ican
Registered
Hey guys, my name is Adam, and I'm new to diving, but not new to the water. I've been a swimming instructor and lifeguard for 17 years, and just recently had the time to take my first scuba course. I'm now certified as an Open Water Diver, and this spring, my 15 year old son will be getting his certification so I will always have a diving buddy wherever we go. We have plans to dive in Florida this coming June, as well as a few dives this spring in lakes around the South East quarter of Wisconsin, especially Rock Lake in Lake Mills to find the pyramids.
I have 6 dives done so far, and I'm working on getting as many certifications as I can, with the intentions of one day becoming an instructor. I feel it will go well with my swimming instructor certifications, and I am more at home in the water than I am on the surface. My only issue that I'm having trouble with is breath control. I'm a saxophone player, and as a result I have a much larger lung capacity than most people, and breathe much deeper than someone who doesn't play a wind instrument. I initially thought because of this, I would use less air than my classmates by a large margin... However, I'm also 6'2" and 235lbs, so I came up with the same amount of air as a couple of people, but far less than any of my instructors. By my 6th dive (65ft and 55 degrees below the thermocline) I came to the surface with 1000PSI in a Compressed Aluminum 80CF tank, beating the other students by a few hundred PSI, but both instructors came up with 1400PSI.
I know it's not going to come overnight, this skill of controlled, slow breathing... but I thought I'd be better at it since I already breathe long and slow. I shouldn't really be comparing myself to instructors who have been diving for years either, but I'd really like to know how to keep my breathing slow and controlled throughout a dive... What's the point of diving to 130 feet if you only have the breath control to take 4 breaths at depth before you come back to the surface? =)
I have 6 dives done so far, and I'm working on getting as many certifications as I can, with the intentions of one day becoming an instructor. I feel it will go well with my swimming instructor certifications, and I am more at home in the water than I am on the surface. My only issue that I'm having trouble with is breath control. I'm a saxophone player, and as a result I have a much larger lung capacity than most people, and breathe much deeper than someone who doesn't play a wind instrument. I initially thought because of this, I would use less air than my classmates by a large margin... However, I'm also 6'2" and 235lbs, so I came up with the same amount of air as a couple of people, but far less than any of my instructors. By my 6th dive (65ft and 55 degrees below the thermocline) I came to the surface with 1000PSI in a Compressed Aluminum 80CF tank, beating the other students by a few hundred PSI, but both instructors came up with 1400PSI.
I know it's not going to come overnight, this skill of controlled, slow breathing... but I thought I'd be better at it since I already breathe long and slow. I shouldn't really be comparing myself to instructors who have been diving for years either, but I'd really like to know how to keep my breathing slow and controlled throughout a dive... What's the point of diving to 130 feet if you only have the breath control to take 4 breaths at depth before you come back to the surface? =)
