What is average surface air consumption?

[Rick Murchison]

I'm amazed also at what I'm seeing posted. If I don't have any prior knowledge of the SAC of an insta-buddy, I assume 0.75cfm. That's what I see as the typical SAC of an occasional diver that has never calculated his SAC. 0.6cfm is my guess at the more typical SAC of a frequent diver.

SB members tend to be more serious, hardcore divers than average. And then just the subset of those that have low SAC are posting to this thread.

The numbers posted so far are NOT average.

I don't know that I'd characterize the rates folks are posting as "too low," necessarily... but I would characterize them as "too narrow."
Or maybe I just have more variety in my diving
Rick

 

[Rick Murchison]

my long lost twin!

hermano!

Indeed...
Rick

 

[The Kraken]

Well, I'll go on record as saying that I've broken 1.2 setting some buoys/anchors/lines and doing that kind of stuff.

the K

 

[DTB1981]

You're kidding me right? A .48 RMV and you think you have work to do? What I wouldn't do right now for a .6 let alone a .48!

I am just sick of being the one to end the dive. An having to hear my buddy's make the pig noise. They always have 200 to 300 more than I do.

 

[Atticus]

male, 260 lbs, 6'4", age 34, non-smoker, drysuit, doubles

typical 0.6 - 0.8
huffing/puffing/working/hauling chain 1.0 - 1.2
planned rate when deco diving 1.0

 

[Azza]

I don't know that I'd characterize the rates folks are posting as "too low," necessarily... but I would characterize them as "too narrow."
Or maybe I just have more variety in my diving
Rick

No I would agree with you Rick. I am getting the impression that divers are measuring their "best" SAC and not accounting for having to work underwater.

The best way to get a "potential working SAC" is to get a mate, drop down to about 10 metres, find a nice big rock face, have your buddy watch your depth guage, then swim against the rock as hard as you can for 2 minutes.

Thats what your potential SAC could be

 

[Diver Dennis]

I think diving in warm water as well as from a boat makes a huge difference. How you handle currents is important as well.

 

[The Kraken]

Azza, I would say that's a tad extreme . . . !

the K-onked Out !!!

 

[fire_diver]

I'm sure that genetics plays a role in this too, and in that manner I got lucky. I had a .326 during one of my OW cert dives. My highest so far has been .57 when diving a spring fed lake with too little exposure protection.

I use a .55 for dive calcs to be safe.

Apparently there is a downside to this though. Research shows that slow-breathers like myself retain more CO2 during a dive.

FD

 

[usmc4x4]

26 Recently quit smoking, 5'8, 170lbs
Warm water, 3mil wet, single AL80 (almost always)
.6 Average of all logged dives (working and non-working).

I personally would like to lower this but I have seen divers resort to breath holding techniques to lower their air consumption rate.