BIGSAGE136
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As the Original Air Hog my advice is to read the above again...and 1) relax 2) dive as often as you can. Your SAC will fall.
How do I improve my air consumption?
- Thread starter sueellen
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All the above is excellent advice. I especially like the "read it again" and when you're done, "read it again" advice. Couldn't have put it better myself.
Two specific things that can help:
1.) Take a bouyancy specialty class and really learn to trim your weight. Most new divers dive far too heavy.
2.) Learn to really kick efficiently. Most new divers constantly flutter kick because their bouyancy needs improving (See #1 above). Once that is done, a frog kick (very efficient) can be used.
3.) Read the suggestions in the second post again
Two specific things that can help:
1.) Take a bouyancy specialty class and really learn to trim your weight. Most new divers dive far too heavy.
2.) Learn to really kick efficiently. Most new divers constantly flutter kick because their bouyancy needs improving (See #1 above). Once that is done, a frog kick (very efficient) can be used.
3.) Read the suggestions in the second post again
IndigoBlue
Contributor
Web Monkey:Work less, relax, stay in shape & dive more!
Anything you can do to make diving easier and less stressfull will reduce your air consumption. this includes:
- Being properly weighted
- Adjusting your trim so you can maintain your body's orientation in the direction of travel (if you're swimming horizontally, and your body is also horizontal, you have less drag).
These two are related, since it's difficult to be horizontal if you're overweighted.
- Not being stressed out
- Not being out of shape
These two are also related, since being out of shape can cause stress, as well as increase air consumption by itself.
In the end, any action that requires you to expend energy, uses air, since your body needs oxygen to process food and perform work.
External devices that use air also reduce bottom time, since every pint that goes into your BC (and back out again) is air you can't breathe.
Terry
Terry's advice is really strategic, in terms of solving the main problems of efficient diving.
In addition, get to where you are going on the surface, on your snorkel, which has unlimited air, rather than swimming underwater.
Spend a few minutes on the surface relaxing, and breathing deeply, to clear the CO2 out of your bloodstream, then begin your descent when you are relaxed.
Dump just enough air out of your B/C to begin your slow descent, then completely exhalate to begin your descent slowly. Many divers waste air by dumping all the air in their B/C, then starting their descent too fast. This wastes air when you have to turn around and refill your B/C soon after your descent has begun. At the start of your dive, your B/C needs to compensate for 6 lbs of compressed air in your tanks, so you would never empty your B/C completely, if you are doing this right.
Go to the deepest point of your dive first, then work you way back up slowly, rather than spike diving down and up and down again wasting more air in your B/C. Terry spoke about that as well.
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe deep, slightly deeper and slightly slower than you do on the surface. Some people call this "normal breathing" but I have found that it is not too normal, at first, for most divers.
Do not waste energy by kicking a lot underwater. Try to hover. This is how you would get your RMV-SCR down to 0.5 cu ft per min or less. Kicking even a little will skyrocket your RMV to 0.75 or higher.
If you have to chase your buddy around all day, that will waste air too. Train your buddy to stay with you, in your peripheral vision somewhere, at all times. Enjoy viewing the underwater world together, not apart.
terrydarc
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I like all of the ideas above and will add a couple of my own.
One is base on a bit of paranoia about how DM's may try to get the dive over in a shorter amount of time. Some DM's are enthusiastic and are out to show you the best time possible. However... often going over a wall to 90+', I seem to see the same things at 80' as 15' deeper. Nothing says you can't swim along above the group by 10' is there? If there's something to see, dive down to it and back up 10'.
Second one is something I used to do and was (and still am to a lesser extent) was to watch my own style of diving. I pride myself on good bouyancy control, but I was overdoing it swooping along over every bit of coral head or rock within a few inches using just lung capacity. Good thing to know in a tight spot, but it can be overdone. I'm not going to suggest that ScubaTexas would do that, but it pays to watch your own style - kicking, bouyancy countrol, bc usage, lack of streamlining, weight positioning (try to keep it well centered), arm position or whatever.
=Terry (but a different one)
One is base on a bit of paranoia about how DM's may try to get the dive over in a shorter amount of time. Some DM's are enthusiastic and are out to show you the best time possible. However... often going over a wall to 90+', I seem to see the same things at 80' as 15' deeper. Nothing says you can't swim along above the group by 10' is there? If there's something to see, dive down to it and back up 10'.
Second one is something I used to do and was (and still am to a lesser extent) was to watch my own style of diving. I pride myself on good bouyancy control, but I was overdoing it swooping along over every bit of coral head or rock within a few inches using just lung capacity. Good thing to know in a tight spot, but it can be overdone. I'm not going to suggest that ScubaTexas would do that, but it pays to watch your own style - kicking, bouyancy countrol, bc usage, lack of streamlining, weight positioning (try to keep it well centered), arm position or whatever.
