Race to the Depth, Slow descend vs Fast descend

[Bennno]

>Is it just me with my particular physiology that don't like the fast descents or adjust/adapt/reacts slower ?

It's psychological rather than physiological. Your state of mind increases your breathing rate.

 

[DevonDiver]

CO2 in the lungs dictates breathing rate/demand. There's nothing psychological about it.

CO2 is also highly narcotic.

Go figure....

 

[Bennno]

CO2 in the lungs dictates breathing rate/demand. There's nothing psychological about it.

So, anxiety doesn't increase the breathing rate?

Go figure...

 

[Remy B.]

How are you descending?

I can descend about 170 feet per minute when making a free descent in clear water with no reference, but I also allow myself to get heavy on descent and try to limit my inhalations to less than maximum until i have reached a good freefall speed. A streamlined vertical position is also important in minimizing exertion and maximizing descent speed. Freedive fins help too, if you can't afford a scooter.

No thanks. I will skip that.

 

[Remy B.]

I can tell you exactly what's happening here, but it's not the answer you wanna hear:
You get nervous because deep decends are new to you - feeling uncomfortable increases your breathing rate, both of which enhances the narcosis (whether you're aware of it or not, tunnel vision at 30m tells me you're narced, it doesn't really matter whether it's caused by N2 or CO2 at this point) - being on air below 50m/170' with little to no prior deep air experience doesn't help in that situation.

I'm not saying any of the other posts were wrong, but I can almost garantee you, the anxiety is caused by the lack of experience, making the anxiety the crux of the issue.

Here is what you can do about it:
Do a few decends to 30m or 40m and see how it feels and only dive deeper once you feel 100% comfortable. Than do a couple of dive to 45ish, how does that go? Than 48 or 50... but don't progress to the deeper decends until you have this stuff down.

Nobody said, 'less than 100 dives and you will die'; however, a bunch of people HAVE killed themselves diving deep or air! Starting out anxious 'occupies' part of your mind and stress factors like these can greatly decrease you metal capacity. The amount of dives is less important than the level of comfortability. Being aware of your metal state is important.
I know you said you don't want this answer, but it doesn't work that way... it is what is. It take time.

Benno, I have been many times to 30m and 35m and nothing happen when going slow, and when going fast it has been uncomfortable, heavy breathing, anxious or whatever it can be called. why I think nothing happen two days ago to 52m, I believe it has to do with taking out of the equation Race to the Depth.

 

[Bennno]

and when going fast it has been uncomfortable, heavy breathing, anxious or whatever it can be called.

Duh, that's what happens when you inexperienced, dude! It's normal. That's why you're supposed progress slowly!

Why ask if you only accept what you think you know anyway. Breathing fast doesn't cause an increase in CO2 build up.
How come it doesn't happen to me, if it's physiological.

I said it before, I think you're cutting corners and you don't wanna listen to advice... which is not unusual with guys... people wanna dive deep asap, even though, they really shouldn't.
I've tried to explain it a few times now and you don't want to hear it... I give up.

 

[Remy B.]

I do what works for me and paying attention to my body, humans are not equal they are similar, what doesn't affect you may affect me.

What is the necessity to race for the depth, scuba for me is for enjoyment, the moment something is uncomfortable I try to find the way to make it comfortable, slowing down makes the trick for me.

Why go fast if I can go slow and reach the target. if one knows the location and current is the problem then plan the drop off ahead of target and drift in to it if that is a possibility.

I don't have the luxury of time for whatever the magic number in repetitions that will be to go fast to 30m then 35, then 40 then 45m, everybody have different perspectives and approaches, I'm not saying that I'm right and you are wrong, it is that under my circumstances I have my approaches, for how Fuc..up they may luck from your perspective.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

It sounds like you are not a strong diver and can not handle the challenge that the dive presents,. You have not answered the most basic question which was are you pulling down a line in a current......

It is important thAt you acknowledge and respect your weaknesses so you don't kill yourself. In my opinion you should be only presenting yourself with small incremental challenges that do not make you uncomfortable.

Also it surprised me that you are trained in technical diving. But you would not have an understanding that the quicker you get to depth ...The more time you will spend at depth..

If you can not do certain dives because they are outside of your abilities ... That is not a big deal

 

[Pullnglide]

I drop like a bat out of hell @ 100fpm plus. As far as enjoying the dive, I try to get to the bottom as quickly as possible. Going to 250'-300' is expensive especially on OC and whatever I'm going to see I would like to spend more time on the bottom rather than descending slowly. I think on my last deep dive max was 293', for every min I was in the 275'-293' range it added 6-7 mins of deco, I know your (op) not diving to those depths yet but I do drop fast on most ow technical diving. Like you (OP) stated, what works for me won't necessarily work for you.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Point scooter toward the bottom. Pull trigger.

I tried that once on a 200+ foot dive on a wreck in Lake Washington ... arrived at the bottom loopier than a high school kid on prom night ... decided I didn't need to do it again ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)