Triathlon Athlete=Air Hog

[TMHeimer]

Agree of course that newbie "unnecessary" movements (such as obviously --unintentional--use of arms) will use up more air. Slowing down saves air as well. But sometimes you don't want to go slowly. The difference is amazing, even in very shallow water.

 

[dmaziuk]

dunno if anyone can help me with this, i know how to breathe pilates/ yoga style ... i go up and down a lot in the water as i breathe. i'm pretty slim and tall, and just breathing normally makes a big change to my buoyancy.

Just go deeper where you have plenty room to go up and down a couple of metres.
Seriously though, what do you expect. I tend to take shallow breaths instead of breathing deep into the abdomen, but that can lead to CO2 build-up so you need vent periodically.

 

[Streydog]

I am 6'1 240. Not in shape but not as buoyant as I look. I was thinking about giving SCUBA up because I was going through air so quickly and being a "vacation" diver I always worried about cutting other peoples dives short. All the advise on here is great, I don't know at what point my SAC magically reached a decent level but I guess somewhere around number 70. Used to on the boat after a dive how much air you had left was a big topic, now it is rarely discussed. I remember when I was really trying to decrease my SAC I would try to exhale slowly but mentally I was thinking about taking my next breath as soon as I started exhaling. I watched, or listened to, a GO Pro video I shot on a relaxing dive during April a year ago. I was taking a breath every 3-4 seconds. While listening to more recent videos there are about 8 seconds between my breaths. I am not holding my breath, I am just slowly exhaling.

 

[Landau]

Quote from my swim coach at tonight's practice: "Work on filling up your lungs completely and then getting it all out"

My mantra while exhaling: "this is not scuba"

Though if I ever do divemaster I'll excel at the 400m swim.

 

[ljpm]

I'm a relatively new diver as well (4 years about 60 dives). I am 6'5" and weigh 255. I am also an air hog. A couple of years ago I switched to steel HP133 tanks (got a great deal on used tanks). The HP 133 is about 7 lbs heavier than an Al80. Due the differences in buoyancy I also lost 7 lbs of lead. Basically the HP133 with BC is the same weight. Being a large guy the large tank looks normal. I would recommend nitrox however to increase NDL.

 

[Saltyhawg]

I am a relatively new diver as well. 3 years and 120 dives. My epiphany with air consumption happened on one of my first night dives. I was so entranced at all the incredible life and change in the reef from day to night that I forgot about anything but that. I had my first dive of more than an hour using an AL80. Of course it was a shallow dive (55 feet max) but it was 12 minutes longer than my previous long dive.

I'm now 61 years old, 6' 200lbs and my wife and I are usually one of the last to surface when we are with a group.

It takes time. No matter how much you are in to meditation/physically fit/etc. Breathing under water is not natural! It can become that but it takes time.....different amounts for different folks. Keep diving, it will happen one day!

 

[wheeledgoat]

I'm 5'10", 230-250lb (varies depending on my diet, season, and degree of laziness) and I set a friendly goal of tying my 13yo daughter on exit PSI. I'm happy to report that I did it 2 weekends ago!! I've been somewhat active this summer - not working out daily or anything crazy like that... but active. Weighed myself for the first time in a few months, and wouldn't ya know it i'm 235lb right now... so that probably helped. What also helped was saying "yes" to letting her bring a bowling ball along and watching her chase that thing around .

I will agree that it comes with time. I'm only at dive 30 or so, and I the improvements are almost happening themselves. If there are also milestones at 50 and 100 dives like some in this thread have said, my SAC is gonna rock!

We took an advanced buoyancy class and that helped me, if only mentally - it tied things together and helped me see my breath as part of the bigger picture. My daughter called me out to the instructor for being a "speedster" - which really surprised me because I thought I was slower than her! It opened my eyes and helped me realize that I wasn't being nearly as still or effortless as I could be. Focusing on that helped a lot too.

Lastly, remember that it's the buildup of CO2 that causes that "need to breathe" feeling - not the lack of O2 - so if you start to get that "I can't catch my breath" panic feeling, fight the urge to keep gulping air and exhale completely to get rid of all the CO2 in your lungs.

Nice, long, slow breaths... "Enjoy your time underwater" the friendly, generic female guide voice tells me. Ohmmmm.... Ohmmmmm....

 

[OkByMe]

I inhaled super heated air from an explosion when I was 19, so I'm an air hog too.. Having an additional gas supply is essential for me to continue diving and getting the most from the dollar I spend doing it.

Buying some giant tank is not going to help you on a dive vacation where you don't have access to it. You can usually get up to a 120 at some sites, but expect to have to dive with an 80 or 100 at best. Learn to sling and use a 30 or 40. This means an additional regulator, but then I don't travel without a spare, which means I take 3. Most dive operations can provide you with an additional small tank...some at no charge.

You should be aware that the additional gas can extend your bottom times so that you can stay the dive duration, but exceed the NDL. Normally a recreational diver does not have access to the volume of gas necessary for them to enter into a decompression state while still conserving enough to proceed to the surface and boat with a reserve.

If you have tried to control your movements, anxiety, and attitude in the water, but still have these issues, a checkup might be in order. I go to a lung doc every couple of years to get checked with X-ray and Pulmonary function tests, or PFTs, measure how well your lungs work. They include tests that measure lung size and air flow, such as spirometry.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I am a relatively new diver as well. 3 years and 120 dives. My epiphany with air consumption happened on one of my first night dives. I was so entranced at all the incredible life and change in the reef from day to night that I forgot about anything but that. I had my first dive of more than an hour using an AL80. Of course it was a shallow dive (55 feet max) but it was 12 minutes longer than my previous long dive.

That's a good point, and I think it applies to more skills than just breathing. Whether it's improving one's air consumption or mastering the frog kick, it's when you're distracted from it by something else that it seems to finally fall into place.

 

[divezonescuba]

Have you ever noticed that a lot of dive guides with really good gas consumption never have cameras with them?

It's hard to have good gas consumption when your finning up current or trying to maneuver yourself in just the right position. I seem to get 0.2 - 0.4 cf/min better not carrying a camera. Did one dive mostly upside down and back kicking while filming a squid hunting at night. Sac was probably over 1.5.


I woul like to find a cure for lower consumption, but still keep the camera.