Not enough air

[diver4life]

It seams like no matter what brand of reg i am breathing it's like I just can't get enough air out of it and then i get a little and sometimes a lot anxious. Is it possible I just need more air than normal? Some regs are rentals which I understand could be a problem but even my personal regs before and after service are like this. I'm trying to find out if it's the regs, me, or both.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Doug

 

[300bar]

Give the Oceanic EOS a try,some say it gives way to much air.

 

[Lead_carrier]

If you are a large person with bigger lungs than the average person then you might need more total volume of air than some others. I would venture to say that almost any of the major brands of regulators, assuming they are working correctly will give you more air flow than your lungs can safely handle. Just keep trying relax and keep the anxiety down.

 

[bleeb]

A little more detail might be in order. Do you mean you don't feel like you're catching your breathe, or that it feels like it's taking too much effort sucking in air? Are you breathing fast, slow, exerting yourself, or are diving in cold water?

Not knowing that and starting with some of the basics, the partial pressure of O2 at depth means that any reasonably well tuned set of regs is delivering more oxygen than your body can consume metabolically. (Poor servicing can also be an issue. How good is your reg tech?) High performance regs can deliver more air than a person can physically inhale except under more extreme conditions (temperature and depth). Feeling out of breathe if primarily driven by CO2, and breathing too fast or too shallowly may not actually drive CO2 out of your lungs.

It might also help if you provided a bit more information about your level of experience (i.e. update your profile). Your SB join date says 2002, which suggests the possibility of a fair amount of diving, and recommendations for experienced divers are different than those for beginners. Are you wearing a tight or heavy wetsuit?

 

[PugetSounder]

More than likely, it's not the regulators... it's your breathing style. Sounds to me like you're retaining some CO2 which can be fixed by changing your breathing style.

Deep, slow breaths are what you want to do - inhale deeply and then start exhaling at a steady-pace... the key is to exhale completely. If you don't, you're retaining some of the CO2 which can build.

Retention of CO2 makes you feel like you're "just not quite getting enough air." It can also mean a headache that starts at or near the surface. Blowing all that CO2 out at the end of the breath and then filling your lungs completely with fresh air should be your solution.

 

[Dr Neil]

Three questions:
1. Have you tried a regulator with an adjustable flow?

2. This may sound crazy but what type of BC do you use? If you use a jacket style BC that tends to squeeze your chest it may give you the feeling that you can't breathe.

3. Just as crazy sounding - what type of thermal protection do you dive with including the hood?

Sometimes the cause of the problem isn't obvious.

 

[scubadiver888]

It seams like no matter what brand of reg i am breathing it's like I just can't get enough air out of it and then i get a little and sometimes a lot anxious. Is it possible I just need more air than normal? Some regs are rentals which I understand could be a problem but even my personal regs before and after service are like this. I'm trying to find out if it's the regs, me, or both.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Doug

Two things pop to mind. First, are you wearing a wetsuit and could it be too tight? If you cannot take a deep breath with your wetsuit on it might not be the regulator. It might be your wetsuit is too tight. You could take a balloon, empty, take a deep breath then exhale into the balloon (without your wetsuit). Do the same thing with the wetsuit. Is the balloon notably smaller with the wetsuit on?

Second, how much air is generally not the problem. It is how fast a regulator is giving you air that becomes a problem. Are you taking deep breathes? Maybe you are just breathing shallow and rapid. Try slowing down your breathing. Being nervous or anxious will speed up your breathing. If you were just a little rapid with your breathing, not getting enough air will definitely worsen the situation.

I've had both problems. When I first started diving I'd breath faster than the regulator would allow. It was worse on the surface. Once we got down to 33' and the reg was supplying air at 2 ATA I didn't have any trouble. Rather than get a regulator which supplied air faster (because that is just going to help me use it up faster) I learned to slow down my breathing.

Twice I wore a wetsuit which was too tight. Both times I sucked through my air faster than anyone else.

 

[don Francisco]

Lots of possibilities, though in my experience almost any decent reg will deliver enough air for the Jolly Green Giant.

I suspect that either you're working too hard, and needing more air than you otherwise would, or you're out of shape, and would be short of breath on the surface too. Either way slow down and save energy.

It might also be a mind thing, where you feel you're not getting enough air (even though you are) and hyperventilating somewhat. Try to have more faith in the equipment, and RELAX. The more you worry about air the greater the feeling of not getting enough, then the increased anxiety makes you need more air, feeding the cycle.

Lastly, on your personal regs, try asking the technician to lower the cracking pressure to as close to the freeflow point as possible. A high cracking pressure makes the reg feel as if you have to suck the air out, as opposed to feeling like breathing on the surface. The lower cracking pressure may be enough to make you feel more comfortable.

BTW- I hate the sensation of sucking on air and my reg is adjusted so close that if I can almost have it freeflow slightly in my mouth. It's also adjustable in the water and I can keep it exactly at that point.

 

[Teamcasa]

It seams like no matter what brand of reg i am breathing it's like I just can't get enough air out of it and then i get a little and sometimes a lot anxious. Is it possible I just need more air than normal? Some regs are rentals which I understand could be a problem but even my personal regs before and after service are like this. I'm trying to find out if it's the regs, me, or both.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Doug

Lower the anxiety level by slowing down the breathing rate.
I tell new divers this all the time:

Inhaling, slow down and count to 4.
Exhaling, slow down and count to 5.

You reg will deliver the air, maybe not fast enough for a snap inhale but relax and breath slowly, the air will be there.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

More than likely, it's not the regulators... it's your breathing style. Sounds to me like you're retaining some CO2 which can be fixed by changing your breathing style.

Deep, slow breaths are what you want to do - inhale deeply and then start exhaling at a steady-pace... the key is to exhale completely. If you don't, you're retaining some of the CO2 which can build.

Retention of CO2 makes you feel like you're "just not quite getting enough air." It can also mean a headache that starts at or near the surface. Blowing all that CO2 out at the end of the breath and then filling your lungs completely with fresh air should be your solution.

That was my first thought as well ... and it's rather common for new divers. The reasons are two-fold. First, you need to breathe properly. Diving's the first time in your life you ever actually have to THINK about breathing. Breathe deeply, slowly, and completely. Shallow or rapid breaths do not allow for a sufficient exchange of fresh air for the CO2 your body is trying to get rid of.

Second, stop all activities. The harder you work, the more CO2 your body produces. So try to relax and let your body "catch up" in getting the CO2 out of your blood and expelled through your lungs. If necessary, grab ahold of something ... but by all means, relax.

Keep in mind that what triggers you to take that next breath isn't a lack of oxygen, it's a buildup of CO2 ... your body is trying to get rid of it. Using good breathing techniques and relaxing your muscles will help that happen most effectively.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)