Overbreathing your regulator

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

LeFlaneur:
I've heard this term used, but I'm not exactly sure what it means. Anyone care to enlighten me?

This happens when you breath much to quickly and in some cases to deeply ,,,and your reg. can not provide the volume of gas you are asking it for,,,,,cases of panic-anxity//exerssion//medical emerg.// are the greatest cause of overbreathing your reg. 9it is a leading cause of many more serious diving acc.).... the solution is the slow down//calm down//stop//think and breath more a natural pace.
 
That feeling like you can not catch your breath
 
Clogged inlet screen will do it also
as you go deeper ,you take in larger amounts of air

I always check ip pressure before every dive
(its the pressure your first stage is putting out)
I gauge cost about 20 bucks, an it snaps to your inflator for checking

Then with valve on,,take a huge quick breath
while watching the needle on your SPG
you should not see it move if everthing is right

Dive safe

mark s
 
flounderboy:
Clogged inlet screen will do it also
as you go deeper ,you take in larger amounts of air

I always check ip pressure before every dive
(its the pressure your first stage is putting out)
I gauge cost about 20 bucks, an it snaps to your inflator for checking

Then with valve on,,take a huge quick breath
while watching the needle on your SPG
you should not see it move if everthing is right
If the needle on your IP gauge is not moving, either the gauge or the regulator has got problems.

Some swing on the needle of the IP gauge is entirely normal even on a very high performance regulatorthat has just been serviced. In fact the drop in IP pressure is crucial as it is that pressure differential that causes the regulator to function.

Excessive swing is not normal but what is excessive will depend on the regulator.

Absent severe corrosion or a blocked filter, overgreathing a regulator is most commonly encountered with lower performance first stages. In my youth I used to dive frequently under bridges in a river with a very strong current and even with depths limited to 30-40 ft, I found it was possble to overbreathe my Scubapro MK 3 with the heavy excertion involved and I had to upgrade to a Mk 10. Now it would not be a problem as that level of exertion would probably kill me long before I exceeded the regs capacity to deliver air.

If you are planning to dive deep (below 100 ft) or in demanding conditions requiring heavy exertion, it is a very good idea to ensure you have a regulator with adequate flow rate. Generally speaking a first stage with a flow rate of 100 scfm or more is acceptable.
 
My son and I at 90ft intentionally tried to over breath my regulator ... he took my octopus and breathed as hard as he could and me the same...regulator never became starved. When needed, they will always provide adequite air as long as they are kept in reasonably good shape (no clogged filters etc)

Joe
 
cudachaser:
My son and I at 90ft intentionally tried to over breath my regulator ... he took my octopus and breathed as hard as he could and me the same...regulator never became starved. When needed, they will always provide adequite air as long as they are kept in reasonably good shape (no clogged filters etc)

Joe

Overbreathing is more a physiological problem than a mechanical one. Though slight with a good regulator, there is a resistance to inhale on scuba as we all know and when you are stressed this feeling can cause or contribute to anxiety. This can begin a spiraling process where you increasingly feel like you are not getting enough air. This can happen to anyone, at any experience level, with any regulator, at any depth. To experience this sensation you can hold onto something firm in say 20' of water and fin your a** off. If you really push it you will begin to overbreath your regulator.

A diver would experience this sooner with a poor reg but the problem lies primarily with the state of mind.

--Matt
 
matt_unique:
Overbreathing is more a physiological problem than a mechanical one
--Matt

Not always.. if you have an unbalanced first stage it is very easy to over breath the reg. I purchased a low end regulator set for my kids that they use at 40ft and above. I tried the set at 80 feet. Once I hit about 65 feet it I could really feel the difference. When I use my Mares Abyss or Dacor Eagle to 100 ft no issue.
 
In terms of what happens to the reg when one is overbreathing:
If it is a piston 1st stage, wouldnt the piston just stay open the whole time? Can anybody approzimate how fast one breathes when overbreathing?
 
Couldn't this also happen from having the Venturi switch in the wrong position? :11:

I like mine wide open for deep dives, but at minimum for shallower. My Oct doesn't have one, but my pony does, and I lost a lot to a free flow a week ago when I stepped off a boat with it mistakenly open; try to keep it at minimum.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom