Air consumption tips?

[drrich2]

Cozumel diving is warm. My favorite dive buddy went to Hawaii & did some shore (I think) diving. He indicated the water was noticeably cooler there. If you're headed for Hawaii, and not already wearing a wetsuit, might better get one.

At what temp.s people require what thickness of wetsuit varied widely. I can dive in 75 degree water and as long as I move around some I don't feel particularly chilly. Some people talk like they'd freeze to death in 80 degrees. Your mileage may vary. It's my understanding that cold water diving, & wearing more exposure protection, might increase air consumption so if yours suffers a bit in Hawaii, don't get discouraged. If this subject matter was already covered by someone else, my apologies; too lazy to reread the thread right now.

Richard.

 

[briankinley2004]

All else being equal it aint how big your lungs are and how much you breathe in its how fast you let it out. NEVER hold your breath but exhale slowly. Proper weighting and lower workload helps air to last longer. Also staying 10ft or so above the group will help your bottom time be closer to theirs but don't get so far that your buddy is not within reach. Anything that causes you to breathe heavy out of water will do the same underwater so your physical condition plays a part too. If your breathing heavy gearing up it aint gonna get any better underwater unless you relax and be still.

 

[Doc Harry]

My advice would be; don't think about your breathing. Otherwise you'll end up worrying about it.

My advice would be just the opposite - always think about your breathing. A few minutes of distraction and you can huff and puff your way through several hundred p.s.i. without realizing it. No matter what you're doing, always think about your breathing and keep your breathing rate under control. Nice, deep, slow, relaxed breaths.

Everything underwater should happen in slow motion. Never rush to do anything. Never swim fast. Never move quickly. Breathing should also be... very... slow... and... relaxed.

Try staying 10 to 20 or even 30 feet above the rest of your group (with your buddy, of course). A 30-foot difference is about 1 atmosphere and can make a huge difference in your gas consumpion compared to the rest of the group. You'll be able to stay down longer with your group while you work on reducing your own personal gas consumption.

In Cozumel there is a lot of current. Don't fight the current. If you do, your tank with be empty in.... 32 minutes. Find coral heads and rock outcrops to hide behind to stay out of the current.

 

[RonFrank]

Staying 30' off the bottom sounds like a bad idea. I'd rather have a 30 minutes of good diving vs an hour of diving where there was nothing to see, but I extended my air! On many a day in FL 30' of vis is all you get, so you would barely make out the bottom hanging 30' above it. Enjoy your dives, and watch the air.

 

[Doc Harry]

Staying 30' off the bottom sounds like a bad idea. I'd rather have a 30 minutes of good diving vs an hour of diving where there was nothing to see, but I extended my air! On many a day in FL 30' of vis is all you get, so you would barely make out the bottom hanging 30' above it. Enjoy your dives, and watch the air.

Since so much of the diving in Coz is wall diving, staying 30 above the group means that you're 30 feet higher up on the wall, not 30 feet above the bottom.

 

[Beerkowski]

Cozumel diving is warm. My favorite dive buddy went to Hawaii & did some shore (I think) diving. He indicated the water was noticeably cooler there. If you're headed for Hawaii, and not already wearing a wetsuit, might better get one.

I snorkeled in Hawaii this time last year, and the water was NOTICEABLY colder there than in the Caribbean. In Coz I wore a 3mil wetsuit not because I was cold but to keep from being stung half to death. I was prolly being paranoid about the stinging, but sometimes better safe than sorry. The one advantage of being a big guy is insulation- I am very comfortable in water that most other people would consider pretty cold. -and by most other people, I mean my wife.

 

[markmud]

Don't breath shallow! On the contrary, take a deep breath, pause (dont hold your breath and don't think of the "K" sound. Think of the "H" sound. ) exhale completely then repeat as needed.

Hey Beerkowski,

Sometimes I give one-size-fits-all advice and I should not. Many people give me one-size-fits-all advice regarding my ear-clearing problem. A few people have given me advice that was worthwhile, including the diver who introduced me to SCUBA diver's earplugs and Wiz in St. Croix who trained me to blow my nose at depth when starting any ascent, otherwise the one-size-fits-all advice has been somewhat worthless.

For me, Splitlips advice, although vary well meaning and given with good intentions, does not work for me. I am 6' 0" tall and weigh just 175 lbs. I am somewhat physically fit.

If I take a deep breath, I rocket to the surface. If I completely exhale, I sink like a rock. For me, my best BC are my lungs. I can breath perfectly well while holding different volumes of gas in my lungs. I try to have a normal amount of air in my lungs and then breath normally, albeit at a slower pace.

Become your divemaster's wingman. Either right of left. Watch his/her breathing patterns. Kick when they do. Glide when they do. Breath when they do. Pretty soon you will learn that there is a rythim-thing going on.

markm

Caveat Emptor: Disregard all portions of this post that contain "one-size-fits-all" advice!

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

Good bouyancy control, proper trim in the water and not being over weighted are all very important in reducing air consumption. Be calm, keep your arms tucked in and don't be in a hurry to get some place. Enjoy the dive.

But like many others have said, it comes with time. The best thing you can do is dive more.

Have fun!

PH

 

[nimoh]

this is all good advice, but when taking this advice while on your dive, don't stress yourself out trying to remember every little thing. The most important thing is to relax and stay calm.

Work on your trim and buoyancy in the pool, and have fun on your vacation.

 

[sayang]

Try yoga!! I think it helped me a lot in forming the habit of deep, slow, relaxed breaths even when under physical exertion. Apparently I had awesome air consumption as a newbie and that's the only thing I can think of to really credit.