purbeast
Contributor
I went on my 5th and 6th post-certification dives 2 days ago here in Turks and Caicos. They were my first "real" dives after certification that I went to any depth. My prior 4 were in the Keys to depths of like 25' max.
When I got certified I did my OW and AOW at the same time, so total dives to date (aside from DSD) is about 15. I know I'm far from a "finished project" as far as my air consumption goes and that I can improve, but I was just curious about how much more people can "improve".
Again, I preface this knowing I am a noob and can definitely improve.
In my OW and AOW training I was always one of the first to get low on air. My last dive in AOW my instructor told me to concentrate on breathing slowly and consciously think about it, and he wanted me back with 800psi or more at the end of the dive. I made it back with like 1100 or so which was good and I felt I improved.
2 days ago I did guided dives to 65'. It was the guide, myself, and another woman. The woman was experienced but hadn't dove in over a year she said, but she was also probably 100lbs wet. I am 200lbs with an athletic build and probably 12-15% body fat. People say I'm built like a line backer.
I bring that up because the first dive, the total time was 31 minutes when I go back to my dive computer. The guide went back down with the other lady and they were like 45 minutes total maybe. The second dive I was 35 minutes, and concsiously tried to work on breathing. I had 500 or so psi when I got back to the boat after both dives. On the second dive, the guide and lady in the group were down for 62 minutes total. They were the last to come back to the boat.
I then talked with my guide about it and he started to say how physiology comes into play at some point. He brought up how my build I am just heavier with more muscles, and need more oxygen to flow through my body. Whereas the other lady was around 100lbs or so and just doesn't require as much oxygen. The guide was a pretty slim male probably 170lbs or so.
Now I know that I can clearly work on breathing, but I just wonder how much more I can improve. I'm looking for tips to improve on it as well. I also have asthma which is super controlled and I've "grown out of it" as I've gotten older, but I am still on Advair which I use a few times a week. I sometimes use that as excuse to myself as maybe why I use more air but I know it's just that - an excuse.
The past 2 dives I was anxious prior to getting in the water, but as soon a I got in down to 60 ft I was SUPER comfortable. And then literally about 1 minute after being in water and we got our bearings, a shark swam right between us and I was super calm and collective and it was so cool. But I never once felt "anxious" or flustered in either of these dives, but my breathing was just so inefficient I feel.
So anyone have any pointers as to what I can work on or realistically how much better I can get it? Would being able to be down an hour at 60' be something realistic for someone of my stature? The guide said he can easily do an hour down there (and did) so I am assuming that I can improve significantly, even if it was closer to like 50 or 55 minutes.
And just FYI, as someone who's never done a wall dive other than my deep dive, it was pretty dang cool and we saw some awesome sea life down there. We saw 2 spotted eagle rays which apparently they said is not very common to see them together. I just wish I could have done more dives!
When I got certified I did my OW and AOW at the same time, so total dives to date (aside from DSD) is about 15. I know I'm far from a "finished project" as far as my air consumption goes and that I can improve, but I was just curious about how much more people can "improve".
Again, I preface this knowing I am a noob and can definitely improve.
In my OW and AOW training I was always one of the first to get low on air. My last dive in AOW my instructor told me to concentrate on breathing slowly and consciously think about it, and he wanted me back with 800psi or more at the end of the dive. I made it back with like 1100 or so which was good and I felt I improved.
2 days ago I did guided dives to 65'. It was the guide, myself, and another woman. The woman was experienced but hadn't dove in over a year she said, but she was also probably 100lbs wet. I am 200lbs with an athletic build and probably 12-15% body fat. People say I'm built like a line backer.
I bring that up because the first dive, the total time was 31 minutes when I go back to my dive computer. The guide went back down with the other lady and they were like 45 minutes total maybe. The second dive I was 35 minutes, and concsiously tried to work on breathing. I had 500 or so psi when I got back to the boat after both dives. On the second dive, the guide and lady in the group were down for 62 minutes total. They were the last to come back to the boat.
I then talked with my guide about it and he started to say how physiology comes into play at some point. He brought up how my build I am just heavier with more muscles, and need more oxygen to flow through my body. Whereas the other lady was around 100lbs or so and just doesn't require as much oxygen. The guide was a pretty slim male probably 170lbs or so.
Now I know that I can clearly work on breathing, but I just wonder how much more I can improve. I'm looking for tips to improve on it as well. I also have asthma which is super controlled and I've "grown out of it" as I've gotten older, but I am still on Advair which I use a few times a week. I sometimes use that as excuse to myself as maybe why I use more air but I know it's just that - an excuse.
The past 2 dives I was anxious prior to getting in the water, but as soon a I got in down to 60 ft I was SUPER comfortable. And then literally about 1 minute after being in water and we got our bearings, a shark swam right between us and I was super calm and collective and it was so cool. But I never once felt "anxious" or flustered in either of these dives, but my breathing was just so inefficient I feel.
So anyone have any pointers as to what I can work on or realistically how much better I can get it? Would being able to be down an hour at 60' be something realistic for someone of my stature? The guide said he can easily do an hour down there (and did) so I am assuming that I can improve significantly, even if it was closer to like 50 or 55 minutes.
And just FYI, as someone who's never done a wall dive other than my deep dive, it was pretty dang cool and we saw some awesome sea life down there. We saw 2 spotted eagle rays which apparently they said is not very common to see them together. I just wish I could have done more dives!