Do a search on this subject as it comes up frequently and has been well addressed.
How do I improve my air consumption?
- Thread starter sueellen
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lamont
Contributor
mania:
Actually I find it works better for me to take a deep slow breath (think about sipping air), then hold it (airway open), let the O2/CO2 exchange and slowly exhale. If I start feeling like I'm not breathing enough I speed it up a little bit, but still try to keep it under control.
The real challenge is that it gets kind of complicated when you're trying to do that and manage your buoyancy at the same time.
jham2081--Excellent post by Web Monkey. Take to heart what he said.
Getting your weighting and trim correct will help you cut down on the work. Learn to use the frog kick which will reduce the work portion as compared to the flutter kick.
Practice and experience will help you relax. With that will come better air consumption.
Getting your weighting and trim correct will help you cut down on the work. Learn to use the frog kick which will reduce the work portion as compared to the flutter kick.
Practice and experience will help you relax. With that will come better air consumption.
Seabear70
Guest
Or you could do what I do and just wear twin 80's...
I like my air!
I like my air!
caymaniac
Contributor
You need to become comfortable at diving, and it will take a number of dives to do that. As you have more experience and become familiar with your equipment you become more relaxed. After ten or twenty dives your air consumption should improve allot. And, the other answers that you have received from the board are correct, it has to do with your weighting (bouyancy) and your calmness and familiarity with your equipment.
Have fun,
Caymaniac
Have fun,
Caymaniac
jham2081
Guest
thank you all for your help/advice. It is encouraging to know that most newbies struggle with this. In my search on this forum, i found many of you oldtimers (meant respectfully to mean experienced) "confessing" that when you started you were also air hogs. Someone even mentioned getting to 500lbs in 12minutes 
I also struggled to stay down underwater today, so i don't think i was over weighted. I was in a 7mm farmer john with 18lbs of lead in a freshwater lake. Does that sound severely overweighted. incase body type matters, I'm about 5'8" and about 210lbs (i know, i need to lose some weight) and I am a very solid build (naturally more muscular, but with some "insulation" too ).
Thanks again for your help!
I also struggled to stay down underwater today, so i don't think i was over weighted. I was in a 7mm farmer john with 18lbs of lead in a freshwater lake. Does that sound severely overweighted. incase body type matters, I'm about 5'8" and about 210lbs (i know, i need to lose some weight) and I am a very solid build (naturally more muscular, but with some "insulation" too
). Thanks again for your help!
I was the Queen of the hoover's when I first started diving, could suck a tank down to 500psi in 30 minutes at 60 feet. I think time and practice will resolve this problem for you. I f you have the chance to dive with someone who is excellent on air, mimic them, watch there movements they'll always be exaggreated, i WATCH THEIR BREATHING AND TRY TO MINIC IT AS WELL TO JUST GET A FEEL FOR IT. i NOTICE DEEP LONG BREATHs then long exhales work wonderfully, I can "almost" beat my husband now.... (but then again, his brain might not require the same amount of O2 as mine....hehehehehe)
Everything will get easier with experience....
Everything will get easier with experience....
I know this is a fairly old thread but as it is, I am dealing with getting more from a tank so I decided to wake it up.
I just calculated my SAC rates for my last trip and I am in the area of 0.58-0.62. I have no idea where that stands in the norm of things but my wife is at 0.42-0.45 and thats a problem as she is my dive buddy.
I have a friend who calculated his and he is pretty steady around 0.36-0.40.
These numbers are over 8 dives performed by all of us last week on a cruise.
I decided to find some breathing information and I found this article. It seems really good so I decided to share it and practice what it teaches and see what happens.
http://www.neptunediveandski.com/breathing.htm
I just purchased scubase and imported all my dives so now I will monitor my SAC and trac my progress.
Is it realistic to set a goal of 0.30?
It feels realistic because when I meditate I breath about once per minute and the same should apply under water.
Enjoy!
