SAC Rate Poll What is normal? MALES ONLY

[Uncle Pug]

There is no such thing as *normal* SAC.

The value of knowing your SAC while 1) at rest 2) working 3) stressed is for figuring gas requirements for a dive. The value in knowing your dive team member's SAC is for the same reason.

 

[hvulin]

Well,
on nice weather (sunny, 28C outside) with almost no current, and water temps like 23C on surface and 16C on 30m it's around 0,35 when just sightseeing...

 

[pipedope]

Oh Pug, are you saying I shouldn't brag about how fast I can suck down the gas?

Something about being on the end of the hose of never ending gas........

 

[msandler]

Does anyone actually plan their dive with the consumption figures the pole represents? Gas planning is important, SAC - couldn't care less. I plan my "serious" (long deco, very deep) dives with .7 - Why? because its well in excess of my actual "normal" rate (whatever that is). For rec diving, you are not exactly going to fill your tank halfway because your SAC says that's all you need, nor will you strap on a stage bottle. You will dive to rule of 1/3's or half plus whatever tickles your fancy. Always measure in a little practicality with your theory.

 

[miketsp]

Does anyone actually plan their dive with the consumption figures the pole represents? Gas planning is important, SAC - couldn't care less. I plan my "serious" (long deco, very deep) dives with .7 - Why? because its well in excess of my actual "normal" rate (whatever that is). For rec diving, you are not exactly going to fill your tank halfway because your SAC says that's all you need, nor will you strap on a stage bottle. You will dive to rule of 1/3's or half plus whatever tickles your fancy. Always measure in a little practicality with your theory.

Just curious, surely a long deep dive can be planned with a more realistic SAC?
In my experience deeper dives tend to have less problems with bottom currents and long deco hangs are either done hanging or drifting, in both cases with minimal activity, ie very low SAC for a significant part of the dive.
I certainly would not expect to be exerting myself during deco to avoid tribonucleation.

In practice I generally plan for a reasonable bottom time with a good SAC, this will give you the worst case deco requirement. If you do consume too much air the actual dive will be cut short by the rock-bottom pre-calculation. This automatically gives you a safety margin as your real deco will probably then be less than used for the rock bottom calculation.

 

[wedivebc]

I usally dive in cold water with drysuit so my numbers are generally higher. I find my sac rate to be very close to more experienced non-smoking divers I dive with. (~ .6cf/min)
Although lately I have been using about 3cuft O2 and 4 cuft of diluent for an hour of BT

 

[Dive-aholic]

On average, the wife gets about 0.05 better SAC than I do. It would probably be a bigger difference, but my SAC is better than hers in cold water. I looked over the last 20 dives just because our last 5 were all cold water, some in dry suits. I ranged from .34 to .88 depending on the type of dive (the .88 was a spring dive in FL in which we had to double our weight and then some just to drop down against the current). The wife's range isn't much different. She's actually gotten a .31.

When we first started diving, she would go through half a tank to my one. I've gotten better. And since we started diving cold water, things have changed. She generally uses less air than I do in water temps in the 70s or higher. Drop into the 60s and lower and we surface based on her consumption. I love cold water!!!

 

[simbrooks]

(the .88 was a spring dive in FL in which we had to double our weight and then some just to drop down against the current).

Blue Spring, Orange City or Devils Ear, Ginnie Springs?

 

[Dive-aholic]

Blue Spring, Orange City or Devils Ear, Ginnie Springs?

Blue Spring.

 

[pasley]

Women do tend to have better air consumption. But on a recent dive, I had a full AL80 with 3000 PSI and my female partner had a AL63 which had been rented and came with a short fill of 2200 PSI. So looking at my SAC rate, and her SAC rate, I gave her my AL80 and I dove her tank. We surfaced when she got to 1000 PSI as she was a bit underweighted and the bouancy got squirlly. I had 1390 in my tank. IF we had gone the other way, the dive would have been cut short due ot air. Who says men can't hang with the women on air.