Huge air consumption even after +200 dives

[ftnpenlvr]

I’ll second the “big guys need more air” notion. I’m 5’11” (180 cm) and 250 lb (113kg). Difference here is that I AM obese, which is what I am working to address (and I have a long way to go to shed that tonnage). OP sounds fit, perhaps a bit well insulated, but, a 120 tank may be the ticket to allow him to not cut the dive short, and stay down longer with buddies.

 

[NDonahue]

What’s your body fat %? You can probably improve SAC if you lower your BMI, but if you are already more navy seal than harbor seal, you need to carry more gas.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I’ll second the “big guys need more air” notion. I’m 5’11” (180 cm) and 250 lb (113kg).

Then you could not be more wrong. I am large, 125kg 185cm in height.
Yet my sac rate is often less than 10l/m on most dives. I'll be 65 in August.
I know other large divers who as just as good on air as I am.

It's the way people dive. Technique and being calm and comfortable in the water. I'm naturally well insulated and don't get cold on 90 minute dives unless the water temp gets below 24c.
I'm often the first of the boat and last back on.

 

[Blackcrusader]

What’s your body fat %? You can probably improve SAC if you lower your BMI, but if you are already more navy seal than harbor seal, you need to carry more gas.

My BMI is in the 30's. Not good you say. I've been that way for over 15 years. Does not affect my SAC rate
unless you mean having blubber means I don't get cold and am comfortable in the water. I don't dive using a wetsuit or hoodie. A good dive buddy wears a 5mm and a hoodie and he gets cold on the same dives. I keep reminding him he is simply too skinny. Lots of experience, an instructor and TDI ANDP Certifified diver.

 

[ftnpenlvr]

Then you could not be more wrong. I am large, 125kg 185cm in height.
Yet my sac rate is often less than 10l/m on most dives. I'll be 65 in August.
I know other large divers who as just as good on air as I am.

It's the way people dive. Technique and being calm and comfortable in the water. I'm naturally well insulated and don't get cold on 90 minute dives unless the water temp gets below 24c.
I'm often the first of the boat and last back on.

That’s awesome! Thanks for the correction, and giving me some hope!

 

[Blackcrusader]

That’s awesome! Thanks for the correction, and giving me some hope!

This from a dive I did today using an AL80 in Moalboal Cebu Sac rate 8.03

 

[ftnpenlvr]

This from a dive I did today using an AL80 in Moalboal Cebu Sac rate 8.03

Outstanding. My SAC rate is nowhere near that low. I have some work to do!

 

[NDonahue]

My BMI is in the 30's. Not good you say. I've been that way for over 15 years. Does not affect my SAC rate
unless you mean having blubber means I don't get cold and am comfortable in the water. I don't dive using a wetsuit or hoodie. A good dive buddy wears a 5mm and a hoodie and he gets cold on the same dives. I keep reminding him he is simply too skinny. Lots of experience, an instructor and TDI ANDP Certifified diver.

No judgement at all on BMI. I’ve been between 24-32 in the last few years — hence having a too big dry suit for sale right now. My only point was that BMI is correlated to SAC, so if one reduces BMI one may see an improved SAC, which is what OP is seeking.

 

[Christopher Kosseff]

I'm a 193cm/120kg 40y guy and working as a divemaster. I have around 250 dives logged and the problem is my air consumption: SAC rate is around 21-24l/min.

My gear is working good and trim/finning technique and buoyancy is ok. Weights are as low they can be so I can stay on safety stop and I move slow. Breathing pattern underwater is around 4 sec in, 6-8 sec out.

I'm almost always first who runs out of air, which is really annoying when I'm diving with customers. I use 12L alu tank and we don't have bigger tanks in our dive center. Also diving with sidemount is not allowed when leading customers.

What could I do to reduce my air consumption? Of course some kind of cardio probably would help, but I just love to go to gym 4-5x/week more than that. But no one in our dive center does any cardio (+most of the guys smoke and drink a lot) and they still have great air consumption.

I have the exact problem you do - the shortest dives in any group! My wife usually has at least 1,700 psi when I have to surface. I've decided that the high air consumption is related to brain size - she strongly disagrees!

 

[JPMagoo]

Hey @Tycksel - fellow dive master here. My sac is always higher when I'm working a class or even leading a dive for friends.

I just finished a trip to the Philippines where I was lucky enough to get paired with an ex underwater demolitions specialist. He was a big, fit guy who went through a lot of air. I don't know how many dives he has, but I guarantee you it was more than my 900. That guy was way more of a bad ass diver than I'll ever be. He was trim, quiet in the water, calm, unassuming, observant, etc. He dived a 100CF tank to our 80's and would sometimes be the one calling the dive even though the rest of us were diving with cameras.

Just keep diving!