How to control breathing while descending?

[Alex Y]

So i have just clocked my 18th dive yesterday. I was recently certified in February of this year, 2017. I have made 6 trips, 3 dives per trip, including my open water cert dives. I have a problem in my initial descent almost everytime. I tend to start breathing super heavy and almost every time i get around 15 feet i have to come back up and catch my breath and then retry a second time. Im a big guy, 6'5" about 240 lbs. I suck down a HP 80 tank with 3100 psi in about 40 minutes, whereas my girlfriend will go through a 72 with about 2500 psi in the same amount of time. She doesnt have the descent problem like i do. I was down about 65feet yesterday at Point Lobos in the Middle Reef on our 3rd dive when i all the sudden had sort of a "panic attack" but not necessarily a panic attack. I just all the sudden started breathing super heavy where not even my regulator could keep up with the amount of oxygen i was needing. I eventually was able to control it but it was quite experience to say the least. The first 2 dives i had to come back up as i was descending but the 3rd dive i was able to descend no problem without having to come up. Im thinking its a mental thing and as i think about it while i descend, it tends to make it worse.

Is it just a practice thing? Will i not have these problems the more i continue to dive? I LOVE scuba more than anything but always having this issue tends to get very frustrating. Granted, we took a verrrrry long surface swim each time which tends to get me breathing heavy. All i can think about is getting my AOW eventually but i need to be able to calm my breathing. Any tips?

 

[diver0008]

You seem to be panicking involuntarily. I suspect that as you get more dives under your belt, your physiology will not need to compensate so much for the fear and pressure. In the meantime you might try pausing between each step (gearing up, entering water, any swimming, descending, levelling off) to think for a moment about what you are about to do and even close your eyes and visualize it; like a mini meditation. Make the effort to slow your breathing and let that slowed rhythm sink in for a little bit before you initially break the surface. I guess in other words, just slow everything down (including your descents), think in the moment, and give yourself the opportunity to relax and get comfortable; take as much time as you need. There is no rush.

 

[CptTightPants21]

What is going through your mind when you start breathing heavily?

Without seeing it happen first hand, it sounds like it might be a buoyancy issue. You are too negative and are unconsciously kicking and/or over breathing in an attempt to slow down your descent. If this is part of the problem, add a little air to your BC to slow the descent, but not too much that you stop completely or start going up. Taking your time and gaining experience should help alleviate the issue as well.

 

[TMHeimer]

On my first boat dive I pulled myself down the anchor line (head first, I know it may not be the recommended method). I wasn't especially nervous, but I knew it was like, really deep. Kept my eyes on the rope and did hand over hand until the wreck came into view. Don't know if trying this would help with your breathing, anxiousnous, but at least you could just stop any time and hold the line.
On my first OW checkout dive we followed the bottom from shore (descended there) out to the training buoy. Have to admit I had a little trepidation about actually being 20+ feet underwater even though I had snorkeled for decades. Maybe doing this at an appropriate shore site may help instead of a place needing a long surface swim to get decent depth.

 

[Alex Y]

You seem to be panicking involuntarily. I suspect that as you get more dives under your belt, your physiology will not need to compensate so much for the fear and pressure. In the meantime you might try pausing between each step (gearing up, entering water, any swimming, descending, levelling off) to think for a moment about what you are about to do and even close your eyes and visualize it; like a mini meditation. Make the effort to slow your breathing and let that slowed rhythm sink in for a little bit before you initially break the surface. I guess in other words, just slow everything down (including your descents), think in the moment, and give yourself the opportunity to relax and get comfortable; take as much time as you need. There is no rush.

Awesome advice. I am literally taking this to the water with me this upcoming weekend in Monterey. Just need to slow my roll. Like in football our coaches would always tell us to visualize the play ebfore it even happened.

 

[Alex Y]

What is going through your mind when you start breathing heavily?

Without seeing it happen first hand, it sounds like it might be a buoyancy issue. You are too negative and are unconsciously kicking and/or over breathing in an attempt to slow down your descent. If this is part of the problem, add a little air to your BC to slow the descent, but not too much that you stop completely or start going up. Taking your time and gaining experience should help alleviate the issue as well.

I noticed on my 3rd dive i descended a lot slower, just taking it foot by foot. Had 0 issues that time. I was definitely too negative this trip due to me using Aluminum tanks i weighted up quite a bit just to compensate.

 

[Bierstadt]

I suggest aggressively attacking the issue... by learning to be cool as a cucumber in the water. In all serious, panic is the #1 enemy in diving. I had a lot of issues with air guzzling in my early dives and when I got back into diving this year. I bought my own gear so I could be in control of my setup, I learned my gear, I took the time to test my weighting in the pool and adjust it so I was no longer overweight, and I practiced my kitting up until I got comfortable with doing it. I would also add I never descend until I am calm. I know perfectly well how much gas I waste if I try going down while I am still breathing hard or am too excited, so I don't. I get control over myself and only them do I go down. I was so worried at first that I was going to suck down a tank too fast and kill my buddy's dive, but you know what? Once I got to be calm and in control it turns out I suck less gas than my more experienced buddies. And I am a big guy too. Dive more. I guess how we all find our calm place underwater might vary, but mine is found through control.

I've done the "sudden heavy breathing" thing too. It is admittedly disconcerting. Again, through control and practice I found calm. Good luck, YMMV.

 

[sealark]

Dive with an experienced diver a couple times. Explain the panic problem to him and I would bet he could see what is wrong and help you correct it. More time diving and it will pass.

 

[daduls]

I noticed on my 3rd dive i descended a lot slower, just taking it foot by foot. Had 0 issues that time. I was definitely too negative this trip due to me using Aluminum tanks i weighted up quite a bit just to compensate.

Proper weight will help in several aspects, the only time I add more weight is if there is a strong current and we need to get down fast. It may also be an orientation issue, being relatively weightless and feeling out control of the orientation of your body can cause a little anxiety.

Pool time helped me to dial in my weight requirements and be more at ease in the water.

Welcome to the SB and the world of diving, you've already crossed a line few others dare.

Congrats!

 

[boulderjohn]

tend to start breathing super heavy and almost every time i get around 15 feet i have to come back up and catch my breath and then retry a second time

I would have to see you, but when you are breathing "super heavy" and have to come up and "catch your breath" and have a "panic" experience, I would happily bet I know what is going on, and i would bet I know how to fix it.

By "breathing super heavy," I bet you mean very rapidly. If so, you are probably not really allowing your inhalations to reach your lungs before you are exhaling again. It's like you have an invisible shield in your air passages, with your inhalations bouncing off of it and back up to the mouth. This, of course, means the oxygen never reaches your lungs. More importantly, the invisible shield works both ways--the old air in your lungs is not getting out. That old air is filled with carbon dioxide, and it is the overload of carbon dioxide, not the lack of oxygen, that gives people the panicky sense that they need air NOW. If you are going to the surface because you need to "catch your breath," I GUARANTEE it is because of a buildup of carbon dioxide from lack of proper breathing. Panic is also caused by a buildup of carbon dioxide. If you feel panic, I GUARANTEE that a carbon dioxide buildup is the reason.

So you need to get into a calm, cool, and collected breathing pattern. Nice, slow long breaths in. Nice, slow, long breaths out. You don't have to fill your lungs--just inhale a normal amount. The next time you are completely relaxed and watching television or about to go to sleep, pay attention to your breathing. You will see that you probably inhale for 4-5 seconds, pause, breathe out for 4-5 seconds, pause, and repeat. Do that while you are diving, and life will be good.