Air Hog

[Fish_Whisperer]

Ugh.... First rule of diving with Frank: NO WHINING!! Good grief... I hate hearing grown men cry like Nancy Kerrigan. Hrmph...

On one of my cert. dives, I was wearing a rented Farmer John and we were diving Bridge Span 14, off of Panama City Beach. We hit a wicked thermocline and the dive master I was with gave me the "okay" signal. I signalled back by wrapping my arms around myself in a Brrrrr... gesture. He made a tentative thumbs-up motion, and I pointed DOWN!! He shrugged and we went on to have a pretty nice dive. When we got back on the boat, he said, "Man, I thought you were COLD!" I said, "Shoot, man... I came here to DIVE, not WHINE!!"

Last October in Cozumel, I was still air-hoggin' it, but all I did was sort of sigh to myself in resignation, signal to let someone know that I was low on air and heading for the surface, and took care of my own safety stop. I didn't want to mess up anyone else's dives, so I did my stops and ascents solo. When I'd pop up, the boat would swing around and pick me up. No problem. It sucked, but that's just the way it was, and how I was at that point in my progress as a diver. No crying.

 

[DandyDon]

Last October in Cozumel, I was still air-hoggin' it, but all I did was sort of sigh to myself in resignation, signal to let someone know that I was low on air and heading for the surface, and took care of my own safety stop. I didn't want to mess up anyone else's dives, so I did my stops and ascents solo. When I'd pop up, the boat would swing around and pick me up. No problem. It sucked, but that's just the way it was, and how I was at that point in my progress as a diver.

Sounds like my last Coz trip. I was still getting over a cold a bit. I hope to go healthy next month but I made sure my Op had 100 cf tanks anyway - $5 extra is worth it.

So who made the 80 the standard anway?

 

[Scuba Jerm]

Gees now I know I was rambling..... 3 people posted in the time it took me to type mine LOL

But your rambling was good information

 

[spacemanspiff1974]

Since I was a childhood asthmatic (allergy - not exercise induced), my lung capacity is lower than average for my size. This, coupled with the fact that I have a naturally above average erythrocyte level makes my air consumption quite convenient.

You may not be able to change all of your organ or cell physiology, but exercise can definately help in air consumption.

There are however rather easy changes to make which could help your diving immediately.

Get a regulator with damn near effortless breathing. My wife was having problems with crappy rental gear, but when she tried my regulator, her air consumption decreased. Increased strain on your diaphram (lung muscle) will cause your body to require more oxygen intake.

Streamline your profile. Dive with a bp and a small wing to decrease drag and to maintain a good horizontal position. Take your snorkle off your mask. Find fins which are more efficient. If you are diving in warm water, wear a shorty instead of a t-shirt and shorts.

 

[labaum]

My apologies if this thought was embedded in an earlier post, but I found that many of my breathing problems--and therefore the solutions--began on the boat. Unbeknownst to me, until I figured it out and learned how to control it, I would become anxious as I was loading up and gearing up; was my gear stowed properly and then properly assembled, was I in the right seat, were my tanks secure, was I in anyone's way, was I taking up too much room, was I using the right mask bucket (as opposed to the camera bucket), and on and on.
All these things are important, of course, but by the time I stood up to make it the back of the boat my heart was pounding and I was damn near hyper-ventilating. I now practice Zen and the art of dive boat preparation. I'm much calmer, much less anxious, use far less air, and have become (at my new level) a much better diver and buddy.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Another good thought, Labaum. Thanks. Being on the boat, especially as a new diver, and especially if conditions are rough, can make a person pretty anxious.

 

[labaum]

Actually, your post was timely. I have a dive scheduled for Saturday, http://www.thediversity.com/, and as I was packing up I was thinking about just the things the members have been discussing; is my weighting right, equipment trim, etc. All the things to ensure a good dive.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Excellent! Safe, happy, and relaxing diving to you.

 

[jim T.]

Sorry, Deleted. Learned the answer to my question via the link above.