Breathing efficently!

[unit]

A technical question.

I have done about 35 dives to date, and always seem to be the first out of the water due to being a bit of an "air pig" ie consume my air alot quicker than anyone else.

I have pretty much got my bouyancy sorted out, so I am not pumping and removing large volumes of air from my BC. I am quite a relaxed diver, no panic or anxieties.

I am a large guy, 6 foot 125kg with a large muscle mass (ex rugby player). I have worked on my fitness, which has helped not being as out of breath when having to swim against a current or needing a bit of exertion underwater.

Is there any breathing techiniques or procedures that I can practice to try and get a bit more time out of my tank?

Thanks

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Part of the problem with using excessive amounts of air is buoyancy, but the other part is simply being comfortable in the water and swimming efficiently. An ex-rugby player is used to running, and working out. Diving is a different sport from those where you run around all the time. In diving, every motion, every movement, has a cost. If your arms are moving, if your legs are not efficiently kicking, then you will use more air.

Once, I was teaching a student about underwater swimming, and showed him how to efficiently kick by asking him to point his toes, and not "bicycle" when kicking. That involves kicking from the hip, with the knee fairly straight. Well, this guy was from cowboy country, and had been wearing cowboy boots forever. He had no ankle flexibility, and he could not point his toes. The best he could do was about a 45 degree angle (the correct position is to have the top of your foot be a straight line with your shin bone). When I again asked him to point his toes, he asked "How?" I showed him by pointing my toes, which can point below the angle of my shin bone toward the back. He responded by saying, "That's unnatural!" Well, it is, but it makes for a more efficient kick.

So check and see whether your kick is efficient, and you are not bicycling. If you are, and you are trying to keep up with everyone who has an efficient kick, you're working twice as hard as they are.

Beyond that, learn to go under and become very relaxed. You say you are relaxed, but that is a learned behavior, and also effects how efficient you are in the water.

SeaRat

 

[Viscya]

Unit,

I'm a big guy also 6'6" 240lb. My friends complain about how little air I use. My first few dives I was a hog. My advice:
1) Experience. The more you are in the water the more comfortable. Comfort = less air.
2) Breath slowly and completely. I breath 3-4 times a minute, but all the way out to get CO2 out.
3) Keep warm. You may not feel cold because your fit body can compensate, but that burns O2
4) Keep still. If your buoyancy is right, you should not have to fin to stay still. Those big muscles of yours burn O2.
5) Relax. It all comes with time ( I hated to hear this when I started, but it is true)

Dive Safe

V

PS Welcome to the board!

 

[daniel f aleman]

Carry more gas. Example, if everyone else is using 80s, you use 100s.

You can improve air consumption, but there is a limit depending on your specific physiology.

 

[dbg40]

It's not fair to start beating yourself up with SAC rates, with 35 dives in. Relax, and know that while you have been tought the basic skills to dive, there is way more to it that you will have to sort out on your own. While you may think that you have bouyancy sorted out, and are comfortable under water, it may not be to the extent that you think it is. EVERY time you move you use a muscle, that muscle needs fuel,
(the gas in your tank) and every movement, creates motion. motion that needs to be controled, = more fuel, add a pile of variables into the mix, Technique, poor vis, cold, depth, current, ect. ect. and you can start to get the picture. Even a touch of anxiety will have an effect on your SAC. Enjoy your dives, and don't worry about nailing down every detail over night. Im sure you will improve!

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Carry more gas. Example, if everyone else is using 80s, you use 100s.
You can improve air consumption, but there is a limit depending on your specific physiology.

I have heard this from a local dive shop too, that many people try to gain bottom time by "carrying more gas," rather than becoming more efficient in the water. I think DBG40 has the better recommendations here. Carrying more gas has other costs, with more weight and more bulk, less streamlining in the water, etc. First learn the water skills, then if you need it for a purpose, you can try "carrying more gas."

SeaRat

 

[fire_diver]

I think viscya hit it best. Breath slow and complete each time. I have gotten into the habit of counting during breathing until its second nature. While diving I use 'triangle' breathing (as opposed to square breathing). I count 3 heart beats (about 3.5 seconds) on the inhale, 3 beats on the exhale, 3 beats on the pause. Dont know if this will work for you, but it usually keeps me in the low .40s


FD

 

[dumpsterDiver]

If you are over 240 lbs getting a bigger tank than your 165 lb buddy has would seem to be common sense.

My wife is 5 feet tall, she gets more time out of an old steel 72 than I get from an aluminum 100, its not bad that my SAC rate is higher, it is just a fact.

And I agree with all the stuff Viscya said...

 

[Bruciebabe]

14) Breathing. Belly breathing uses the alveolai from the lower lung which have 50% more blood vessels, this also flushes out CO2 which is the trigger for respiration rate. To get even more out of each lungfull breathe in for 4 seconds, pause for 2 seconds and breathe out for 4 seconds. When you get good at this try 6, 3 and 6 seconds. Never pause breathing while ascending.

 

[OE2X]

Relaxing is a big factor. One the tenents of being able to relax is confidence in your skills.

A friend of mine was certified not too long ago. His SAC was a gulping 1.3 and he would burn through a high pressure 130 tank in 30 minutes with a max depth of 60'. First we worked on buoyancy and trim. The less gas he used for his BCD and drysuit, the less of a yo yo he became. The better his buoyancy and trim, the more confident he became. We also worked on finning skills and keeping his hands quiet. The less active you are, the less gas you go through.

Now he can dive to 100' and do a full one hour dive on a 130 tank. He can hold his stops within a couple of feet. Since he no longer has to think and worry about his technique he has slowed way down. His SAC is around .8 now

Bottom line - experience and working on some basic skills so that they become second nature will extend your bottom time. In the meantime don't be hard on yourself.

FWIW - in my case losing a bunch of weight and working on my cardio has dropped my SAC from an average .5 down to .35 . This is a very low rate

You might want to look over this thread
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=127196