air consumption rate

[sinja]

Howdy!
Curious about my air consumption. I was certified in April, just finished dive #54 & #55 this weekend in quarry.
I'm 6'-3", 260lbs. SACR averages during a week on Belize Agressor were .42 to .48, didn't seem to matter much whether depth was 40' or 100'.
In PA quarry [39deg at 116' this weekend!!], SACR runs about .48 to .52. Are these numbers normal or am I gulping air down??
I need to determine whether i need 100's or 120's. thanks for any input.

 

[DI_Guy]

I think those rates are better than average.... There is a thread about consumption rates on here where a poll was taken. The average consumption was in the range of 0.65

 

[JDostal]

That sounds pretty good to me!

 

[Jason B]

Wow! 39 degrees in August. I dove the local quarry here in NC one year on new years eve. 58 degrees was the temp (45 feet). We thought it was cold, decked out in hoods.
But, back to the air consumption, I would say you are doing fine. As for tank size, are you running out of gas before your dive plan was to end, or is your tank limiting your dive plan?

 

[Davidl]

Im only 5-7 and 150lbs, and my consumption is about .50-.58, so you've got me beat. I usually hit deco limits before i run out of air tho, and I only use an 80.

 

[Sideband]

Those sound good? On a fairly active dive I am at about .47 and a resting dive where I just hover and watch fish I come in at .25 . Everyone rags on me about smoking killing my SAC rate and says I really need to work on bringing it down. Most of the divers I've been with come in around .32. These are all on an AL80 btw.

Joe

 

[wedivebc]

Howdy!
Curious about my air consumption. I was certified in April, just finished dive #54 & #55 this weekend in quarry.
I'm 6'-3", 260lbs. SACR averages during a week on Belize Agressor were .42 to .48, didn't seem to matter much whether depth was 40' or 100'.
In PA quarry [39deg at 116' this weekend!!], SACR runs about .48 to .52. Are these numbers normal or am I gulping air down??
I need to determine whether i need 100's or 120's. thanks for any input.

I am about your size and my sac rate is a little under .65 so I would say yours is pretty good. Mind you I dive double tanks, in cold water so I would expect mine would be a little less in Belize also
I would discourage the 100s. Even at my breathing rate my double 85s provide plenty of gas and weigh considerably less than a couple of 120s

 

[medic_diver45]

Part of why you maybe pulling more gas on the cold deep dive may have to do with something along these lines:
When we are cold, our bodies don't work as effeciently as they do when warm and you will expend more energy just trying to maintain body heat and that is on top of whatever you use moving around, etc. Just my humble opinion and my best medically educated guess.....

Of course it could also have something to do with the air in the tanks compressing more due to the cold and depth too, but I am not sure how much that would affect this (I am new to diving so you'll have to forgive me....I'm not even sure where you would find an SACR reading: Is this something that your computer gives you?)

 

[Davidl]

(I am new to diving so you'll have to forgive me....I'm not even sure where you would find an SACR reading: Is this something that your computer gives you?)

computers can tell u and make it easy, but there is also equations you can do to figure it out.

 

[sinja]

i have a Suunto Cobra, and while i don't know if you can get the SACR off the Cobra itself, when you transfer to your PC, it's all there in your "divelog"