Charlie99
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This is also my guess as to what the real problem is.
Over breathing -- common?
- Thread starter beachnik
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mobeeno
Contributor
Do it easy:
I agree with both, and suspect a combination of breathing style and exertion level (not necessarily anxiety, based on your analysis). One question. Does this happen at the start of a dive, or throughout? I seem to breath more rapidly at the beginning of a boat dive (that part is probably anxiety) and I find that I breath shallow. So, I consciously start taking long, deep, slow breaths, and it resolves. I also found a couple of years ago, when I allowed travel to impede maintenance of aerobic fitness, that I felt winded from over exertion if I need to swim vigorously underwater for any length of time.dab:
Without reading the entire thread or knowing anything about you there are several possibilities:
1) You have a new "high performance" buddy who is pushing you and your trying to keep up to please him--ask him to slow down
2) Your regulators are actually in need of TLC or replacement--repair or replace as needed
3) Your fitness level is in need of repair--begin a fitness regimine that concentrates on aerobic fitness
4) You have a developing cardio vascular problem--get a stress test--see doctor especially if your in the prime age bracket for cardiac events
A few years ago I was on a dive with some friends. The current was strong and unlike them I was pushing a large and heavy video camera (since sold on ebay) and my regulator--a double hose Aqua Master had just been overhauled by myself and I did not have it well adjusted so it was not performing well and we were descending which is also undesirable breathing position for the double hose and so with all of these things and it being my first dive of the year I soon found myself quite out of breath, it felt strange in my chest that I had a feeling of not getting enough air and had it not been for many years of diving I am quite sure it would have been easy to develop into a full blown anxiety attack. I recognized the problem, gave up trying to keep up with the guys while pushing the camera, rolled over on my back (an easy breathing position for a double hose) and rested a moment and all was well and after the dive I switched to another Aqua Master until I could readjust that one, now one of my favorites.
It was--well--the year does not matter---I was involved in the rescue of an older diver who had a cardiac event in the water and who later passed on as a result. I was only involved as a consequence of being there and helped as I was told, I was barely 19, I was safety diver on the boat for the group of certifying divers. The details are not important but such things as we are talking about can be the straw that breaks the back and sets off a developing or inevitable event and with a bad end result. Looking back I realize he had complained of not getting enough air, feeling anxious and "outclassed" by the other divers he was attempting to buddy with.
N
1) You have a new "high performance" buddy who is pushing you and your trying to keep up to please him--ask him to slow down
2) Your regulators are actually in need of TLC or replacement--repair or replace as needed
3) Your fitness level is in need of repair--begin a fitness regimine that concentrates on aerobic fitness
4) You have a developing cardio vascular problem--get a stress test--see doctor especially if your in the prime age bracket for cardiac events
A few years ago I was on a dive with some friends. The current was strong and unlike them I was pushing a large and heavy video camera (since sold on ebay) and my regulator--a double hose Aqua Master had just been overhauled by myself and I did not have it well adjusted so it was not performing well and we were descending which is also undesirable breathing position for the double hose and so with all of these things and it being my first dive of the year I soon found myself quite out of breath, it felt strange in my chest that I had a feeling of not getting enough air and had it not been for many years of diving I am quite sure it would have been easy to develop into a full blown anxiety attack. I recognized the problem, gave up trying to keep up with the guys while pushing the camera, rolled over on my back (an easy breathing position for a double hose) and rested a moment and all was well and after the dive I switched to another Aqua Master until I could readjust that one, now one of my favorites.
It was--well--the year does not matter---I was involved in the rescue of an older diver who had a cardiac event in the water and who later passed on as a result. I was only involved as a consequence of being there and helped as I was told, I was barely 19, I was safety diver on the boat for the group of certifying divers. The details are not important but such things as we are talking about can be the straw that breaks the back and sets off a developing or inevitable event and with a bad end result. Looking back I realize he had complained of not getting enough air, feeling anxious and "outclassed" by the other divers he was attempting to buddy with.
N
While all the advice here is good, my advice is to try a current model high performance regulator.
My first regulator was a Conshelf SE2. I got it in 1992 and then used it till 2000. I then switched to an Atomic B1. While the Conshelf is a great solid regulator, the difference in breathing effort between that and the Atomic was night and day. (Yes, the
Conshelf was serviced every year when it was being actively used, so it's not a matter of it needing a service.)
It doesn't really matter when you're doing a leisurely dive, but should make a big difference when you are exerting yourself.
