I Use no air?

[scuba_frog]

That's what happens when you're young and physically fit. Our group dives with a woman who uses an AL 63 tank. We use steel 120's. The guys end a dive with between 500-750 psi. She's at 1200. I keep checking for gills, but never seem to find them.

Enjoy what you have. Just be careful of your NDL limits.

 

[Slamfire]

You still have 6 years of growing time. As you grow bigger, your Surface Air Consumption (SAC) rate might increase. It is a good idea to calculate your SAC rate. Knowing it allows you to plan your dives more accurately.

This is how to do it if you are using a Worthington High Pressure Steel 80:

Initial psi reading - Final psi reading = air consumed in psi units

air consumed in psi units / 3442 = consumed fraction of your total tank capacity

consumed fraction of total tank capacity x 81 ft³ = air consumed in ft³ units

air consumed in ft³ units / minutes between initial and final psi readings = ft³ of air consumed per minute

(Average depth in ft between initial and final psi readings / 33) + 1 = your diving depth in units of absolute atmospheres or ATAs

ft³ of air consumed per minute / depth units in ATAs = SAC

SAC tells you how many ft³ of air per minute you are using at an equivalent depth of 1 atmosphere. One atmosphere = surface.

 

[mrbeast1414]

:d:d:d:d:d:d:d:d

i guess as long as you don't come back with more air than you started with life is good! :d


(hmmmm...twilight zone episode?)

 

[mrbeast1414]

As long as you aren't getting headaches or feeling nauseated after your dives, just consider yourself lucky! There ARE data showing that some people become rather CO2 tolerant when on scuba. Since CO2 is the major drive for respiration, CO2 tolerance results in lower RMVs -- but this can be a significant problem on deep dives, as CO2 and nitrogen are additive in their narcotic effects. As I recall, a death on the Doria recounted in one of my books occurred in a diver who was known for skip-breathing to extend his bottom time. He was found with empty tanks and no sign of struggle at all, and it was hypothesized that he was simply incapacitated by narcosis.

But some of us just fall into a very efficent breathing pattern fairly naturally. Although I am small, which is an advantage, I have always had a low gas consumption rate. It was the only thing in scuba that I did right from the beginning!

(Irritates the stink out of your buddies, doesn't it?)

Yes it does!! Irritates me too because my BT is always cut so short

 

[mrbeast1414]

Ok everyone...

my SAC (used calculator online) is 0.2287199480181936. This is wayyy below the average.

The data I put in was--all according to my dive log-- was 48ft depth, 38 min, 3000psi-2200psi, tank=s80

the typical SAC rate is .705

 

[romad119]

Yes it does!! Irritates me too because my BT is always cut so short

Get you buddies Rebreathers

 

[Bubbletrubble]

The data I put in was--all according to my dive log-- was 48ft depth, 38 min, 3000psi-2200psi, tank=s80

@mrbeast1414: I think you used your maximum depth for the SAC equation...when you should have used the average depth for the dive.
If you plugged in your max depth, the calculated SAC rate will be artificially deflated/decreased.

By the way, how [-]big[/-] tall are you? Just curious.

 

[MRadke]

But some of us just fall into a very efficent breathing pattern fairly naturally. Although I am small, which is an advantage, I have always had a low gas consumption rate. It was the only thing in scuba that I did right from the beginning! (Irritates the stink out of your buddies, doesn't it?)

Low air consumption came naturally for me also. 20 years of prior SCBA use fighting fire didn't hurt though.

 

[Rhone Man]

By the way, how big are you? Just curious.

Hey that is a pretty personal question isn't it? Oh wait...

 

[ringmod65]

Have you checked behind your ears?


Best.