Controlling and reducing air consumption

[gcarter]

Pretty much all of my improvement to date has been technique and comfort - in the face of worsening fitness.

Benefits of the fitness part:

Last Wednesday I did a dive, 0.62ft3/min. Last night I did a dive, same site, 0.61ft3/min.

On the dive last night on Lock 23 @ Morrisburg, we had some really wonky currents - at one point I was finning as hard as I could, looked down, and saw I was staying stationary over a rock. LOL. So I moved sideways over the lock wall to get out of that current - we were supposed to be drifting, not going against current. This was just after I had an issue with clearing, and my buddy and I had to sprint to "chase" after the group. The cross current as we headed north after exiting the lock was also much higher than normal, more work again. All of these things, last summer, would have resulted in me doing a lot of huffing and chewing through my air. On this dive I didn't, thanks to the cardio I have been doing.

Having said that, it still comes down to the breathing rate. Had it been a more normal dive on this site, I would not have had that level of work and the cardio improvements would have made no difference to my consumption. The key for cardio is that it allowed me to maintain my normal rate in the face of a tougher dive.

 

[Celt]

Start your dive with no mask, when you’re breathing is under control slow and steady put on and clear your mask you’ll be completely relaxed. Drop through the water to your depth without finning and take a minute to sort yourself out and with slow deliberate movement you’ll use very little air

 

[chillyinCanada]

Needs to also learn why his mask needs to be off to get air at surface. Needs to spend time becoming as one with his mask.

 

[The Chairman]

I've never tried that, but if it works for you, then Dive and let Dive.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Which, oh might Zen master? Starting a dive with no mask on as suggested by mac6 or learning to become one with his mask as suggested by grasshopper chillyinCanada?

 

[The Chairman]

Actually, I have started a dive without my mask on. My glasses did not do a good job underwater

I've also started a dive without my fins on. Le sigh. How embarrassing to even admit that.

Neither of these events helped me to Zen.

I don't know that I've ever become "one with my mask" either. I barely get them to fit right and am constantly clearing them. Arrrrgggghhhh. Above a certain point, that leads to anti-Zen feelings of frustration and to calling the dive early.

 

[Aloha Joe]

There’s something about breathing through your nose. I like to pull my mask away from my nose (not completely off) to take a few breaths before I descend. This helps me relax after getting in the water, getting adjusted, and finning to the descent location.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I've jumped different times without mask, weights, fins and once made it all the way to 15' before realizing I'd neglected to put my reg in my mouth. Interestingly enough the one that fussed me the least was not having my reg in my mouth.

Joe, I understand where you're coming from and why you feel the way you do but I truly believe it will be good for you to learn to get calm and organized without removing your mask. Teach yourself to relax with your mask in place. Take those couple of breaths you need from your reg and not the surface air.

There's going to come a time that you will need to keep your mask on and reg in on the surface. At that time, you're going to need to be comfortable with that because you'll be dealing with other issues due to the state of the sea.

You may notice some folks reboard the boat with their mask on too., especially when it's sporty.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

Yea no way I am taking my mask off on purpose. I don't want any saltwater in my mask at all.

 

[MichaelMc]

Lots of good suggestions.

I definitely believe holding calm in the water makes a big difference! I'm fairly good at the trim and no extra motion thing. But other things add up as well.

Exertion, and cold, makes a difference. Three dives in Belize, one holding-not-dodging against current that canceled the next dive .53 SAC; two drifting with current, .33 SAC. Four dives in cold NorCal, two hovering over reef .4 SAC; two coasting along a pipe .55 SAC.

The key for cardio is that it allowed me to maintain my normal rate in the face of a tougher dive.

Being short of breath on land is not healthy for you, and is unlikely to help your SAC underwater. Fitness will help your diving by being better for you. It seems like yoga fitness and calm would help scuba, and health. I've done high level yoga in the past. Fitness helps on the pre-dive surface swims.