=Terry (but a different one)
hi - as a newly certified diver, I am using up my air way before my buddy is ready to ascend w/ me - what's the trick to breathing so as to experience longer dives? SEA
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sea
There's not a lot of tricks, but there are a few things you can do to help. Weight yourself properly, carrying extra weight burns air. Make sure you are trimmed correctly, you want to be in a horizontal position instead of a "heads up" Bend you knees and cruise in the DIR position, you will be more efficent in the water. Finally, RELAX and don't flail around with you arms. You'll be suprised at how this will lower you air consumption. Dive safely.almtree: Bob
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sea
There's not a lot of tricks, but there are a few things you can do to help. Weight yourself properly, carrying extra weight burns air. Make sure you are trimmed correctly, you want to be in a horizontal position instead of a "heads up" Bend you knees and cruise in the DIR position, you will be more efficent in the water. Finally, RELAX and don't flail around with you arms. You'll be suprised at how this will lower you air consumption. Dive safely.
almtree: Bob
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King_Neptune:
FWIW, I *LIKE* keeping all my gear on when exiting the water so I've still got it if I get knocked back in as the boat pitches up and down in the waves . . .
Same thing with fins. If you hand them up on onto the boat, you're pretty much out of comission if you end up back in the water. I like to hang them on my arms.
Terry
oatmeal769
Registered
It's very nice to occasionally read a thread, which is so positive and constructive toward a stated objective, (the earlier computer tangent aside) rather than the bickering which often hijacks an otherwise good thread. The wealth of information in this thread is really great. Many people have expressed some great techniques and fundamentals regarding breathing for all of us to keep in mind. Since to me breathing skills are really what everything else hinges on, I thought I might chime in as well.
I feel that deep, diaphragmatic breathing, with a slight pause (not a hold) at the top of the cycle, and a long complete exhale is a pretty good start. We know that most gas exchange occurs in the lower third of the lungs, and drawing in as much 'fresh' while expelling as much 'waste' is most effectively done with long deep breaths.
Many also suggested slow breathing. In my view, 'slow' should be a result of good technique, rather than a technique itself. Trying to regulate the physiological need for O2 by attempting to breathe more slowly will only compound the problem. While we should breathe in a long, deliberate matter, the rate should be dictated by the physiological requirement. I think one needs to allow the rate to happen naturally, even though it may be fast at first. Instead, focus more on relaxation, economy, and comfort skills as mentioned previously in this thread in order to bring the metabolic rate as low as possible. This in turn will foster a slower breathing rate, and drastically lower the consumption factor.
For the ultimate in low consumption, I would highly recommend becoming proficient in breath hold diving as well. As far as comfort, relaxation, economy, streamlining, and breathing exercise, there really is no substitute for this skill!
I attended a weeklong freediving clinic about 2 years ago, and of all the courses I have taken in diving; I consider it one of the most important. Before I took it, I was already a pretty decent free diver, and had really low scuba air consumption. What I learned and employed in the course helped me extend and fine-tune my scuba breathing skills with some great results. Try it out!
I feel that deep, diaphragmatic breathing, with a slight pause (not a hold) at the top of the cycle, and a long complete exhale is a pretty good start. We know that most gas exchange occurs in the lower third of the lungs, and drawing in as much 'fresh' while expelling as much 'waste' is most effectively done with long deep breaths.
Many also suggested slow breathing. In my view, 'slow' should be a result of good technique, rather than a technique itself. Trying to regulate the physiological need for O2 by attempting to breathe more slowly will only compound the problem. While we should breathe in a long, deliberate matter, the rate should be dictated by the physiological requirement. I think one needs to allow the rate to happen naturally, even though it may be fast at first. Instead, focus more on relaxation, economy, and comfort skills as mentioned previously in this thread in order to bring the metabolic rate as low as possible. This in turn will foster a slower breathing rate, and drastically lower the consumption factor.
For the ultimate in low consumption, I would highly recommend becoming proficient in breath hold diving as well. As far as comfort, relaxation, economy, streamlining, and breathing exercise, there really is no substitute for this skill!
I attended a weeklong freediving clinic about 2 years ago, and of all the courses I have taken in diving; I consider it one of the most important. Before I took it, I was already a pretty decent free diver, and had really low scuba air consumption. What I learned and employed in the course helped me extend and fine-tune my scuba breathing skills with some great results. Try it out!
try to do the Pilates breathing method.
PhotoTJ
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Three words; Cardio, cardio, cardio!
Though cardio has something to do with it, I think it's the least of all the contributors....PhotoTJ:
My take at the order:
1.0) Comfortable in the water (dive a lot, even if you have to get in a pool to do it)
1.1) Trimmed correctly (like a barracuda, not a sea horse which 90+% of the divers are today)
2) Diving is not a race, stop zipping around like a puppy at the end of a leash
3) Stop and smell the roses (stop and look around from time to time, you don't have to swim constantly)
4) Correct weighting
5) Cardio
Now cardio moves up the list when you're doing something like cave diving where you DO have to do a lot of swimming...
And the bottom line is you should NEVER "work on your breathing." Fix the things that are damaging your breathing rate and your breathing will fix itself...
Roak
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