Difference in Air Use Rates

[Pisces Diver]

My boyfriend and I got certified last year in Curacao, and did another trip there this year where we did mostly shore dives (I did a boat dive myself while the poor guy was sick in bed with the stomach flu, I know, but it was my birthday!).

The problem is that he uses air at more than double the rate that I do. So, on the shore dives, he would be needing to surface when I still had 2000 of 3000 psi (he was at 750). Needless to say this is frustrating if we are just diving together, as I "forfeit" all that air and dive time.

Plus since he is so quick to use the air, he hesitates to take a boat dive since he is probably using it up quicker than everyone else, not only me.

Suggestions?

 

[jonnythan]

Wow, that's a lot of air. It's not uncommon for women to use less, but that's a *lot* less.

Two suggestions that will take care of it:

1) Dive more often. His air consumption rate *will* go down with more dives.

2) Buy him a pair of nice big steel tanks.

 

[vetdiver]

Hi, Pisces -

And welcome to my life. No, I'm just kidding (just in case my husband should ever come here and read this...I adore you, sweetie, and you have perfect air consumption!!). OK, so women tend to use less air than men. Physiologically, we use less, and then there's the fact that we tend to be smaller (little lungs, little bodies = comparatively little air required).

So, if your husband is relatively new to diving, dive more - he is likely to use less air with experience. Another suggestion? Get him to the gym and start the boy on some cardio workouts, pronto.

And if you dive locally? Seriously, Jonnythan is right. Just buy the man the bigger tanks. I just did the same thing for my husband.

 

[miketsp]

Are you both on regulators for the same amount of time?
What I'm getting at is if you have a long surface swim out to the dive point and you're doing it with your snorkel while he's swimming out with his reg in his mouth....

 

[Rookie_J]

yep, get him working on cardio and practicing his "scuba breathing".

breath in slow (1,2,3,4,5,6) stop (1,2,3,4,5,6)(do not close throat!) breath out (1,2,3,4,5,6).




i've been practicing and i'm within a few 100 psi to guys with nearly 100 dives..

 

[jbd]

My boyfriend and I got certified last year in Curacao, and did another trip there this year where we did mostly shore dives (I did a boat dive myself while the poor guy was sick in bed with the stomach flu, I know, but it was my birthday!).

The problem is that he uses air at more than double the rate that I do. So, on the shore dives, he would be needing to surface when I still had 2000 of 3000 psi (he was at 750). Needless to say this is frustrating if we are just diving together, as I "forfeit" all that air and dive time.

Plus since he is so quick to use the air, he hesitates to take a boat dive since he is probably using it up quicker than everyone else, not only me.

Suggestions?

Most likely there is a large difference in the comfort level that each of you feels while underwater. You are comfortable and he is not. The best cure for this is to dive a lot with an experienced mentor. The mentor needs to pay attention to all the little things that uncomfortable divers do that use vast amounts of air and then help your boyfriend correct all these little air burning activities. Once he relaxes and becomes one with the water his air consumption will improve dramatically.

I am opposed to the bigger tanks idea because that does not really cure the problem.

 

[freediver]

Buy him a really big book on Yoga breathing. When he starts breathing fast, get the book and hit him right square on the head. After a couple of these "training" sessions, air consumption is magically reduced.

 

[Web Monkey]

My boyfriend and I got certified last year in Curacao, and did another trip there this year where we did mostly shore dives (I did a boat dive myself while the poor guy was sick in bed with the stomach flu, I know, but it was my birthday!).

The problem is that he uses air at more than double the rate that I do. So, on the shore dives, he would be needing to surface when I still had 2000 of 3000 psi (he was at 750). Needless to say this is frustrating if we are just diving together, as I "forfeit" all that air and dive time.

Stop by your LDS and see if they could take a look at your husband the next time they're in the pool. There are a ton of things that drive up air consumption, but it's really hard to see over the internet

He could be overweighted and is moving through the water diagonally like a snowplow instead of horziontally like a dolphin, you might be 5'2" 100 lbs and he's 6"11" and 290. He might have buoyancy problems and is constantly adding and dumping air. It could be almost anything, but it should be pretty easy to spot.

Terry

 

[ChillyWaters]

He might have buoyancy problems and is constantly adding and dumping air.

Good point... he should only ever really add air when he's going down... if he's adding air at other times, that's wasted air.

- ChillyWaters

 

[sharpenu]

Actually, I had this issue with my ex-gf. I was a new master diver at the time, and weighed about 220#. She had just finished her OW class, and weighed about 120#. My SAC was around .45 and hers was as low as .30. With a little experience, she was hitting SACs as low as an incredible .20.

How did I solve this? I got some HP120's. Then we were about the same on gas times.