the following stats:
- Average surface consumption (rmv) 37.1L/min or imperial 1.05, i.e. very similar to your figures
- Min 0.65 (23L/min) and max 1.85! (65.4L/min). This includes some of the first training dives and you can see I was really breathing a lot at times.
Already the next 25 dives showed a significant improvement:
- Average 0.55 (19.3L/min), i.e. the consumption almost halved. Now I was feeling more comfortable in water, however still swimming rec style.
- Minimum 0.40 (14.3L/min) and max 0.86 (30.2L/min).
One year later, the stats are slightly worse:
- Average 0.67 (23.7L/min) diving in cold waters (dry suit) and 0.65 diving in warm waters (wet suit). The likeliest explanation is that I was gradually extending my comfort zone and diving deeper and longer.
- Minimum 0.44 (15.6L/min) and max 1.33! (47l/min). The max occured during a CMAS P3 training dive. Other maximums occurred during pinnacle dives like my first penetration to a wreck at 100ft/30m depth. However, the minimum was reached at a docile sand bottomed site and a couple of days later on the same site I was breathing almost triple the amount.
- Notice how big the variation was between min and max.
---
Now six years later I have certs for cave diving (could not foresee that happening), trimix and solo diving. The stats are:
- Average 0.51 for open water, low ciz cold water with dry suit. Min 0.45 and max 0.60. So there is much less day-to-day variation. The max occurred during 96 minute 180ft/55m pinnacle dive to a famous but demanding wreck.
- Average 0.49 for open water, high viz warm water with dry suit. Interestingly the minimum 0.39 and the maximum 0.57 occured during the same day in Hong Kong (the viz was not particularly good). The difference was that the first dive was task-loaded since we helped a local university in preparing a dive site for academic research.
- Average 0.54 for "easy" cave dives. "Easy" means bottom times of 40 minutes at 100ft/30m plus deco in 4ºC/39ºF water. Min 0.47 and max 0.60.
- Average 0.58 for more demanding cave dives. Min 0.46 and max 0.76. The max figures correlate to various pinnacle dives, e.g. a half-mile penetration into a cave south of the Ural mountains near Siberia, total dive time 113 minutes. Or a cave traverse at 190ft/58m - incidentally one of my dive pals got a DCS hit on a similar dive couple of months later.
The lesson here is that you will gradually become comfortable at whatever dive level you are diving at. When you extend that range into new pinnacle dives, be prepared that your gas consumption will increase. As new diver, the increase is significant. As a more experienced diver, the increase is smaller, but still there. You'll need to include it in your calculations plus a margin for situations when s*** hits the fan.
Weightwise, in the beginning I used 12kg/26lbs. Gradually over two or three years I decreased this to zero weights (dry suit, normal backplate, wings). But with increased dive range into caves in cold water, I have added back 4kg/9 lbs. This compensates for increased buoyancy of empty tanks but especially for increased need for additional underwear during longer dives.
I am a middle-aged male with some extra bioprene in the middle. My BMI has varied between 29 and 31. Apart from regular diving, I might do 0-2 hours of relatively easy fitness per week. Six years ago I thought that a single tank (10L) with weights (12kg/26lbs) was heavy. Now with 100kg/220lbs of technical gear and a camera, it feels a bit heavy.
Six years ago, my very first 25 dives showed the following stats:
- Average surface consumption (rmv) 37.1L/min or imperial 1.05, i.e. very similar to your figures
- Min 0.65 (23L/min) and max 1.85! (65.4L/min). This includes some of the first training dives and you can see I was really breathing a lot at times.
Already the next 25 dives showed a significant improvement:
- Average 0.55 (19.3L/min), i.e. the consumption almost halved. Now I was feeling more comfortable in water, however still swimming rec style.
- Minimum 0.40 (14.3L/min) and max 0.86 (30.2L/min).
One year later, the stats are slightly worse:
- Average 0.67 (23.7L/min) diving in cold waters (dry suit) and 0.65 diving in warm waters (wet suit). The likeliest explanation is that I was gradually extending my comfort zone and diving deeper and longer.
- Minimum 0.44 (15.6L/min) and max 1.33! (47l/min). The max occured during a CMAS P3 training dive. Other maximums occurred during pinnacle dives like my first penetration to a wreck at 100ft/30m depth. However, the minimum was reached at a docile sand bottomed site and a couple of days later on the same site I was breathing almost triple the amount.
- Notice how big the variation was between min and max.
---
Now six years later I have certs for cave diving (could not foresee that happening), trimix and solo diving. The stats are:
- Average 0.51 for open water, low ciz cold water with dry suit. Min 0.45 and max 0.60. So there is much less day-to-day variation. The max occurred during 96 minute 180ft/55m pinnacle dive to a famous but demanding wreck.