My first regulator was a Conshelf SE2. I got it in 1992 and then used it till 2000. I then switched to an Atomic B1. While the Conshelf is a great solid regulator, the difference in breathing effort between that and the Atomic was night and day. (Yes, the
Conshelf was serviced every year when it was being actively used, so it's not a matter of it needing a service.)
It doesn't really matter when you're doing a leisurely dive, but should make a big difference when you are exerting yourself.
dschonbrun
Contributor
There are high flow mouthpieces available now... you might want to look into that. Most new Regs come with them, but older ones may not have. If you are making a lot effort to breath, then your reg may require service.
If the equipment is new and serviced... I suspect this is a C02 or Fitness issue.
If the equipment is new and serviced... I suspect this is a C02 or Fitness issue.
OP
beachnik
Contributor
Thanks to everyone for taking time to comment. It's all valuable.
AWAP & paulwlee - I think you two have nailed it. Those comments you made were especially helpful.
Right around the time I did the original post, I did a forum search on the phrase "over breathing" and got a page of results. I turned my radar on and went looking for entries from:
Anyway, in one of the threads, DA Aquamaster mentioned that he had experienced this 'over breathing' thing under circumstances that were roughly similar to my situation (instead of chasing something, he was swimming against current). He went on to say that the problem was due to the max flow rate of the regulator he was using - an MK3. He quoted the flow rate of the MK3 and then went on with a discussion of other Scubapro regs/flow rates that would have solved the problem.
And now I see AWAP's comments herein that seem to mirror both DA Aquamaster's experience and my experience. And, while AWAP didn't say that the MK20 has a higher flow rate than the MK2, I think that that is what he's referring to (of course, there are other differences besides flow rate).
And PAULWLEE, who has had the same reg as I currently have and who has moved up to an Atomic, points out how he has discovered that the venerated SE2 just doesn't compare - performance wise - with more contemporary products.
I can find flow rate specs for MK2, MK3, MK10, MK11 (there's lots of info readily available on Scubapro) - but I can't find them for my SE2. I've checked the current AquaLung Conshelf Technical Maintenance Manual, I've checked scubadiving.com, I've googled for it. Lots of people have something to say about the Conshelf - just nothing about max flow rates of the SE2. So, that alone makes it hard to precisely correlate my situation to the equipment used by AWAP / DA Aquamaster. But I'm guessing that I'm experiencing the same thing that AWAP & DA Aquamaster have experienced.
It's all good. One more reason to treat myself to an upgrade! Thanks again.
AWAP & paulwlee - I think you two have nailed it. Those comments you made were especially helpful.
Right around the time I did the original post, I did a forum search on the phrase "over breathing" and got a page of results. I turned my radar on and went looking for entries from:
- DA Aquamaster
- AWAP, and...
- Oxyhacker (I've just purchased & read Oxyhacker's (Vance Harlow's) 252 page book about regulator maintenance - its' a real page turner! sorry, sorry, just getting silly. It's a great resource - I highly recommend it, really).
Anyway, in one of the threads, DA Aquamaster mentioned that he had experienced this 'over breathing' thing under circumstances that were roughly similar to my situation (instead of chasing something, he was swimming against current). He went on to say that the problem was due to the max flow rate of the regulator he was using - an MK3. He quoted the flow rate of the MK3 and then went on with a discussion of other Scubapro regs/flow rates that would have solved the problem.
And now I see AWAP's comments herein that seem to mirror both DA Aquamaster's experience and my experience. And, while AWAP didn't say that the MK20 has a higher flow rate than the MK2, I think that that is what he's referring to (of course, there are other differences besides flow rate).
And PAULWLEE, who has had the same reg as I currently have and who has moved up to an Atomic, points out how he has discovered that the venerated SE2 just doesn't compare - performance wise - with more contemporary products.
I can find flow rate specs for MK2, MK3, MK10, MK11 (there's lots of info readily available on Scubapro) - but I can't find them for my SE2. I've checked the current AquaLung Conshelf Technical Maintenance Manual, I've checked scubadiving.com, I've googled for it. Lots of people have something to say about the Conshelf - just nothing about max flow rates of the SE2. So, that alone makes it hard to precisely correlate my situation to the equipment used by AWAP / DA Aquamaster. But I'm guessing that I'm experiencing the same thing that AWAP & DA Aquamaster have experienced.
It's all good. One more reason to treat myself to an upgrade! Thanks again.
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