Skip breathing Vs Buoyancy control

[Dody]

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

My SAC (calculated) which was initially at over 20 liters/ minute went down to 11 for my last 5 dives. I guess I am doing something right. Is it Buyoancy control or breathing techniques? I don’t know.

 

[scubadada]

My SAC (calculated) which was initially at over 20 liters/ minute went down to 11 for my last 5 dives. I guess I am doing something right. Is it Buyoancy control or breathing techniques? I don’t know.

Your RMV has really improved, from above average, to significantly less that average
Average Gas Consumption

 

[Blackcrusader]

My SAC (calculated) which was initially at over 20 liters/ minute went down to 11 for my last 5 dives. I guess I am doing something right. Is it Buyoancy control or breathing techniques? I don’t know.

Dang that is some improvement there. I've helped some new divers go from max 20m with 40 min dives ending with 40 bar to do do max 20m ending 40 bar to 70 mins but the average dive depth was still around 13m. Took them a couple days so the 5 - 6 dives they do over the two days helps. But as you said first the biggest improvement comes from being good on buoyancy and being relaxed, then the air consumption naturally drops. Congrats.

 

[Dody]

Dang that is some improvement there. I've helped some new divers go from max 20m with 40 min dives ending with 40 bar to do do max 20m ending 40 bar to 70 mins but the average dive depth was still around 13m. Took them a couple days so the 5 - 6 dives they do over the two days helps. But as you said first the biggest improvement comes from being good on buoyancy and being relaxed, then the air consumption naturally drops. Congrats.

Yeah. I must spend 20% of the time not moving my legs (I never move my arms). Just hovering and using my lungs. Impressive how one can descend several meters just exhaling.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Yeah. I must spend 20% of the time not moving my legs (I never move my arms). Just hovering and using my lungs. Impressive how one can descend several meters just exhaling.

Once you get that neutral buoyancy it's fun to use your lungs to descend then breathe in to hold depth again, breathe in a bit more and wait a few seconds to initiate a slow ascent. I find hovering to be fun whether I am horizontal or vertical in position. If you hover and can remain motionless some fish like Fire Gobi's won't dart off and hide right away. Same for some critters that hide like Blenny's and shrimp in the sand. I see a lot more things when going super slow.

Like this

 

[60plus]

Never stop breathing or hold your breath, but do breath slowly, if you want to be slightly more positively buoyant to rise, then start inhaling before you have fully exhales. and vice versa to sink. With practice you can learn to breath with your lungs full or empty. My lungs have a capacity well in excess of 6 litres,probably about 8 to 9. When I am breathing underwater I only inhale and exhale a fraction of that, say 3 L, so I can use the rest of that capacity to adjust my buoyancy. Research into IPE ( immersion pulmonary edema) and immersion pulmonary oedema (IPO) strongly indicates that gentle slow breathing is advisable particularly at increasing depths and gas densities.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Never stop breathing or hold your breath, but do breath slowly, if you want to be slightly more positively buoyant to rise, then start inhaling before you have fully exhales. and vice versa to sink. With practice you can learn to breath with your lungs full or empty. My lungs have a capacity well in excess of 6 litres, probably about 8 to 9. When I am breathing underwater I only inhale and exhale a fraction of that, say 3 L, so I can use the rest of that capacity to adjust my buoyancy. Research into IPE ( immersion pulmonary edema) and immersion pulmonary oedema (IPO) strongly indicates that gentle slow breathing is advisable particularly at increasing depths and gas densities.

Many photographers will hold their breath to stop bubbles and to be very still. Just don't hold your breath when ascending. You can hold it when descending. Or being still

 

[60plus]

Many photographers will hold their breath to stop bubbles and to be very still. Just don't hold your breath when ascending. You can hold it when descending. Or being still

You seem to have forgotten that you are posting in the "new or considering diving" section, people do use breath holding in various situations for various reason, but that should be once they have learned basic good breathing technique, and are more experienced divers.

 

[Coztick]

You seem to have forgotten that you are posting in the "new or considering diving" section, people do use breath holding in various situations for various reason, but that should be once they have learned basic good breathing technique, and are more experienced divers.

We should also make the distinction between holding your breath and pausing your breathing.
You may pause while holding your airway open at anytime. There is never a reason to hold a breath by closing the throat (glottis?)
It's just an unnecessarily dangerous habit to have while diving. Just pause.

 

[Blackcrusader]

We should also make the distinction between holding your breath and pausing your breathing. You may pause while holding your airway open at anytime. There is never a reason to hold a breath by closing the throat (glottis?) It's just an unnecessarily dangerous habit to have while diving. Just pause.

Sometimes divers will ask me how I always have that little bubble trail that looks like the leak on my tank O ring on this dive. To explain to them about keeping your airway open just takes practice.