Fully exhale when diving? Breath control?

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I have always had a relatively low gas consumption. It was many years before I paid attention to how I breathed. I take a relatively slow deep inspiration, have a short pause with glottis open, have a relatively slow exhale, and then immediately inhale again. I believe this maximizes CO2 elimination, oxygen loading is not a factor. You will notice that this is the opposite way that you breathe on land. After you get control of your buoyancy, trim, and propulsion, thinking about this might assist you. I would recommend that you follow your RMV, that will give you something objective to follow as you improve all of the variable.

Good diving, Craig
Think I'm a similar case. I believe I have always breathed the way you describe. Maybe it's about time I actually pay attention to be sure.... I don't think my gas consumption has ever really changed much, as I think I was pretty relaxed, weighted properly, etc. from the get go. I may have used the LPI a bit too much my first few dives. Being comfortable in water to begin with probably has a lot to do with it. More students than I would have thought were not totally comfortable in water.
 
I've got no idea about breathing that's all malarkey
how about it's all about the knowledge of your confidence in you and your stuff

Have a listen to this guys breathing, and see some other stuff



I've found a new toy
 
How does this exercise transfer in lower air consumption ?

I think I can understand how it can help a free diver on a single breath but I am not sure how it transfer to scuba.

Is that because you are supposed to breathe using your diaphragm/belly like others said rather than your lungs in scuba ?

There's supposed to be a feedback loop between deep abdominal breathing and relaxation, that's why it is employed in most mediation techniques. Yes, it is supposed to help with deeper breaths and deeper exhales, but it's also supposed to calm you down and help you relax.
 
I was once with a group of divers and one fellow who complained constantly about his high air consumption. Watching him dive, he would always be 10' below the group. Hmm.
I like to swim close to the reef, so my air consumption is tangled up between metabolism and precise buoyancy control. So I set myself up that with a half lung of air I am neutral and can ascend and descend with minimal effort. This decouples my breathing from my SAC anxieties.
I think buoyancy control is the major factor in relaxed diving and good air consumption.
 
I think buoyancy control is the major factor in relaxed diving and good air consumption.

I find that buoyancy control when setting up for a shot or five, and having to catch up with the group afterwards, can easily make 10-20% difference to my gas mileage.
 
It is probably also worth pointing out that some people just use more/less air because of genetics.

My dive buddy is a woman who swims fast all the time, gets bored sitting still, literally swims circles around me on drift dives while I hang motionless concentrating on efficient breathing. She never has paid any attention to breathing methods and can't tell me anything about how she breathes underwater: "I just breathe." In addition, she nearly always is deeper than I am by a few feet...and she ALWAYS surfaces with way more air in her 80cf tank than I have in my 100cf tank.

I think she's probably not human and is hiding her gills, so I long ago gave up trying to compete...fortunately, she isn't upset with ending a dive with 1500+ still in her tank. At some point, some of us just have to become OK with the fact that we are going to use more air...
 
My recommendation is quit thinking about conserving and relax as best as possible. Once you dive more often and do more dives your consumption will decrease. It happens to everyone (mostly everyone). Don't compare yourself to others just breath, relax, pee. :)
 
dont concentrate on breathing deep. breath normally. if ou breath deep you consume more air that is not being used for life support. In short there is nothing to gain by forcing a change in breathing pattterns. If yo have to breath deep to keep depth then give the BC a shot so you can then breath normally again. Your cody will tell you what you need much better than you can out think it.
 
... In addition, she nearly always is deeper than I am by a few feet...and she ALWAYS surfaces with way more air in her 80cf tank than I have in my 100cf tank.

Up to that point I thought you were me. :D

My wife enjoys swimming around like that too, but she typically stays a few feet above me and usually has about the same gas mileage as me with the camera.
 

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