Tips for a heavy breather

[Scotttyd]

I am new to diving, and when I go diving, I always seem to be the one who runs low on air first. I am a bigger guy (6'3" 230 lbs), I do not feel like I am breathing fast and do not ever feel winded, I have tried to consciously slow my breathing, but sometimes that makes me feel like then I gasp and breath faster. Any tips? I am sure my buddies really appreciate the fact that I am down to 500 psi while there are still at 1000.

 

[merxlin]

Dive more and breath normally. Your air consumption will get better.

 

[TimAZ]

Don't let them know right away that it's an obscene phone call. You've got to ease them into it if you don't want to be hung up on right away.

Really a LOT of new divers ask this question and there is no real silver bullet. Just dive more, increase your comfort, and focus on long deep slow breaths. Eventually you'll get to where you really won't improve much more and you may still use more air than others. This will have very little to do with your skill as a diver, so just have fun and get a bigger tank.

BTW- If you turn out be become one of those guys who seems to have grown gills, remember the Hoovers around you may still be very good at what they do.

 

[spectrum]

1. Just keep diving.
2. Be sure that your slow breaths include deep exhalations.
3. A 500 PSI delta for a new diver with veterans is perfectly normal, maybe better than average.

I'd have no issue with you. Don't let it bother you, that won't help. Be sure to remain forthright in signaling your turn point. Don't create a problem by over extending yourself.

There are a lot of things you can do as a diver like be correctly weighted, take your time, be in good trim (swimming in a horizontal posture) keeping your arms still and so forth. Aside from actually scuba diving skin-diving when you can may be of huge benefit.

Pete

 

[TSandM]

HERE's a post I recently wrote about this.

Some of your gas consumption is set by your size, and can't be changed. Little people (like me) have an advantage in gas consumption, because our total metabolic mass is lower.

Some of your gas consumption is related to how efficient a diver you are (that's what my post is about). Proper weight and trim, efficient propulsion, and avoiding unnecessary movement will help bring this part of the gas use down.

Some of the gas consumption is related to nerves. More experience and a greater degree of relaxation in the water will help this.

Very little is related to breathing, per se. Unless you are truly panting with exertion or anxiety, your breathing pattern is likely to be the smallest part of the puzzle.

 

[Todd Winn]

Since you are new to diving try focusing on the speed of your exhalation. Trying to inhale slowly seems to contribute to, rather than help quick breathing rates and can produce anxiety in it's own right. If you slow the exhale and pause slightly before breathing in again you may notice a difference. Don't forget that depth is also a huge factor. Most experienced divers breathe even slower at depth than they do in the shallows. As previously stated.. no magic bullet and having a large lung capacity doesn't help. You will never be a 114 lb girl. That said, I know some really big guys with really low SAC rates. If nothing seems to work and your buddies are fed up... Get trained on a rebreather where air consumption means nothing.

I am new to diving, .

 

[dave4868]

I am new to diving, and when I go diving, I always seem to be the one who runs low on air first. I am a bigger guy (6'3" 230 lbs), I do not feel like I am breathing fast and do not ever feel winded, I have tried to consciously slow my breathing, but sometimes that makes me feel like then I gasp and breath faster. Any tips? I am sure my buddies really appreciate the fact that I am down to 500 psi while there are still at 1000.

I'll echo some of the advice already given.

• Dive more (experience will quickly improve most of the following)
• Breathe normally, but get into a relaxed mode
• Fin slowly and efficiency will increase
• Avoid wasted movements such as sculling, overcorrecting position changes, etc
• Waste less air on buoyancy adjustments
• Avoid significant overweighting or trim issues
• Lead the dive (following can sometimes increase air consumption)
• Let others pull the flag
• Get a bigger tank if you're diving with smaller buddies

You're not doing bad if you finish at 500 psi and your buddies finish at 1000 psi. That's an insignificant difference, IMO, especially if they are smaller or more relaxed because of greater experience.

I use a 120 and I'm 40 lbs lighter than you. I use about 50% more air than more fit, smaller buddies, but I'm pulling the flag, carrying a camera and spear, possibly a catch bag.

You're doing quite well, I think!

Dave C

 

[ClamBake]

I don't know how big of a cylinder you're diving, but a guy your size (like mine) should consider a HP steel 120. I love mine!! Given your frame, the additional length over an AL 80 shouldn't adversely impact your trim. Take weight off your belt (also assuming your currently diving AL 80), more than 50% more gas than an AL 80, and you'll have even more available bottom time as your SAC drops with more diving and the excellent advice offered by others. Check with your LDS, you might be able to find one in rental. Good luck!

 

[diveprof]

I am new to diving, and when I go diving, I always seem to be the one who runs low on air first. I am a bigger guy (6'3" 230 lbs), I do not feel like I am breathing fast and do not ever feel winded, I have tried to consciously slow my breathing, but sometimes that makes me feel like then I gasp and breath faster. Any tips? I am sure my buddies really appreciate the fact that I am down to 500 psi while there are still at 1000.[/QUOTE

Changing breathing patterns, ie holding breath, doesn't work. OK, a given - small folks use less air. However, I find that overweighting is the biggest problem with excessive air consumption. What type suit (3mm, 5mm, 7mm, drysuit, etc.)are you diving in? What type (al vs steel) and size of tanks? Most folks that I work with with excessive air consumption are overweighted. This means that they must add significant air to their BC to compensate for a heavy weight belt. Rather than a streamlined horizontal position, they are more upright (weight belt/pouches pulls them down, air to compensate pulls the top half of their body up) -makes for a larger body of water to move out of the way with each kick.
Solution: for your next dive, have a variety of smaller weights availble in your belt/bc. When your tank is at 500 psi and you are at 15', take out all you can so that you are neutral with minimal to no air in your bc. This will improve your weighting. I have seen that many instructors seem to overweight their studnets so that they will stay on the bottom for skills, but forget to tell them with dive experience they may be able to reduce weighting.

 

[ciedd]

5'11 and 220lb here so i know what you mean. i have a lot of dives and it is best to focus on buoyancy control and shedding weight off of your weight belt. focus on a normal breathing rate. the other thing that has been of great help to me is swimming or some other form of aerobic excersice. I find swimming to be the best. I try to swim for long distances at a normal breathing rate and now can swim for about 45 minutes. with these things and a lot of diving my breathing rate is now better than most - the other route you can take is to use doubles