"Over-breathing your reg"? What is this? Is this breathing during a panic situation? How can this be prevented and what do you do if this happens? Can this be caused by equipment? Under what conditions does this typically occur?
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Over breathing your regulator is sucking on it harder than it can effectively deliver the gas. Usually happens when you over exert yourself. Really it should be called over breathing the diver, but because high performance regulators deliver gas better than cheaper regulators, we like to pin our poor management as divers on a lack of better quality equipment.
Looking at test data, I believe your statement on high performance versus cheaper regulators is overstated in recreational diving conditions. I have seen evidence that most claims of over-breathing regulators are not valid. More often individuals get in such an anxious state that they dont feel they get enough air, a condition well known outside the diving community.
Looking at test data, I believe your statement on high performance versus cheaper regulators is overstated in recreational diving conditions. I have seen evidence that most claims of over-breathing regulators are not valid. More often individuals get in such an anxious state that they don’t feel they get enough air, a condition well known outside the diving community...
Test data is pretty much irrelevant. There are a ton of regulators that need service, don't get it, and breathe like crap. It's entirely possible to "overbreathe" one of these.
This isn't to let overwork, CO2 problems, anxiety and panic off the hook either, however you can't just state that regulators aren't an issue because of the test data...
… Really it should be called over breathing the diver, but because high performance regulators deliver gas better than cheaper regulators, we like to pin our poor management as divers on a lack of better quality equipment.
Looking at test data, I believe your statement on high performance versus cheaper regulators is overstated in recreational diving conditions. I have seen evidence that most claims of over-breathing regulators are not valid. More often individuals get in such an anxious state that they dont feel they get enough air, a condition well known outside the diving community.
Exacerbating conditions include wetsuits that fit too tight around the chest and diaphragm, hydrostatic pressure differential between the lung and second stage regulator, poor physical condition, mild claustrophobia, cold water, overheating under physical exertion, and situational stress. Most inexpensive regulators, generally referring to unbalanced first and second stage mechanisms, produce very high flow rates at very low demand pressure differential at least above 500 PSI supply pressures.
It has been 20-30 years since regulators we marketed that were truly low performance. There are a number of expensive balanced first and second stage regulators that do not outperform their unbalanced competition. Comfort in the water and good physical condition are infinitely more important to safety than regulator performance.