Hey Hoover ~ Did you ruin someone's dive?

[Uncle Pug]

Neither my initial post nor this resultant thread were meant to be a discouragement to new divers or those whose air consumption rate is high. It was meant to encourage thinking... and perhaps self-evaluation on everyone's part.

If you are someone who burns through air please be up front about it before the dive... especially on those dives where others have spent a lot of money to be there. And please don't be offended if another diver does not want to limit their dive for your sake. This may be something that they had to save for and only rarely get the chance to do.

But if you do end up diving with a more experienced diver who has to end their dive prematurely because of you then simply say, "Thank you for diving with me... I'm sorry that your dive was cut short because of me but I really do appreciate that you stayed with me."

Gratitude is all the recompense necessary.

 

[liberato]

I am a hoover (can pop a balloon with one breath) but a responsible one. I always bring my 119s when I dive locally and am fitted out for solo diving in a pinch. The problem comes with dive vacations and the standardization on the venerable AL80.

A very few dive operations are good about having some AL100s around (the MV Manthiri in Maldives comes to mind) but most only have cookie cutter AL80s, take it or leave it. And then they expect everyone to surface at about the same time even though they are drawing on a wide cross-section of divers as clients. I would say the dive operations are partly to blame by having little flexibility.

Fortunately, I travel with a dive buddy who can supply the in-flight refueling hose when needed.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Off topic: Is a young/slight hoover called a dust buster?

I dunno ... but a big, fat hoover is called a shop vac.

At least, that's what my dive buddies used to call me ...

Checking back in my dive log ... 18 minutes on an AL80 to a max depth of 32 fsw (dive # 8).

Most of us have been there ... some of us just have a hard time remembering.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TCDiver1]

If they are a 240lb running back for a professional football team, I'll retract my comment.

Thats the point mem. One doesn't have to be in great shape to have a low SAC. I'm not exactly svelte at 5'-10", 205 but most always come up with more air than skinnier buddies who weigh 30-40 lbs less. One of the only guys who comes up with more air than me on a regular basis is my same height and 30-40 pounds heavier.

You just never know for sure by appearances only.

 

[novadiver]

Would it be so hard to ask someones SAC rate before the dive? You do ask about CERTS, SACs,and expereance before the dive, DON'T YOU ?

 

[ranger979]

In a similar vein, how do people feel about buddying up with someone with a smaller tank? I myself am a newbie and I own a AL80 and a steel 72. I am always hesitant to dive the 72 because I don't want to cut the dive short. I realize there is actually very little difference between the AL80 and 72.

In most of my dives my air hasn't been the issue. I normally end up pretty close with my buddies. I still have a hard time getting past my fears of cutting the dive short though and seldom dive the 72.

 

[ozarkjim]

That is definately a factor. Some divers with bad bouyancy control also tend to add more air to their BC than needed causing them to drift upwards. They compensate by dumping a lot of air, causing them to sink again. To slow their descent, they'll add a ton of air and start the cycle anew. At greater depth the air is denser so the diver uses even more air in their BC. In my (limited) experiance, this does not play as big of a role as increased breathing rate but is still fairly important. I can't confirm that bad bouyancy contributes to 80%.


Off topic: Is a young/slight hoover called a dust buster?

A suggestion to improve anyone's air consumption and their overall diving ability. If you are diving in a good visibility environment find someone to video your dive. At resorts we know this is no problem. Lay out the $40 and see how you act in the water. If you've never seen yourself dive you will likely say OMG do I do that? It really helped me when I started.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

In most of my dives my air hasn't been the issue. I normally end up pretty close with my buddies. I still have a hard time getting past my fears of cutting the dive short though and seldom dive the 72.

My answer to that is to be upfront with your buddy about your concerns. At a minimum, you're setting expectations and establishing good buddy communication before the dive. Sometimes you will find alternative solutions. Always you will be able to relax during the dive without worrying about what your buddy will think.

Sometimes I'll offer to swap tanks with a buddy who's diving a smaller one. And sometimes we just agree beforehand to do an air share for part of the dive ... one of the huge advantages to diving a 7' hose is that you can swim comfortably side-by-side while sharing air. I did this on Sunday with a dive buddy and we extended our dive by 15 minutes.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[FatCat]

Would it be so hard to ask someones SAC rate before the dive? You do ask about CERTS, SACs,and expereance before the dive, DON'T YOU ?

SAC means nothing. My air consumption at depth has no fixed relation to my SAC. SAC calculations are always off by at least 30 bar.

I do have a very good idea of how much air I will consume given a certain dive profile. This however, is something you can only learn through experience and by monitoring the history of your air consumption.

 

[jonnythan]

SAC means nothing. My air consumption at depth has no fixed relation to my SAC. SAC calculations are always off by at least 30 bar.

I do have a very good idea of how much air I will consume given a certain dive profile. This however, is something you can only learn through experience and by monitoring the history of your air consumption.

SAC means a lot when you're talking about your diving SAC, not your sitting on the surface SAC.