How do you breathe?

[GlazierB]

On a Alum 100 I can usually go for about 60 mins with an average depth of 60ft.

Usually come to the surface with about 1300psi on the tank...

 

[paolov]

I catch my breath, then I breathe slowly.

Breathe in slowly, breathe out slowly. Move slowly, stay warm, Don't work hard. Do areobics. Stay in shape. Learn the frog kick and relax on your dives.

here here .... think yoga u/w

 

[Nut Bubblefish]

Agreed with all that was said about breathe in breathe out slowly, like you would be on your couch, trim,....

For me I noticed that my best breathing is the same as the one I hear from my wife or kids when they sleep quietly, or when I am just about to fall asleep. Completely relaxed.

I have since then stopped trying to breathe perfectly, as I was then actually saving on volume and frequency, and finally ended up with headaches! I just keep a quiet and comfortable pace. If I become too much aware of my breathing, it means I am not doing it right!

At the end of the day, no one pays me back for the air that remains in my tank, back on the boat...

 

[Sideband]

or do you breath in constant?

I tried that but discovered my lungs will not hold 80cft of air and decided to exhale occasionally.
While playing in the pool Sunday I counted my breath cycle and I breathe in on a count of 5 (lungs about 3/4 full) then exhaled for about a 10 count. My RMV is about .6 and I'm a smoker who does very little cardio work.

Joe

 

[grazie42]

6-8 seconds in, pause, and 6-8 seconds out is what my IANTD course material suggested along with some breathing exercises.

I haven´t applied the exercises myself (lazy) but an experienced dm and soon to be techinstructor I talked to while taking the course said he´d lowered his consumtion 40% by doing those exercises...

YMMV

 

[del_mo]

I'd have to be at less than 20 fsw to have a tank last 90 minutes!

 

[m3830431]

For me when I want to change depths I find it is helpful to be relax but deliberate.

 

[Talon]

RELAX.... Biggest secret there is to a good SAC. I can always tell what kind of dive I did by my air consumption and recently I have been enjoying the dives where my SAC IS HIGHER (used more air) then when it is low. Why.... I've been having a ball lately crawling all over ships - gets my heart going with excitment. But at a cost - my air consumption goes high. On dives where my SAC goes low - we are talking in the .35 and lower range - I'm in a nice easy drift and just watching the scenery go by. Imagine being in a passenger in a car driving down the highway and you are staring out the window at the highway. If you want a good SAC - you need to put your mind into that type of relaxed state. Not the driving 120 MPH and taking hair pin turns.

Michael

 

[Mikebubbles]

Relax, think about something else than breathing. Have your reg set to deliver air easily, this will cause less physical exertion and you will require less. If you found your bouyancy changing dramatically while breathing then you are correctly weighted and neutally bouyant and use this slow intake of air to rise above bits of reef etc. and enjoy adjusting your bouyancy by breathe control. Usually the more you dive the more relaxed you get and your air consumption will go down and level out.

Good Luck

 

[Toadie]

yeah my tank is an 80. I'm very relaxed underwater, I just see other divers come up after 55 mins with 1000psi and I'm at 500. Made me wonder.