Proper Breathing: an important scuba skill

[MXGratefulDiver]

Divers overweight themselves for a lot of reasons. Improper trim ... weighting to compensate for the upward motion of their kicks ... is a common reason. Also an inability to descend, in part due to improper breathing but just as commonly because they're unconsciously kicking while trying to descending ... sending themselves up while they're trying to go down.

Breathing is inextricably tied to good buoyancy control. In this respect, the OP is ahead of the curve with respect to how most new divers think. In this, I congratulate him. However, weighting involves a few more factors than just those he pointed out. We all need what we need ... based on diving environment and exposure equipment needs, and body density. Some folks are corks, while others are bricks ... this all needs to be taken into account.

The number of pounds of weight you are carrying isn't what matters ... the number you're carrying unnecessarily is. And, even for the same diver and exposure equipment, this will change as the diver develops better technique and learns how to relax ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Wookie]

I think the title of the thread is excellent, I also think most folks could stand to be a little more aware of their breathing patterns, especially all of those divers with 1084 posts and 200 dives. I also think the OP nailed it for warm water minimum exposure protection diving. No weight with a steel and 10 or fewer with an aluminum wearing a 3 mil or less. If you had no other rule of thumb to follow, that ain't a bad one.

Get off his back.

 

[Shasta_man]

"Please fill out this form determining your eligibility for giving us all advice. It includes number of dives, age, number of posts, political afflilation, whether you voted in the last election, any traffic tickets in the last three years, blood type, ..."

And for those Monty Python fans, your shoe size.

 

[mala]

"Please fill out this form determining your eligibility for giving us all advice. It includes number of dives, age, number of posts, political afflilation, whether you voted in the last election, any traffic tickets in the last three years, blood type, ..."

And for those Monty Python fans, your shoe size.

i'll listen to anyone with more dives than posts.

 

[eelnoraa]

I agree with JamesK. We should NOT judge someone's diving experience by their profile. Some people just don't update their profile. However, I don't steel tank with no weight or AL80 with 10lb can be a guideline to someon'e breather pattern, not even close. I used 18lb with AL80 with 7mm wetsuit. Now even with steel tank, I still use 14lb but in drysuit. The fact is exposure suit counts a lot for how much weight is needed. Body type also makes a differences. Can't really generalize with a number and a tank type.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

I suppose if folks don't want to be judged by their posted experience they should update their profiles or avoid bombastic postings of partially relevant advice.

 

[eelnoraa]

The only disagreement I have is with the broad statements about weighting. Weighting is extremely dependent on exposure protection -- somebody diving Puget Sound in a dry suit is going to need more weight than someone diving a 5 mil suit, and that person will need more than someone in a rash guard. You will need LESS lead if you manage your breathing correctly, but you cannot put a number on the correct amount of lead, because it varies so much.

YOu beat me to it

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I suppose if folks don't want to be judged by their posted experience they should update their profiles or avoid bombastic postings of partially relevant advice.

I'd prefer to judge people by the quality of their advice ... I've learned from people with less than 50 dives, and written off some with thousands of dives as BS artists.

The posts to dives comment is silly. I put in 250-300 dives a year ... and probably that many posts in a good coupla weeks. So what?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

I'd prefer to judge people by the quality of their advice ... I've learned from people with less than 50 dives, and written off some with thousands of dives as BS artists.

The posts to dives comment is silly. I put in 250-300 dives a year ... and probably that many posts in a good coupla weeks. So what?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

My interpretation was a new diver made a revelation and arrogantly submitted it for peer review without fully understanding everything it entailed. This is not my opinion alone as we see others make the same point over and over about the OP's over-generalization of the required weight per diver without regards to differing exposure suits or conditions.

I feel reading a posters approach and intent while basing it against their perceived (or posted) knowledge and skill level directly relates to how seriously I take their advice. It doesn't matter how sincere or right they are, if they are just parroting something someone else taught them as gospel and they don't have the experience to back it up they should adjust their approach if the aim is to draw support and not critique. Just my opinion.

 

[wedivebc]

Good advice.