Tips on Lowering Air Consumption

[TSandM]

Clay Jar, it's interesting what you say about your subjective perception of your gas utilization being faulty, because I have found the same thing. If I'm doing one of my normal dives and feeling as I normally do, I have a pretty good sense of how much gas I'm using for unit time. But there are dives when I'm struggling (like last Saturday, swimming against current) where I feel I'm sucking down gas, and I look at the gauge and nothing is really all that different, despite my worrying.

 

[nolatom]

If you use up 2000psi (roughly 50 cu ft) in 35 minutes at about 2 atmospheres, that's equivalent to about 70 minutes at 1 atm., or about .7 cu ft/minute. That's not all that bad, and with time you'll get down to .6 or .5

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Hi All,

I am a new diver (a dozen logged dives), and I tend to go through my air pretty quickly. I know none of you are suriprised to hear this, but on an aluminum 80 (the local shop fills to 2700 psi) at 30 feet, I am down to 500 psi in about 35 minutes. My dive instructor claims he can get 2 hours out of the same setup and the same conditions. I have no idea if he is full of it or not, but I am wondering if any of you have any tips for me. Here is some other info about me:

I believe that I am properly weighted
I don't have hoses dangling everywhere
I am not nervous underwater, and I feel pretty relaxed

Thanks for the help!

Several months ago I compiled an article regarding gas consumption. You can download it at http://www.red-sea-shadow.com/downloads/AirConsumption.pdf

 

[dherbman]

In addition to the excellent advice already given, yoga is an excellent way to improve your SAC.

 

[Hoyden]

Lots of diving is the answer to reducing your gas comsumption - being fit and relaxed also helps, but nothing beats lots of diving and in-water time. If your instructor is being a jerk by dogging you about gas consumption, find a new instructor. If he was just answering your question about how much time he could get on a tank, then he has a pretty good SAC rate.

 

[pterantula]

my original instructor likened scuba to "underwater yoga" .

In addition to the excellent advice already given, yoga is an excellent way to improve your SAC.

Yoga is an excellent way to improve everything, quite frankly, but I might disagree with the air-consumption generalization that scuba is like yoga: it depends on the kind of yoga you practice, and where your instructor is taking you that day; certain sequences of asanas can kick your ***, and you'll be breathing like a marathon runner.
If we want to compare SAC rates in yoga & diving, I'd have to say stick with one or two asanas; say savasana ("corpse-pose") or garbhasana/dartihasana ("child's-pose"). But anyway....

I noticed my SAC rate decrease substantially from my initial dives (I'm a quick study at most things), and hopefully I can continue on that line - but it will depend on where you are. E.g.: I could drift across the reefs in Maui for as long as the initial diveplan or longer, but here in my local waters is another story; 55 degrees, major surge and typically low vis, I just eat air. This will improve with time too, but I know (through yoga, incidentally ) when my body is working harder, even if my breathing rate is unchanged.
For what it's worth.

 

[bfisher]

The others have given some tips. I'll just say this. It's quite possible that your instructors claim is not bogus. Consider this though. He has a few more dives than you--probably a lot more, correct? He started out one day where you are now. Ask him how well he did at that time. Don't be intimidated or try to live up to someone else's expectations. Dive your dive and enjoy yourself. The more you worry about it the more stress you put on yourslef to excel--not good. And remember, we're all individuals and all different.

To put it perspective, I have a dive in my logbook that was 24', 1:55 bottom time, and came up with just over 100PSI of air (alum 80 and 300psi). So what!!!!!! My buddy was down to about 100PSI. I still came up with him. And that doesn't make him a lesser diver than me. It just means he uses more air.

 

[mislav]

Several months ago I compiled an article regarding gas consumption. You can download it at http://www.red-sea-shadow.com/downloads/AirConsumption.pdf

Shokran for this. I may visit Dahab in a few months time...

 

[millphils]

After mass amounts of dives and getting my trim in order, I found that the one thing that improved my consumption rate the most was a regular and vigorous cardio workout. Believe me, I'm no fitness buff, but after 2-3 weeks, my SAC rate decreased from .6-.7 to around .3-.4. I have since stopped this routine and I am now back up to .7. Now my dive buddies just call me Mr. Hoover. Time get back to the gym.

Phil

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Shokran for this. I may visit Dahab in a few months time...

You're most welcome
Drop me a line as soon as you make your decision. May be we'll dive together, along with other members here.