Skip breathing correction

[DepthJunkie]

I am a natural skip-breather, my inhalation/exhalation is very deep but intermitent. I'm talking about on land and underwater. Can this be changed and if so does anybody have any suggestions. I have tried a few different techniques but they don't seem to stick. I've had a couple of headaches lately (excessive CO2?) after diving and would like to eliminate that aspect if possible. I've also factored in excessive breath hold for bouyancy, air conservation and possibly just needing a different mouthpiece. I have had TMJ issues in the past.

I would also imagine that Nitrox would be bad under this circumstance, am I wrong?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[stairman]

Skip breathing will conserve air but the headache aint worth it.I occationally hold my breath when my bc wont catch me fast enough to keep from touching the bottom.Otherwise I breathe in fully,pause for about 3 seconds[not closing the throat] and exhale FULLY! It takes a little thinking at first but seems natural after a while.Ive heard that holding your breath while ascending only 3 or 4 ft. can cause a lung expansion injury.Another reason to think about your respiration and complete the gas exchange cycle.

 

[TSandM]

I'm a breath-holder, on land and underwater. I've had to learn to pay attention to my body's signals when diving -- heart rate is a real good one. Although I am not uncomfortable when I'm underbreathing (at least not for quite a while), my heart rate does increase. When I note that, I make a conscious effort to accelerate my breathing rate for thirty seconds or so, and then relax and stop thinking about it again.

 

[DavidPT40]

When I'm gliding along the bottom, I use skip breathing to assist in my buoyancy. I've never had a headache from it. Isn't it more likely you just getting dehydrated? Especially since scuba air has such a low h20 content.

 

[tfsails]

I have to fess up to skip breathing some when I'm diving, but I make sure not to ascend any when I do it. Keeping an open airway is important, but it gets less important as you descend in the water column. The deeper you go, the less effect rising a foot or two during deep breathing has on gas expansion in the lungs.
By the way, I NEVER let my students know I'm doing this, and I don't do it all the time.

 

[ronski101]

I vary the timing and amount of air I breath in to fine tune my boyancy as I go along. I don't do this in open water but when I am moving along a reef looking at or for stuff and don't want to touch down it comes in handy.

 

[Dr Neil]

As a natuarlly slow breather both in and out of the water, I don't consider this type of breathing cycle skip breathing because I never close my throat. I tend to have a longer interval with no air in my lungs as opposed to lungs full of air.

Air and breath control are a vital key to great buoyancy. I especially enjoy using the OW fin pivot skill to work on controlling buoyancy. Finding that zen state of your breathing is better than meditation!

 

[annasea]

What is meant by closing one's throat?

 

[Dive-aholic]

I would also imagine that Nitrox would be bad under this circumstance, am I wrong?

I'm not sure how Nitrox would make any difference. I know some skip breathers who dive Nitrox almost exclusively without issues.

I breathe in fully,pause for about 3 seconds[not closing the throat] and exhale FULLY!

Some would consider this skip breathing...

 

[farsidefan1]

Closing the epiglotis or whatever they call that thingy in the back of your throat (Yes, from farside joke re: final on med exam). Closing the throat is where you put a "hard stop on air passage in or out of your lungs. This is bad :< Just stopping the air flow by not forcing air in and out is not bad :> I never use air in my bc unless on surface after a dive. I just breathe /skip breath to lift up and over structures or to slowly drop head first down to take picture in hole. Then breath in to "levitate out of the hole but never close the airway. Seems to work for me and I nearly always use nitrox.