I am new to this whole scuba concept

[ReelDuel]

How long does a tank last?? When underwater should I breath as I do on land or should I try to conserve air?? With this small bit of information can you tell me anything?? My wife is about half the size of me does this mean she can stay down longer?? And how long is long.

 

[Ice9]

How long does a tank last??

Depends on your depth, size of your tank, and your consumption rate. This can vary widely.

When underwater should I breath as I do on land or should I try to conserve air??

Just try and breath normally, stressing full complete breaths. Never stop breathing or hold your breath. Never.

With this small bit of information can you tell me anything?? My wife is about half the size of me does this mean she can stay down longer??

Impossible to say. I hate to say this, but I don't think size matters.

And how long is long.

Hmm.. The amount of time allowable by dive tables that you will be taught how to use in class.

 

[DBailey]

How long does a tank last??

The best answer is that it depends. It depends on your depth, if you are warm enough, how hard you are working, your experience, how much oxygen you body needs, you physical fitness level, etc.

When underwater should I breath as I do on land or should I try to conserve air??

Breath as normally as possible.

My wife is about half the size of me does this mean she can stay down longer??

Physical size can play a role in air consumption, but there are exceptions. Most of the time, women will go through air more slowly.

And how long is long?

Most vacation type dives for an average diver will target about 45 minutes underwater.

 

[Scubastud16]

Women go through air slower than men. Smaller men go through air slower than larger men.

 

[Joe-Diver]

Women go through air slower than men.

Because there's no talking underwater.

 

[Blind]

haha funny. Id say a 40 min dive would be considered a long dive for a new diver @ about 18m

 

[The_DivePirate]

Just remember SIZE does matter.

 

[rawls]

Because there's no talking underwater.

Boy are you in trouble Joe...But good one...

 

[divingjd]

The best advice for closing the gap with your wife: long, slow, deep breaths. New divers often think shallow breaths will make a tank last longer (they think of it as "sipping" air instead of "gulping" it), but the reverse is actually true. Your breathing is more efficient with long, slow, deep breaths. My particular tip is to exhale completely first. You can't take a really deep breath without exhaling completely. In normal breathing, the gas exchange is pretty small, maybe 25% of the total possible volume, so after a normal exhalation, your lungs are still effectively 75% full. Experiment with your breathing and start with the exhalation. If you really concentrate on exhaling fully, you will be very surprised at how long you can exhale.

 

[del_mo]

And slow down...newbie guys need to be everywhere and swim there as quickly as they can. That will drain a tank fast.