Proper Breathing Techniques?

[Doppler]

I wrote a book called The Six Skills and Other Discussions... it's about diving. Skill number one is breathing. Tai Chi, Yoga, Martial Arts, all have techniques to help folks master breath control... control the breathing cycle and you control panic and focus the mind.

Always stuck me as odd that we teach open water students that the most important rule of scuba is to keep breathing and then give them bugger all advice on how to develop the skills to do so.

 

[SailNaked]

most if not all breathing techniques give me a head ache from too much Co2, I would focus on relaxation techniqes, better swimming techniques and better buoyancy, let the breathing happen like it does.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I wrote a book called The Six Skills and Other Discussions... it's about diving. Skill number one is breathing. Tai Chi, Yoga, Martial Arts, all have techniques to help folks master breath control... control the breathing cycle and you control panic and focus the mind.

Always stuck me as odd that we teach open water students that the most important rule of scuba is to keep breathing and then give them bugger all advice on how to develop the skills to do so.

And this is why every diver from the newest OW student on should have a copy of Steve's book. When you start to relax and quiet the mind, breathing naturally slows and gets deeper and more efficient.

A few things that will work against this as related to diving are:


1. General discomfort in the water. This is why there are evaluations of watermanship in entry level training. Ideally it should be the first thing that is done in the pool.
2. Poor training. Poor training results in higher stress levels as the diver is not ready for much of what they encounter when they get out in the real world.
3. Poor buoyancy. Another stress producer that will agitate a diver and not allow the mind to settle. Often relates back to number one.
4. Lack of confidence in one's skills. If someone is really nervous or anxious about a new area above the general anticipation and excitement, it's probably a goood idea to not move into that area yet. Why take AOW if you are really nervous about not being able to control your buoyancy on the deep dive? Good question. If that's a concern don't do it. Work on buoyancy first. When you have it nailed then take AOW.
5. Too much going on in life. While scuba is a great way to relax and get away from the pressures of the surface world, if you are thinking about your mortgage, marriage issues, job issues, etc., it's probably a good idea to deal with those. Get them in order. Take care of the pressing issues rather than run away from them under water.

This is supposed to be relaxing and a way to quiet the noise. If it's not then your mind can't settle and if it can't settle all you'll do is fight to get your breathing under control. The result may be that it actually gets worse.

 

[TSandM]

Breathing and diving are inextricably intertwined. The first thing to know is that the amount of volume that has to pass through the gas exchange part of your lungs is determined by the amount of CO2 you are making. The more you move, the more CO2 you generate; therefore, the less you can move, the slower you can use your gas and still keep your CO2 normal. You can decrease muscle activity by diving slower, by being horizontal (so you aren't constantly kicking yourself up or down), by not swimming with your hands, by remaining neutral, and by relaxing.

Once you've controlled your CO2 production, the next step is to use the most efficient breathing pattern you can. That consists of relatively long and slow breaths, so that more of the air you move gets into the gas exchange part of your lungs. Rapid, shallow breathing mostly ventilates the tracheal and major bronchi, which don't participate in gas exchange, and are termed "dead space". But too long and slow a breathing pattern will result in a great deal of unstable buoyancy, so you don't want that. The fin pivot exercise, which I never much liked, does have the signal virtue of showing the diver that there is a pattern of breathing that will cause a gentle rise and fall which doesn't result in huge buoyancy swings. That's your goal -- breathe as deeply and slowly as you can without too much excursion in the water column.

I don't think about my breathing, and I never really have. But I think a great deal about neutral buoyancy, horizontal trim, and efficiency in the water.

 

[Stealth Mode]

Keep in mind normal respirations here on the surface are around 12-20 respirations per minute.I just spoke with my best friend who has been a Respiratory Therapist for 20 years,he said that the I to E ratio ( I=inhale and E= exhale) should be 1:2,example if you inhale for 2 seconds you should exhale for 4 seconds.After thinking about it I believe my earlier statement is inaccurate.I believe that I am more along the lines of the 1;2 ratio.I thought my inhalations were just as long as my exhale,but im pretty sure that was wrong.Yep I said it I WAS WRONG.But I know that I have a long exhale..............................