Average Gas Consumption

[stepfen]

I was a bit high (0.6-0.7+ depending on the conditions), but recently (after standardizing/streamlining my gear, get more dives/experience and switching to solo) I am approaching 0.4 (warm water, no current) and still slowly improving. I choose 0.5-0.59 as an average. For normal circumstances 15lt/min is what I use for gas planning nowadays.

 

[scubadada]

Thanks, 29 additional responses to the poll since Thursday

 

[Johnoly]

.....There's a lot more moving around, repositioning, finning, etc to get those shots and that can add up in terms of energy expended and gas consumed.

I'm 1000 % guilty there ! I don't know how to do the RMV/SAC formula stuff. I'm a commercial lobster hunter and to be successful I need to cover as much U/W realestate as I possible can in 35 minutes at 110ft deep. I hit the bottom with 160 cuft of gas and return topside with ~23 cuft of air remaining in the tank. I think that puts me at 4 cuft per minute, which is almost like a broken LP hose. Yep,,,it's takes ALOT of air to harvest ALOT of lobsters and travel almost a mile each dive.

 

[scubadada]

I'm 1000 % guilty there ! I don't know how to do the RMV/SAC formula stuff. I'm a commercial lobster hunter and to be successful I need to cover as much U/W realestate as I possible can in 35 minutes at 110ft deep. I hit the bottom with 160 cuft of gas and return topside with ~23 cuft of air remaining in the tank. I think that puts me at 4 cuft per minute, which is almost like a broken LP hose. Yep,,,it's takes ALOT of air to harvest ALOT of lobsters and travel almost a mile each dive.

That's a RMV of about 0.9 cf/min, not bad with all that swimming and work

I just noticed, this is my 10,000th post since joining SB in 2004

 

[scubadada]

43 new votes in the poll since Thursday, thanks for participating

 

[1atm]

I voted based on single tank rec diving given that it’s the Basic forum, but would like to point out that it depends heavily on the activity ...

• Rec diving in tropical waters with single tank 10-12 l/min so 0.35-0.42 cu ft/min
• Tech diving working phase (ie swimming with doubles/stages, laying line) 15-16 l/min so 0.52-0.56 cu ft/min
• Tech diving deco 8-12 l/min so 0.28-0.42 cu ft, sometimes more, depends if there is current etc. Very similar to rec diving, sometimes less than rec diving
• Tech diving heavy work (ie rescue drills, hauling around a large „unconscious“ buddy with doubles plus me in doubles, swimming him out of a cave etc) 20 l/min plus so 0.7 cu ft/min or more

I always plan dives on 20 l/min, especially minimum gas calculations. Tracking consumption during a dive is then a check vs what I expect given the respective activity

 

[Wstern5]

Warm water, single tank= .4

Doubles, drysuit, deco bottle= .6+

 

[scubadada]

Thanks, 55 additional responses to 2016 poll

 

[Storker]

Given my own experience, you probably ought to split the stats between wetsuit (possibly warm water diving) data and drysuit (possibly cold water diving) data.

I have almost consistently a lower SAC when I'm diving wet than when I'm diving dry.

 

[jlcnuke]

Given my own experience, you probably ought to split the stats between wetsuit (possibly warm water diving) data and drysuit (possibly cold water diving) data.

I have almost consistently a lower SAC when I'm diving wet than when I'm diving dry.

Yeah, I add 0.1 cfm to my planning when diving dry to account for air usage for the suit. Wouldn't be applicable if using argon though.