Always carry spare air - in your lungs

[seahorsey]

Ditto, just had that lesson hammered home in a nice, safe way by a snorkel relay game. I went out to the target fast enough to pull wakeboarders, all happy about my powerful leg muscles and the performance of my beloved Viper fins - only to find I didn't have enough air to freedive down to do the required task at 8 -10 feet or so (wearing a drysuit, its kinda tough to even get below the surface). Damn. Had to wait to catch my breath. Didn't they tell us something like this in the rescue course? Pace yourself on the way out, so you can do the job once you're there? And in a real emergency, you wouldn't have the luxury of waiting to catch your breath. Bu there is NOTHING like experiencing it yourself for making you aware of that. That was a well-set up, valuable game. No more overexertion, not even in fun.