Skip breathing Vs Buoyancy control

[UCFKnightDiver]

Meh, if you're relatively neutral, I wouldn't worry too much about taking big breaths to make small changes to your location in the water column. Just make sure to exhale relatively soon after the change. If making big changes, use your BCD, though often you can take a big breath in which starts your upward momentum and then that momentum more or less continues on it's own with you breathing normally. I don't think I'd classify what I'm suggesting as skip breathing but at times I do hold a big breath for a second or two, though I don't close off my airway. Just my 2 cents anyway

 

[Ukmc]

As many mentioned in the thread now several times, it is possible and relatively safe to hold the breath while keeping glottis open (very important). I do that at times when photographing tiny critters on a macro setting for stability .
BTW, strong work divingdubai putting lung capacities concept into a tank gauge scale. I always thought of those measurements in sinusoid graphs as they usually thought in physiology but I like this other analogy as well!

 

[Open Ocean Diver]

Stupid question... how do you keep your glottis open and how do you know when it is?

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

Stupid question... how do you keep your glottis open and how do you know when it is?

When you take a big breath but can quickly breath back out and then back in with no resistance/feeling your glottis is open. Closing it is a little like doing a breath hold and the back of your thoroat comes forward to close off the airway. When you breath back out you can feel the resistance a little bit. Kinda difficult to explain.

 

[Raphus]

If your not sure, just exhale slowly, just like when u have your reg out of your mouth

 

[TMHeimer]

Stupid question... how do you keep your glottis open and how do you know when it is?

-- not underwater--
To close off your mouth airway go ..."hock".......(do this with mouth open).
To close off your nose airway go ..."hym(pf)".....
Then note how each situation feels.

 

[Divectionist]

My opinion

Do:
- spend time getting the weighting right to reduce the bubble needed
- spend time getting the trim right to be in tune with buoyancy regardless of propulsion or not
- take a few seconds to establish 'peace' when you get to your depth
- internalise to use the BCD with anticipation of depth changes, not just when your momentum reminds you

Don't:
- fuss about artificial breathing methods
- be shy about correcting the air bubble when you feel momentum
- excessively employ the BCD as an elevator in any direction

 

[chillyinCanada]

Do you do yoga or meditative breathing? If so, you will eventually notice that your breathing underwater is very zen. Slowly fully in and then fully Slowly out again, repeat.

Don't be racing around underwater. No need to be kicking kicking kicking, it's more small kick and glide. See that rock? It's up ahead, avoid it in advance.

I used to hum to get my breathing right. I've been told that is not a good practice but it worked for me.

I don't hum anymore, normally there's singing.

 

[NAM001]

Hello. I am a new diver so please bear with me if the topic has already been discussed but what I have read so far in SB dos not satisfy me.
I got OW certified on nov 20th, 2020. My buoyancy control was poor. I then took a Perfect Buoyancy Specialty course and now I think that I got it right. However, I have read several threads where people were advocating against skip breathing because of CO2 risks. Well! How can one control buoyancy by using her/ his lungs without limited skip breathing? I was taught to inhale (and sometimes hold for a couple of seconds) to slightly move up and exhale to move down. Some people say there should not be any hold in breathing and it should be natural, balanced. That does not make sense, does it? How I am supposed to do minor moves if I keep on breathing normally? How I am supposed to control my buoyancy if I can't inhale and hold to avoid a rock? Using my fins all the time of worse using my LPI? Is this CO2 risk real or a myth? I am not talking about skip breathing to save air, just for buoyancy control.
Thank you for your educated replies.

I dont call what you are saying is skip breathing. I usually hear that term when people say they skip so they can use less air on the dive. holding your inhale or exhale to allow your depth change to happen is what breath control is about. If you have to hold too long you are a tad heavy and need a shot of gas in the BCD. For the diver doing a breath hold for a few seconds at a constant depth is the test for light or heavy or adjusting your bcd for hovering. your target is to be able to adjust depth by breathing with out over inhaling or exhaling.

 

[MichaelMc]

Shifting your tidal volume up or down in your vital capacity shifts your buoyancy. Though keeping it high in your vital capacity will not do a very good job of flushing CO2, and keeping it at the top of your vital capacity is likely not the smartest underwater even with an open glottis.

As mentioned, your breathing is also not the perfect even waves as in this diagram. Spend more time at the top or bottom of your tidal volume and you shift your buoyancy as well.

Definition of lung volume terms.
Lung volumes - Wikipedia