I just calculated my SAC rates for my last trip and I am in the area of 0.58-0.62. I have no idea where that stands in the norm of things but my wife is at 0.42-0.45 and thats a problem as she is my dive buddy.
I have a friend who calculated his and he is pretty steady around 0.36-0.40.
These numbers are over 8 dives performed by all of us last week on a cruise.
I decided to find some breathing information and I found this article. It seems really good so I decided to share it and practice what it teaches and see what happens.
http://www.neptunediveandski.com/breathing.htm
I just purchased scubase and imported all my dives so now I will monitor my SAC and trac my progress.
Is it realistic to set a goal of 0.30?
It feels realistic because when I meditate I breath about once per minute and the same should apply under water.
Enjoy!
miketsp
Contributor
LavaSurfer:
A lot of people would question this sort of exercise just before diving:
"Ricardo runs to the boat each and every morning, arriving drenched in sweat."
Although it probably depends on the conditioning of the individual.
See also
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=111012
1) Don't move a muscle underwater unless you have to. The biggest sin is people who use their arms when diving. Don't.
2) Relax. Stop, take 3 long slow breaths without doing anything else. Now relax some more.
3) Get perfect buoyancy. Otherwise you are fighting the whole dive without realising it.
4) Streamline your kit. Tuck in or clip your octopus, console etc.
5) Get your fore and aft trim right so you lie flat in the water.
6) Learn to frog kick properly. It is the most efficient so you use less air for any given distance.
7) The alveolei in the bottom of your lung have 50% more blood vessels. Belly breathe and you will use them. Chest breathing is far less efficient.
8) Breathe in for 4 seconds, pause for 2 seconds whilst the oxygen is absorbed, breathe out for 4 seconds. When you get good at this go for 6, 3 and 6 seconds. Do not breathe hold whist ascending.
9) Do not smoke. This is really stupid. In addition it puts carbon monoxide in your blood and stops your lungs working properly. Just not compatible with diving.
10) Get fitter. Even going for a half hour or more walk every single day will make a big difference.
11) Wear the right fins. Mares Quattros do it for me. Some just waste your effort.
12) Adjust your regulator so it isn't throwing too much air down your throat. You must be in control of your breathing, your regulator is not in charge.
13) Stay just a metre or so less deep throughout the dive. This adds up to a big difference.
14) Don't descend whilst out of breath. After entering the water get relaxed and get your breath back at the surface before going down.
15) Go to Yoga breathing lessons.
16) Nothing beats experience and practice.
2) Relax. Stop, take 3 long slow breaths without doing anything else. Now relax some more.
3) Get perfect buoyancy. Otherwise you are fighting the whole dive without realising it.
4) Streamline your kit. Tuck in or clip your octopus, console etc.
5) Get your fore and aft trim right so you lie flat in the water.
6) Learn to frog kick properly. It is the most efficient so you use less air for any given distance.
7) The alveolei in the bottom of your lung have 50% more blood vessels. Belly breathe and you will use them. Chest breathing is far less efficient.
8) Breathe in for 4 seconds, pause for 2 seconds whilst the oxygen is absorbed, breathe out for 4 seconds. When you get good at this go for 6, 3 and 6 seconds. Do not breathe hold whist ascending.
9) Do not smoke. This is really stupid. In addition it puts carbon monoxide in your blood and stops your lungs working properly. Just not compatible with diving.
10) Get fitter. Even going for a half hour or more walk every single day will make a big difference.
11) Wear the right fins. Mares Quattros do it for me. Some just waste your effort.
12) Adjust your regulator so it isn't throwing too much air down your throat. You must be in control of your breathing, your regulator is not in charge.
13) Stay just a metre or so less deep throughout the dive. This adds up to a big difference.
14) Don't descend whilst out of breath. After entering the water get relaxed and get your breath back at the surface before going down.
15) Go to Yoga breathing lessons.
16) Nothing beats experience and practice.
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