Controlling and reducing air consumption

[chillyinCanada]

Others have given great suggestions. I will add this: Have fun. Smile at what you see and just enjoy the dive. This will help you do better with air consumption.

You might want to smile in your mind and not necessarily in your mask. Sometimes smiling in your mask causes a leak LOL.

Diver0001 beat me to the punch. If conditions allow, in a group, dive higher in the water column than your group. The suggestions for yoga breathing are very good. If you achieve yoga breathing (and thus Zen), you won't even believe the further extent to which you are going to enjoy your dives over the course of your lifetime. As maxbottomdiver said, learning to breathe in that way improves not only your diving but day to day life. I find it particularly effective during potential road rage moments.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Oh, and everything the Chairman said and almost nothing that tarponchik said.

And Jonesill, good for you dude! Your entire life must be vastly improved not just your diving. Sincerely wishing you a lifetime of success with the new you. It's so easy to slip back . . .

 

[Aloha Joe]

It seems to me like breathing slowly and more deeply is helping with my air consumption. I started out being nervous about sucking gas and tried to control my breathing (actually tried to use less air). That made me feel out of breath and I’d notice myself hyperventilating a lot. Then I started taking deeper breaths so I wouldn’t feel out of breath. That slows my breathing down and it seems like each inhale and particularly the exhale last a really long time.

That said, lately I notice that I feel really comfortable and relaxed in the water in general, which I’m sure is helping tremendously. Part of that is due to relaxing before I descend, often with a few good breaths with my mask away from my nose.

I’ve been on dives where I was comfortable and actually was passed into subsequent groups because I still had air to burn. Then had the opposite happen where I wasn’t sure about a dive plan, didn’t have time to relax before descending, and was the second one to use up a tank.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Sounds like you're coming along Joe. Yes, slow deep breaths, also helping to calm you. Works in tandem.

I've found that even nowadays, if I'm tired for any reason, my air consumption goes up.

If you've felt rushed or anxious at the beginning of the dive start concentrating on your sloooow deep breaths instead of worrying about how you didn't get the chance to have a couple of breaths of fresh air at the surface before descending.

 

[The Chairman]

If you achieve yoga breathing (and thus Zen), you won't even believe the further extent to which you are going to enjoy your dives over the course of your lifetime.

I definitely Zen during a dive. It's part of my predive "relax" mantra. The more you chill, the less you need to breathe.

Oh, and everything the Chairman said

You're making me blush!

 

[tarponchik]

Oh, and everything the Chairman said and almost nothing that tarponchik said.

Funny thing is, I argued for controlled breathing long before you showed up in this thread. What else you do not like in what I suggested? Maybe, good swimming technique?

 

[The Chairman]

Funny thing is, I argued for controlled breathing long before you showed up in this thread.

Going Zen is a bit beyond controlled breathing. Breathing is only a part of that mindset.

 

[Adam Grose]

4. ... and forget about air consumption

it is not a joke, but reality. When you stop thinking about it - it will better

This SOUNDS counter intuitive.... but it is absolutely true. Worrying about your AC will probably make it go UP.

 

[tarponchik]

Going Zen is a bit beyond controlled breathing. Breathing is only a part of that mindset.

I voted for relaxation too, whatever you call it. If you call it Zen, I absolutely do not mind. In fact, in this thread we did not argue with each other because we were saying almost same the same things.

In @Joneill case, it is entirely possible that weight loss improved his buoyancy control. Since you are way more experienced, loading more or less lead upon yourself makes no difference for you.

 

[The Chairman]

because we were saying almost same the same things.

Breathing is a big part of it for me, but it's more than just Zenning.
Zen is a big part of it for me, but it's way more than just breathing.

I'm not trying to argue with you: I'm just trying to clarify.

Breathing: I set my BC's air volume at the surface. On a normal inhale, I let out just enough air to allow my head to be awash. I then control the entire dive's depth with my breathing. If you're not horizontal, this won't work. I hardly ever touch my BC during the dive. This kind of control suits me.
Zen: I relax myself before and during the dive. I meditate just a few seconds to gather my focus, lower my heart rate and also my rate of respiration. I tune out a lot of the noise, go over my kit in my mind's eye as well as my buddy's. I keep an ear out for the DM and my buddy, but not much else. In the water, I tune in to the sound of my buddy's breathing and how the current is flowing. If I can't establish that inner peace before and during the dive, I almost always abort. I don't/won't dive agitated.