- Average 0.49 for open water, high viz warm water with dry suit. Interestingly the minimum 0.39 and the maximum 0.57 occured during the same day in Hong Kong (the viz was not particularly good). The difference was that the first dive was task-loaded since we helped a local university in preparing a dive site for academic research.
- Average 0.54 for "easy" cave dives. "Easy" means bottom times of 40 minutes at 100ft/30m plus deco in 4ºC/39ºF water. Min 0.47 and max 0.60.
- Average 0.58 for more demanding cave dives. Min 0.46 and max 0.76. The max figures correlate to various pinnacle dives, e.g. a half-mile penetration into a cave south of the Ural mountains near Siberia, total dive time 113 minutes. Or a cave traverse at 190ft/58m - incidentally one of my dive pals got a DCS hit on a similar dive couple of months later.
The lesson here is that you will gradually become comfortable at whatever dive level you are diving at. When you extend that range into new pinnacle dives, be prepared that your gas consumption will increase. As new diver, the increase is significant. As a more experienced diver, the increase is smaller, but still there. You'll need to include it in your calculations plus a margin for situations when s*** hits the fan.
Weightwise, in the beginning I used 12kg/26lbs. Gradually over two or three years I decreased this to zero weights (dry suit, normal backplate, wings). But with increased dive range into caves in cold water, I have added back 4kg/9 lbs. This compensates for increased buoyancy of empty tanks but especially for increased need for additional underwear during longer dives.
From our first book we offer these tips to avoid being an sucker:
a) Check your weighting. If you go through air faster than everyone else, there is a real good chance you are over-weighted or under-weighted
b) Trim your buoyancy often. We regularly observe other divers and see that they cannot hover. To remain at a certain depth, they are kicking or moving their arms to maintain that depth. Those movements burn air. Use your low pressure inflater/ deflater- that is what it is there for. Maintain neutral buoyancy and you will use a lot less air.
c) Move less. Swim less. Stop and smell the coral. Look for pretty little things under ledges. Dont be in constant motion.
d) Stay a few meters above the rest of the group.
If you will do these four things, we are confident that you will suck less air, and for some of you, a lot less air. ...
DivemasterDennis
a) Check your weighting. If you go through air faster than everyone else, there is a real good chance you are over-weighted or under-weighted
b) Trim your buoyancy often. We regularly observe other divers and see that they cannot hover. To remain at a certain depth, they are kicking or moving their arms to maintain that depth. Those movements burn air. Use your low pressure inflater/ deflater- that is what it is there for. Maintain neutral buoyancy and you will use a lot less air.
c) Move less. Swim less. Stop and smell the coral. Look for pretty little things under ledges. Dont be in constant motion.
d) Stay a few meters above the rest of the group.
If you will do these four things, we are confident that you will suck less air, and for some of you, a lot less air. ...
DivemasterDennis
fnfalman
Contributor
I just want to reiterate what others have said: master the basics first, then take up free diving to better your swimming skills and instill confidence in yourself thus truly help out with the "relax" aspect.
I spent four years diving with good divers, improving my diving skills, trims, buoyancy, equipment rigging, etc. My air consumption got better as my skills increased but I plateau out. Then a good friend of mine who is also a shop owner/course director told me that I should attend his free diving classes and he guaranteed me money back if my air consumption wouldn't improve after the first session. An offer that I can't lose.
Damn if my air consumption rate didn't go down and confidence didn't go way up after the first session. After the second session, my air consumption went way down and confidence rised even higher.
Had I taken free diving before I got my basic dive skills squared away, would it have helped? Maybe a little bit but I firmly believe that it wouldn't have helped me as much as my getting basic dive skills squared away then gained more confidence, breathing techniques, and swimming techniques from the free diving sessions.
I spent four years diving with good divers, improving my diving skills, trims, buoyancy, equipment rigging, etc. My air consumption got better as my skills increased but I plateau out. Then a good friend of mine who is also a shop owner/course director told me that I should attend his free diving classes and he guaranteed me money back if my air consumption wouldn't improve after the first session. An offer that I can't lose.
Damn if my air consumption rate didn't go down and confidence didn't go way up after the first session. After the second session, my air consumption went way down and confidence rised even higher.
Had I taken free diving before I got my basic dive skills squared away, would it have helped? Maybe a little bit but I firmly believe that it wouldn't have helped me as much as my getting basic dive skills squared away then gained more confidence, breathing techniques, and swimming techniques from the free diving sessions.
Jandee
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I use to hold something in my hand such as my console or flashlight, can't swim with your arms if they are busy holding onto something, get your weighting right, work on cutting back 1 pound at a time. This may sound stupid but when I was stressed I would hum a song. In fact I still do this if I want to slow down my breathing. The music from candy crush is perfect.
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