Breathing problems

[HNITSUJ]

The last few dives I have been on I have been having a bit of trouble breathing once I hit the water. Some background of the dives and equipment are:
approx 100-130 ft
twin e7-120's
drysuit etc
northeast waters
(2) scubapro mk25 1st stages (1) r390 (1) s600
If I am rushing around and a bit tired gearing up and getting into the water, I have trouble catching my breath. It seems as though I cannot get enough air. I have two thoughts on this. It is either a psycological thing I have picked-up (although has never happened prior). I am requiring more air at the time than my regs can deliver. Once I get settled and at depth, I am fine. Assuming it is not psycological, would a poseidon xstream reg supply more air on demand? Any other thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Justin

 

[matt_unique]

There are no regs which deliver more air than the MK25/S600 that I have ever heard of or read about. It is possible to overbreath any regulator sold. It's a physiological conditions because breathing through a regulator, any regulator, is not the same as breathing in your living room. There is always a little resistance in comparison.

I would suggest you get suited up, get into the water, and hang out motionless on the surface without the reg in your mouth for a few minutes to relax. If you are making a surf or rough seas entry this is not usually possible. I do this before every dive. If you immediately descend it will be hard for you to "catch up".

--Matt

 

[Web Monkey]

Next time you're diving, try breathing off your buddy's reg. If it's OK, take your equipment in for it's annual service. If you still can't breathe, take yourself in to a doctor for your personal annual service.

Terry

The last few dives I have been on I have been having a bit of trouble breathing once I hit the water. Some background of the dives and equipment are:
approx 100-130 ft
twin e7-120's
drysuit etc
northeast waters
(2) scubapro mk25 1st stages (1) r390 (1) s600
If I am rushing around and a bit tired gearing up and getting into the water, I have trouble catching my breath. It seems as though I cannot get enough air. I have two thoughts on this. It is either a psycological thing I have picked-up (although has never happened prior). I am requiring more air at the time than my regs can deliver. Once I get settled and at depth, I am fine. Assuming it is not psycological, would a poseidon xstream reg supply more air on demand? Any other thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Justin

 

[halocline]

There are some threads on the diving physiology forums about cold water diving and it's impact on breath control, including examples of very experienced divers having trouble breathing/hyperventilating on occasion in cold water, typically upon entry.

Unless your reg is horribly out of tune, it's hard to imagine not getting enough air from it. The 1st stage puts out several times the amount of air anybody could breathe even under strenuous conditions.

 

[HNITSUJ]

There are some threads on the diving physiology forums about cold water diving and it's impact on breath control, including examples of very experienced divers having trouble breathing/hyperventilating on occasion in cold water, typically upon entry.

Unless your reg is horribly out of tune, it's hard to imagine not getting enough air from it. The 1st stage puts out several times the amount of air anybody could breathe even under strenuous conditions.

Both regs are freshly serviced and appear to be fine. A buddy does dive with a Poseidon xstream, I should try it out. As far as my physical fitness, I am not a model of fitness but not that bad either. I may consider a check-up anyway.
Thanks

 

[humanFish]

The last few dives I have been on I have been having a bit of trouble breathing once I hit the water. Some background of the dives and equipment are:
approx 100-130 ft
twin e7-120's
drysuit etc
northeast waters
(2) scubapro mk25 1st stages (1) r390 (1) s600
If I am rushing around and a bit tired gearing up and getting into the water, I have trouble catching my breath. It seems as though I cannot get enough air. I have two thoughts on this. It is either a psycological thing I have picked-up (although has never happened prior). I am requiring more air at the time than my regs can deliver. Once I get settled and at depth, I am fine. Assuming it is not psycological, would a poseidon xstream reg supply more air on demand? Any other thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Justin

Are you saying that you have trouble catching your breathe once you have started your descent? If so is your descent horizontol or heads up? It is harder to breathe from a reg when in a heads up position. I'm just curious because you say it's fine once you "get settled at depth". I second the motion to relax on the surface for a few moments before descent.

Only other factors I can think of.

1)Suit squeeze restricing your ability to breather until you have properly compensated for compression
2)Your reg not being tuned properly or it is in the pre/post-dive setting.

 

[HNITSUJ]

Are you saying that you have trouble catching your breathe once you have started your descent? If so is your descent horizontol or heads up? It is harder to breathe from a reg when in a heads up position. I'm just curious because you say it's fine once you "get settled at depth". I second the motion to relax on the surface for a few moments before descent.

Only other factors I can think of.

1)Suit squeeze restricing your ability to breather until you have properly compensated for compression
2)Your reg not being tuned properly or it is in the pre/post-dive setting.

I do descend vertically, that could be part of it. Suit squeeze was not noticable that I can remember, however I will take note next time.

 

[Wayward Son]

One thing that could be happening is not the reg, but your breathing.

If you breath too short & shallow, it feels like you aren't getting any air. There isn't enough time for the gas exchange to happen in your lungs. I've had this happen on occassion at the start of a dive. I wrestle around getting geared up, finally get in the water already a bit stressed from the effort. If I breath too fast it feels like I'm not getting any air. When I take a minute to focus on my breathing, force myself to take long, slow, deep breaths with a 1 second pause at the end of the inhale -airway open, just a pause in breathing- and a long, slow exhale, the feeling goes away.

Proper breathing also makes your gas last longer bc you aren't wasting it.

But for a Mk 25 to simply not deliver enough gas, something would have to be seriously out of adjustment with it.

 

[HNITSUJ]

One thing that could be happening is not the reg, but your breathing.

If you breath too short & shallow, it feels like you aren't getting any air. There isn't enough time for the gas exchange to happen in your lungs. I've had this happen on occassion at the start of a dive. I wrestle around getting geared up, finally get in the water already a bit stressed from the effort. If I breath too fast it feels like I'm not getting any air. When I take a minute to focus on my breathing, force myself to take long, slow, deep breaths with a 1 second pause at the end of the inhale -airway open, just a pause in breathing- and a long, slow exhale, the feeling goes away.

Proper breathing also makes your gas last longer bc you aren't wasting it.

But for a Mk 25 to simply not deliver enough gas, something would have to be seriously out of adjustment with it.

I don't think it is the reg as I have two with the same results

 

[Gac]

Are you in good physical shape?