Breathing techniques?

[eleniel]

We were in Hawaii in January last year and the whale singing totally disoriented me at first. We knew there were whales nearby (we could see them breaching earlier that morning a bit away), but I had never actually heard a whale song in person before. At first I thought it was just in my head since my mind likes to make up patterns and sounds if there isn't anything to focus on.
We chatted about it during the surface interval and I learned I really wasn't imagining it - actual whale sounds! It was amazing.
We heard them on quite a few dives on that trip, as well as when we were snorkeling.
According to the captain, a big one breached pretty closer to where we were diving but it was just out of visibility so we could hear it (and got to feel the water react) but didn't see it.
It's amazing.

 

[60plus]

I agree with what Neil #19 writes and add the following. Make sure you are completely relaxed and breathing gently before descending. Don't vent excessive air for your initial descent.Just vent enough so the water is at about eye or nose level with your lungs half full then descend just by exhaling, do not vent more air. Whilst underwater I tend to breath in at a medium rate, hold my breath a little then exhale slowly then at end of exhale almost immediately start inhale. I do not fully exhale. A couple of weeks ago I did a 42 minute dive most of which was spent at 23 to 30m and I only used 100 bar from a 15 L tank. When I fist started diving I would use 150 bar for a 40 min dive at 20m. I am large and heavy.
#16. My father used to occasionally dive using an oxygen fed rebreather something like the one shown. They used to use them for a quick look under ships when they wanted more time than snorkeling allowed and could not gain access in the surface fed suits.