Having breathing issues, need advice.

[elementalwindx]

I've been diving for a little while now. I'm on my second set of first/second stages. My first set I bought used off a guy here (Oceanic CDX5, and GT3) and loved them. Never had a single problem with them till it started inhaling water on a dive at 120ft, and nobody here services them. So I outright bought a new set, Aqualung Legend.

Ever since buying this new set, I've had issues with diving. When I get down to 100-120ft, I feel like my breathing is restricted. I have the knob on the second stage turned all the way out. It nearly puts me into a panic attack and stresses me like no other. I have to sit still and calm myself down, which during a hard current can be quite a challenge for me.

I'm a 6'2, 225lb guy so I'm not exactly small or average per se, and sadly my athletic shape on the lower body isn't what it should be so I breath pretty hard when using the flippers on a 30min dive against a strong average-current. Every single dive I do is 100-120ft on shipwrecks or ledges.

Any idea how I can improve this Aqua Lung setup, or is there a better breathing system that provides an easier breath or better air flow than this particular unit?

Thanks everybody.

 

[Patoux01]

Aqualung legend is one of the best work of breathing available. You did put it to dive mode (I think they still have the dive - predive setting), right?
If that's a yes, I guess you should go and see the shop and explain the issue.

 

[Damselfish]

As far as the regs that you can't get serviced locally, you can probably find a shop or individual that you can ship them to for service. Sometimes these options may even get you better pricing and/or more reliable service.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

I would check the venturi knob that Pat suggested. If that doesn't alleviate the issue, then you should take them to the shop to have them adjust the cracking pressure. They could be set to too stiff, increasing breathing resistance. That will lead to CO2 retention, a recipe for disaster.

 

[elementalwindx]

I would check the venturi knob that Pat suggested. If that doesn't alleviate the issue, then you should take them to the shop to have them adjust the cracking pressure. They could be set to too stiff, increasing breathing resistance. That will lead to CO2 retention, a recipe for disaster.

Never thought about CO2 retention. Read this thread and thought CO2 Retention was spot on. That is what I am doing under water, except no head aches. I feel "starved for air" and a huge pressing urge to breathe more. If I think back about it, I'll sit there trying to take a deep breath and the amount of effort it takes to get a deep breath is so hard that I end up doing shallow breaths.

I'll give my dive shop a visit to see if they can adjust their cracking pressure. I noticed in the specs these aqua lung 1st stages handle 3300psi, yet my dive shop filled my tanks to 3600psi.....ugh....ha.....hope nothing was damaged.

 

[elementalwindx]

Also does anyone here believe in the powerlung or other similar devices like the mask version to improve breathing under water?

 

[okvij]

This sounds like overexertion. Does it happen at the same depth on relaxed no-current dives?

 

[elementalwindx]

This sounds like overexertion. Does it happen at the same depth on relaxed no-current dives?

Yes

 

[Michael Guerrero]

Filling your tanks to 3600 won't hurt your regs.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Let us know what your LDS says and the results of the cracking pressure test.