Better Consumption Rate?

[emoreira]

A way to increase your SAC rate is having your own BC and your own reg.
Rented BCs are crap the most of the cases. Rented regs normally work, but they are adjusted for average use, not fine tuned for each diver.

 

[hypersonic]

my AOW instructor would do 2 boat dives on 1 tank (al80)... and still have more air left than most of the group - and she smokes... LOL.

My wife and I were new divers on a private charter in Hawaii. The DM was able to do two dives with a single tank but it was not a smart thing to do.

If we would have had trouble late on our second dive the DM would have limited his ability to help us out.

There is a parallel in flying, sometimes pilots in smaller aircraft don't want to taxi all the way to the end of the runway so they will take off at an intersection, usually at a high speed turn off. As the saying goes, "if you have a problem, you can't use the runway behind you!"

 

[kwest]

I agree with Papabear - my SAC rate improved when I stopped thinking about it.

(((kevin)))

 

[Puffer Fish]

I usually have enough sarcasm to go around... but this time it wasn't. It was something I noticed but never understood. During my first bunch of dives I attempted to mimic it, but due to poor buoyancy control and too much lead, I struggled.

When I saw BabyDuck's post it made sense. I will however keep practicing... hopefully I'll develop the same habit.

It is a great way to remind yourself to relax...every little muscle you use will require some O2 and more importantly, removal of the CO2.

Physical fitness is a very smart idea for diving, but by itself it does not reduce air usage (it may actually increase it, if you are not relaxed).

My SAC rate is at it's lowest at a safety stop (I'm relaxed, not going anywhere and not trying to do anything except have the time go by).

Next lowest is taking pictures of something, not moving and just relaxing to not scare it.

Then is light swimming in a area I have been before.

Then heavier swimming, particularly in an area I have never been (so I am looking around a lot)

Size makes a huge difference... big people use more air than little people (which is why we hate them ).

I just got back from Herron Island in GBR...and downloaded all my dives...my SAC rate on the first day was almost .2 cf/min higher than normal (lots of new stuff.. don't know where it to look, so must look everywhere).. and got better with each day. Just past midweek, it was slightly lower than normal, and less than our DM's...then the storms came in... big current, wave action... and holding position took a lot of work...and my air usage went up.