Quick easy solution to high air consumption - Grab a Go Pro

[Landau]

Ok this isn't going to work for everyone and probably isn't the best (or even third best) way to improve air consumption, but I just saw it work a miracle.

I just completed a liveaboard trip. I've dove a few times before with my buddy on the trip with about 50 dives to his credit and his air consumption was significantly higher than mine. His hands continuously sculling or just plain wiggling. First dive of the trip he was his normal sculling high air consumption self.

Second dive he took his brand new GoPro on a pole. Suddenly his hands have something to do. He is thinking about holding the camera steady. No sculling, no wiggling and MUCH better air consumption. The rest of the trip the pattern continues - go pro in hand = less movement = better air.

This is something I am still working on myself and I've made slow steady progress (with hopefully more to come) but never had a dramatic improvement like that.

Anyway I'm not really recommending this as a solution to sucking air like a Hoover, but I found it interesting to watch in action.

 

[gcarter]

Keeping your hands still makes a big difference. I would cross my arms on my chest and grab my BCD to stop myself from sculling. Now I get made fun of for my "Superman" pose because having broken the habit I often dive with my arms straight out

Seriously, I was amazed at the difference.

 

[Gi0]

I've had a very similar experience! I have a tendency to overthink my bouyancy & trim, but when distracted with a GoPro or a less experienced buddy, it magically sorts itself out. Of course when I realize how amazing I am, it goes all wack.

I guess like in other sports, you get to a point where significant improvement comes from not thinking and trusting in your learned skills.

 

[CT-Rich]

I usually keep one hand on my LP inflator/ dump when I am not running a camera, it keeps the arm tucked close to the body. The other arm has my compass on my wrist, so it is usually where I can see my bearing.

I made a video last summer and one of the guys in it, I had made some suggestions about minimizing movement and after he saw the video of himself he totally understood where I was coming from when I said he needs to stop swimming with his hands.

 

[Neilwood]

There is a concept in Psychology which is based on levels of competence
1) Unconscious incompetence - we do not understand or know how to do something or possibly understand the need to ie the starting point for any new skill.
2) Conscious incompetence - we now understand the lack of skill/knowledge but are starting to pick them up. A lot of mistakes and effort is required.
3) Conscious competence - we have the skills and knowledge but still need to devote effort into achieving the skill.
4) Unconscious competence - we no longer need to think about it as it has become second nature.

Diving is the same. We start by not knowing how to do it, we then pick up the skills, refine them and then we can just go out and do it without much effort.

What the Gopro is effectively doing is forcing your conscious brain to let the skill go to the unconscious bit as you focus on the footage. You "know" how to do it but your conscious brain wants to keep control - switch the camera on and concentrate on that and the rest becomes "automatic" and because you aren't as focused on the diving, you relax a bit, calm down and hence the SAC goes down as well.

 

[Landau]

Besides holding the camera still for smooth footage, I think he was also holding it still when off to prevent damaging the new toy by smashing it on something.

 

[Doctorfish]

I fundamentally disagree with this solution. Most air hogs are new divers and the last thing they need is to use up limited bandwidth with a camera.
Better to learn to dive before playing with cameras underwater.
Not over or underweighting, learning good buoyancy skills, streamlining gear and learning not to rush or flail around will help immeasurably with air consumption.

 

[KevinNM]

Supposedly just giving someone something to hold with both hands can really help. Rock, stick, brick, camera, you can't be waving around your hands when they are holding something.

 

[CT-Rich]

I fundamentally disagree with this solution. Most air hogs are new divers and the last thing they need is to use up limited bandwidth with a camera.
Better to learn to dive before playing with cameras underwater.
Not over or underweighting, learning good buoyancy skills, streamlining gear and learning not to rush or flail around will help immeasurably with air consumption.

I wouldn't consider 50 dives to be a "new" diver needing to focus 100% of their attention on breathing and buoyancy. How often do you need to check your gas? After a while you do it reflexively, the same is true for adding/ releasing air to control buoyancy. At some point you don't need a baby sitter. If the camera occupies his attention and enhances the dive experience (and in turn he relaxes), then more power to him...

 

[Hotpocket]

More likely to create a task overload situation.

Good skills need to be developed and practiced not forced in some way.

A new divers hands need to be free not encumbered with gear.

My 2 cents.