Opinion on Mouth Inflation option on Power Inflator

[bowlofpetunias]

I have no research or data to support this but my dive instructor stated during training one time that oral inflation during the dive actually wastes more air than manual inflation because of the way it changes your breathing patterns when you do it. So you save some air in your tank by orally inflating but then make up for it by breathing harder after you do so.

Don't flame me. I'm just the messenger.
HM

I would say that depends on the individual.. new OW student for sure. Competent, non stressed experienced diver with a good breathing rate.. not so likely.

As with everything else There are no absolutes.. works for some very well.. others too stressed or just not comfortable with it.. not so well. I just think it is a waste to use tank air for predive and post dive inflation and if you are comfortable using manual inflate under that water and it maintains an important skill why not do it?

Some find it easier to fine tune that way and many places in the world it is illegal to spear on Scuba or take "bugs" (certainly the case everywhere I have ever dived) and not everyone is overloaded with a Camera so the task loading thing becomes a non issue especially when one has done it enough that it is second nature. Just my .02

 

[Splitlip]

I have no research or data to support this but my dive instructor stated during training one time that oral inflation during the dive actually wastes more air than manual inflation because of the way it changes your breathing patterns when you do it.

HM

I believe it to be true, though my instructor did not teach me that. Oh, wait. We did not have BC's!

Seriously. I toyed with it and it and I still believe your statement is correct. couple of my daughter's buds who are experienced free divers, underwater hunters and surfing competitors did that for a number of dives after they all got certified, and decided it was bullshirt.

 

[sambolino44]

...Folks who routinely utilize drysuits and lift bags may have differing views.

Possibly. Personally, if the only flotation I had was my suit or my lift bag, I'd call the dive.

 

[Splitlip]

I would say that depends on the individual.. new OW student for sure. Competent, non stressed experienced diver with a good breathing rate.. not so likely.

As with everything else There are no absolutes.. works for some very well.. others too stressed or just not comfortable with it.. not so well. I just think it is a waste to use tank air for predive and post dive inflation and if you are comfortable using manual inflate under that water and it maintains an important skill why not do it?

Some find it easier to fine tune that way and many places in the world it is illegal to spear on Scuba or take "bugs" (certainly the case everywhere I have ever dived) and not everyone is overloaded with a Camera so the task loading thing becomes a non issue especially when one has done it enough that it is second nature. Just my .02

OK. Then maybe someday the diving community will realize that the power inflator should be eliminated as a potential failure point. Why risk it since there is no advantage. Just another gadget intended to make money off the uninitiated. Like (insert here)
I still have my first BC (well, actually a snorkel vest) so I am ready.

This talk is just plain silly IMO. If anymore than a little "fftt" from the inflator is needed, then the diver is not dialed in. And if more than a little "fftt" is attempted orally, the diver will upset his breathing, perhaps wind himself, perhaps have to fin more while huffing. No advantage.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I would say that depends on the individual.. new OW student for sure. Competent, non stressed experienced diver with a good breathing rate.. not so likely.

As with everything else There are no absolutes.. works for some very well.. others too stressed or just not comfortable with it.. not so well. I just think it is a waste to use tank air for predive and post dive inflation and if you are comfortable using manual inflate under that water and it maintains an important skill why not do it?

Some find it easier to fine tune that way and many places in the world it is illegal to spear on Scuba or take "bugs" (certainly the case everywhere I have ever dived) and not everyone is overloaded with a Camera so the task loading thing becomes a non issue especially when one has done it enough that it is second nature. Just my .02

I really don't understand the big deal here

I have watched my buddy floating effortlessly with perfect trim, take his reg out exhale into his BC replace his reg without giving it a second though. His air consumption is unbelievable low (no he doesn't skip breathe or any of that dangerous stuff). He is just very efficient in the water. The air he saves by not using power inflate before entry, during the dive and on the surface at the end of the dive could translate into a greater difference because of his SAC and the size of his BCD bladder.

It amazes me that some people find fault with someone doing something that involves practicing a basic OW skill and saying.. "This is how I do it.. this is how it works for me but it doesn't work as well for everyone. If it works for you do it.. if not don't but do remember this is a skill you are supposed to be capable of"

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Possibly. Personally, if the only flotation I had was my suit or my lift bag, I'd call the dive.

Have you ever really paid attention to the old Bond movies underwater scenes?

A BC is a convenience, not a necessity.

 

[sambolino44]

Have you ever really paid attention to the old Bond movies underwater scenes?

A BC is a convenience, not a necessity.

I guess I was thinking about 99% of the dives I do, which is in cold water with a drysuit, and often in fairly rough water. Obviously, if I was going to be getting into knife fights with bad guys the BC would slow me down.

And as far as the "convenience vs. necessity" argument goes, ain't none of it necessary; I don't HAVE to dive at all, it's all for fun. So if it ain't fun, I ain't goin'. I can't rely on my drysuit for flotation; any more than a medium bubble burps out the neck seal, and there's no oral inflation. I do rely on my SMB for backup flotation, but not for the only flotation.

I wonder if the OP is ever going to let us know what this is all about?

 

[sambolino44]

Actually, there's a lot of footage, old and new, of the Cousteau team diving with no BC.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

This talk is just plain silly IMO. If anymore than a little "fftt" from the inflator is needed, then the diver is not dialed in. And if more than a little "fftt" is attempted orally, the diver will upset his breathing, perhaps wind himself, perhaps have to fin more while huffing. No advantage.

So, the plan is descend to 130' for a drift wall dive on a 300' wall. Both my buddy and I have freedived to more than 100' so we can easily equalize while dropping head down completely deflated to 120' (no finning). To maximize bottom time we want to get down as fast as possible without effort, so no air is added until 120'. At this point I could take a really big breath and then orally inflate with nearly all the air my lungs can hold at 120'. I might not even get neutral with one exhalation so I could take another good size breath and exhale what's necessary to become neutral. So far my only extra exertion is taking out my reg to blow into my inflator and then replacing reg (maybe twice)but I took two larger than normal breaths so I call it a wash. It's a drift dive so where will I fin while not really huffing? Not sure how much air it takes for me to be neutral at 130' but this is a multi level dive so whatever I put in at 130' is 4 times larger at 30' so if it was 1.5 full breaths that would be 6 full breaths at the end of the dive and I rarely take full breaths, more like two thirds. Oh, there's a great angle on that whale shark at 20', now half breaths to get closer, so more than 12 breaths at 20' and one good shot of a whale shark; priceless!

Oh wait, I'm not dialed in

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Obviously, if I was going to be getting into knife fights with bad guys the BC would slow me down.

Ahh, I'm the product of a beatnik and a flower child, so I violate standards on every dive (no knife). The Bond images in my mind are diving with Claudine Auger and Carole Bouquet!