I Use no air?

[mrbeast1414]

I am 15 (as I have said multiple times on SB before) and in good physical condition. However, there is something that has intrigued me, my dive instructors and friends about my diving.

I just don't use air.

I breath normally. I consciously take big deep breathes and exhale long and slow. I never hold my breath.

Anyways, as my buoyancy has improved and I use less air in my BCD, it has become apparent on my SPG that I have used next to none air. A dive that should have exhausted almost all of my air only when from a little over 3000 PSi to 2200 PSi. This dive was a shore dive with a short surface swim and one which was a 40 minute BT at least (my dive log is missing right now...:depressed. A friend that went with (that is a PADI Instructor) and his daughter used almost all of their air and signaled the ascent.

I had 2200 PSi left!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I know what your thinking....malfunction of some sort. Well that's what my friend thought too. After a series of tests it was confirmed it was working perfectly.

So far I have earned a few free boat dives because this instrutor has bragged of my talents and his friends want to see me dive...THIS IS GREAT FOR ME!!!

But I still have no idea why I use so little air.

Any ideas??

 

[fisheater]

Tiny lungs?

 

[mrbeast1414]

Tiny lungs?

that is what I thought...but I play basketball and soccer and my lungs need to be big for those sports so i dont think that is the problem...

 

[kanonfodr]

Don't question it, just enjoy it

Peace,
Greg

 

[g1138]

Mind telling us what type of tank you were using and what tank your instructor friend and his daughter were using? (ie. all AL80's)
I'm sure your age or size has something to do with it. Or maybe you just have a small lung volume. Have you ever done a spirometry test.

As a note, playing lots of sports doesn't give you big lungs. It just conditions you to use your air better. It's like living at altitude. Your body adjusts accordingly to meet your demands for oxygen, but your lungs don't really grow like that.

Funny story, there was this one time a dad was bragging about improving his SAC rate because he drained his tank at the same rate as another guy who had an amazing SAC.
Turns out he was using a HP100 while the other guys was using an 80.
Or something along those lines.
I heard the story second hand. 6~6

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Stop stealing air from your buddy's octo!

that is what I thought...but I play basketball and soccer and my lungs need to be big for those sports so i dont think that is the problem...

Ummm. That's not how it works. A small person usually has small lungs with small tidal volume. A large person typically has bigger lungs with a relatively larger tidal volume. People of all shapes and sizes play soccer and basketball.

As g1138 pointed out, psi doesn't tell the whole story of gas consumption. The size of the tank and its service pressure gives a better indication of your gas consumption. And then there's the depth at which the gas was breathed.

Small tidal volume is almost certainly a factor.

Assuming that your SPG is accurate and we aren't just talking about errant tank readings, it's also possible that your respiration rate is too slow. Just because you are breathing slowly and deeply and are never holding your breath...doesn't necessarily mean that you're breathing enough.

Do you ever get headaches after your dives?

 

[mrbeast1414]

Mind telling us what type of tank your were using and what tank your instructor friend and his daughter was using?

Funny story, there was this one time a dad was bragging about improving his SAC rate because he drained his tank at the same rate as another guy who had an amazing SAC.
Turns out he was using a HP100 while the other guys was using an 80.
Or something along those lines.
I heard the story second hand. 6~6

haha thats funny. He was actually using a bigger tank, a 100, while i was using a steel 80. regular air for the both of us, no nitrox

 

[g1138]

O-O
Well now that changes everything.

Pretty sure you have small lungs.
The fact that you play sports probably helps your cardio and keeps you from wanting to breath faster if you exert yourself.

Have you tried calculating a SAC rate. I'm really curious as to what you'll get now =P

Also before I get too excited, Bubbletrubble makes a good point. You want to breath normally. Don't try to breath slow and steady, just breath normally.
You could get headaches from CO2 buildup otherwise. ;]

 

[mrbeast1414]

Stop stealing air from your buddy's octo!

Ummm. That's not how it works. A small person usually has small lungs with small tidal volume. A large person typically has bigger lungs with a relatively larger tidal volume. People of all shapes and sizes play soccer and basketball.

As g1138 pointed out, psi doesn't tell the whole story of gas consumption. The size of the tank and its service pressure gives a better indication of your gas consumption. And then there's the depth at which the gas was breathed.

Small tidal volume is almost certainly a factor.

Assuming that your SPG is accurate and we aren't just talking about errant tank readings, it's also possible that your respiration rate is too slow. Just because you are breathing slowly and deeply and are never holding your breath...doesn't necessarily mean that you're breathing enough.

Do you ever get headaches after your dives?

no i feel fine. That is the first thing my friend, the instructor, asked me

 

[Bubbletrubble]

no i feel fine. That is the first thing my friend, the instructor, asked me

OK. So you feel fine after diving. No headaches. No lightheadedness.

What was the depth profile of the dive in question? (max depth, time spent at max depth, average depth -- estimates are OK)
What was your activity level underwater during that dive?
The reason I ask is that a fair number of relaxed, stationary adult divers have a RMV of about 0.3 cuft/min. At a depth of 20 fsw for 40 minutes, that works out to a little less than 20 cuft. if I'm not mistaken. That's pretty close to your feat.

What's your height and weight?
(Are you a "wee"-beastie perhaps?)
Were you using a HP80 tank? Those suckers are tiny.