Blackwood
Contributor
The Logic Theorist:
http://www.deepsouthdivers.org/helicopterturn1.avi
Not sure how much you can learn from this video, but take a look. Also, run a search on Helicopter Turn.
Breath control / Air consumption rate
- Thread starter The Logic Theorist
- Start date
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
http://www.deepsouthdivers.org/helicopterturn1.avi
Not sure how much you can learn from this video, but take a look. Also, run a search on Helicopter Turn.
There is being fit and beining fit for diving and there is a difference.
I'll not get into my personal habits and how much I do or don't work out but here's what happened to me.
80cuft tank in less than 60' of water lasted me about 25 minutes.
Same tank now under similar conditions can last me nearly, if not over 2 hrs depending on what I'm doing.
I've changed nothing about my habits or work out.
The more you dive the more comfortable and more relaxed you get. I can litterally take a nap underwater
Enjoy blowing bubbles, relax, take things slowly and from time to time listen to yourself breath. Focus on it.
It will get better each time you get in the water and if you'd like to see that happen, start recording your air usage in your log book and from season-to-season compare similar dives...you can see you're using less air.
I'll not get into my personal habits and how much I do or don't work out but here's what happened to me.
80cuft tank in less than 60' of water lasted me about 25 minutes.
Same tank now under similar conditions can last me nearly, if not over 2 hrs depending on what I'm doing.
I've changed nothing about my habits or work out.
The more you dive the more comfortable and more relaxed you get. I can litterally take a nap underwater
Enjoy blowing bubbles, relax, take things slowly and from time to time listen to yourself breath. Focus on it.
It will get better each time you get in the water and if you'd like to see that happen, start recording your air usage in your log book and from season-to-season compare similar dives...you can see you're using less air.
For myself, air consumption improved greatly after working out aerobically for 6 weeks.
Doing 35' reef dives an an AL80 with a bottom time of 60 minutes still yields about 1200psi leftover.
On my first dives after certification, I may have had about 5-700psi left after an hour.
Like other opinions, the more you dive the more you'll improve your efficiency, but don't try too hard or you'll miss the fun part of diving.
Doing 35' reef dives an an AL80 with a bottom time of 60 minutes still yields about 1200psi leftover.
On my first dives after certification, I may have had about 5-700psi left after an hour.
Like other opinions, the more you dive the more you'll improve your efficiency, but don't try too hard or you'll miss the fun part of diving.
nereas
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,735
- Reaction score
- 6
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
Lots of good advice has already been given. Here are my thoughts.
Jogging every day to get into and stay in shape helps.
Trim down your gear and weighting so that you are not carrying extra junk or excess weight.
Pause on the surface to relax and breathe deeply for about a minute to catch your breath before you descend.
Dump only enough air out of your B/C to allow you to begin to slowly descend, rather than emptying it at the start of your dive to descend quickly.
No sculling at all with your hands.
All turning being done with your fins.
Dive at a constant depth rather than spiking up and down.
Minimize or eliminate kicking underwater, with an emphasis on hovering instead.
Graduate to a drysuit if you are diving in cold waters.
Wear a hood in warm waters to keep you warmer.
Those things will all help, to different degrees.
Jogging every day to get into and stay in shape helps.
Trim down your gear and weighting so that you are not carrying extra junk or excess weight.
Pause on the surface to relax and breathe deeply for about a minute to catch your breath before you descend.
Dump only enough air out of your B/C to allow you to begin to slowly descend, rather than emptying it at the start of your dive to descend quickly.
No sculling at all with your hands.
All turning being done with your fins.
Dive at a constant depth rather than spiking up and down.
Minimize or eliminate kicking underwater, with an emphasis on hovering instead.
Graduate to a drysuit if you are diving in cold waters.
Wear a hood in warm waters to keep you warmer.
Those things will all help, to different degrees.
nereas
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,735
- Reaction score
- 6
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
MeiLing:As a new diver, I think a lot tend to overbreathe as they tend to take the "Always breathe" to much to heart. Yes, you should never be holding your breath! However, you don't have to breathe like a runaway train to achieve that.
Take long, slow, comfortable inhales and exhales. Not so deep though that you feel forced to blow off the whole breath immediately. Find how deep is good for you.
Of course though, you need to get all the other things that folks have told you into play first. And breathing deeply relaxes you as well.
Good luck!
MeiLing is exactly right. This warrants repeating.
OP
The Logic Theorist
Contributor
nereas:
I'm actually on a competition rock climbing team, so I climb 2-4 times a week and do extra aerobic and endurance excersizes. I've also gotten into Parkour, which requires a good bit of running and strength conditioning.
All of the rest of the tips look great though, thanks!
I've come upon a breathing exercise which is working for me. I'm a real air hog most of the time. Since I had my shoulder operated on I couldn't go to the ocean for a while so as soon as I could get into the water I started taking my gear to the local Y and paddling around in the pool with fins and snorkel. Later on I took my tanks and regs. Figured that that would be a good time to do some breathing work. What I did was to do a deep breath with a 6-count (6 heartbeats), hold it for a few seconds (throat open) and then a slow exhale with a 10-count. By using this procedure on my last two trips to Largo I got from 5-10 more minutes of bottom time using an 80.
Garrobo, as I believe somebody said on another thread, that is called skip breathing, and is dangerous because it leads to CO2 retention.
A very brief, tiny pause at the end of inhalation and exhalation is fine. But several seconds is WAY too long. CO2 is narcotic, so it impedes your thinking. It changes blood pH and can predispose to arrhythmias, which could be lethal underwater. Skip breathing is NOT the way to prolong your gas supply.
A very brief, tiny pause at the end of inhalation and exhalation is fine. But several seconds is WAY too long. CO2 is narcotic, so it impedes your thinking. It changes blood pH and can predispose to arrhythmias, which could be lethal underwater. Skip breathing is NOT the way to prolong your gas supply.
SparticleBrane
Contributor
Stop waving your arms.
OP
The Logic Theorist
Contributor
How am I supposed to say hi to all the fish?
Similar threads
