Can Anyone Please Explain

[greengullypony]

Hi, ok my 1st big question is ....... My brother and his step son go diving (about100ft)
together and come up at the same time, one has used heaps more air than the other,
even though they both started with the same amount and monitered there breathing and equipment correctly. Is this common? or does it mean that one is breathing wrong,ie too fast too slow. Or is it just obvious that everybody breathes different when they dive. I only snorkel, have never scuba dived, so I may be way off track, however I was under the impression that you had to breathe a certain way/amount no matter who or what? Please any info on this may resovle a rather heated discussion between my Dad and brother. Also if you suffer badly from vertigo should you dive, if you didnt suffer before you 1st started to dive can diving bring this condition on.

 

[Lake Mead Tony]

greengullypony,
Air use can be affected by a multitude of things, stress level, temp of water, activity level ect,ect,ect. I know many divers that have been diving many years and use twice the air I use on the same dive, and I know newbees that use less than I do. I don't beleve there is a simple answer to your question. As for as breathing right, as long as you are not skip breathing, just breath normal and remember to exhale upon your assent.

Lake Mead Tony

 

[do it easy]

It's more likely that 2 divers will have different breathing rates or SAC rates (surface air consumption). SAC rate can be affected by LOTS of factors- age, fitness levels, smoker/nonsmoker, lung size, water temp, stress/excertion level, etc. The other variable in this situation is depth. If one diver is deeper than the other, they will go through their gas faster than the shallower diver, everything else being equal.

Regarding vertigo, if you suffer from vertigo, check with a doctor and an instructor about diving.

Diving can bring about vertigo- water or pressure differences in the ears can cause it. Some divers experience vertigo in extremely clear water. There are also less common causes of vertigo. So yes, it is possible. I've even gotten it on a few dives.

 

[greengullypony]

Ok so from the two answers i gather the breathing thing is fine, so i'll have to copy this and show them so's we get some peace. The vertigio subject was interesting.
Thanks

 

[rawls]

Ok so from the two answers i gather the breathing thing is fine, so i'll have to copy this and show them so's we get some peace. The vertigio subject was interesting.
Thanks

The one who used the most air may, in time, end up being the one who uses the least air. Proper weighting may be an issue. How good a shape one is compared to the other. Exertion. Anxiety. Experience....The list goes on and on...

 

[greengullypony]

Mmm well the one that uses the most air is my brother who has been diving for 20 years, hes a 46 yr old shearer, non smoker. However he may be just to tired really to go diving as frequently as he does while shearing 5 dys week. The one that uses least air is onlt 17, a bit overweight doesnt do anything physical. the only real diff is that my brother spearfishes whilst he is down there the othe one just dive to watch and for fun. Thanks for the input, ill get to the bottom of it one day.

 

[Dive-aholic]

It's the task loading. Your brother is spearfishing, which means he's chasing after fish, swimming a lot more and probably a lot faster. He's exerting a lot more effort than thee othere diver who is just hanging out watching the action. I will breathe through a tank of air a lot more quickly when I'm in clear viz photographing larger aquatic life. When I'm concentrating on macro subjects and tend to stay in one general area during the dive, I can stay there for a long time. If your brother left the speargun on the boat, he'd probably have a lot more air left.

 

[greengullypony]

Yes probably would have more air, hes not concerned, its my dad, im sic of him going on about it, so needed some specialized comments to bac me up. Thnks heaps