Need practice but not sure where to go

Riamfada · 15-11-2014 12:25pm #1

Hey,

Ive been diving for a while now. Ive about 35 dives under my belt but I am having an ongoing issue with air consumption. On almost all of my dives around the 25-30m mark I am finding myself surfacing after 35 minutes with a fairly low quantity of air left (20psi).

I am trying different techniques to get my breathing under control but the only practice I get is on dives. Has anyone else had a problem with air consumption and how they tackled it ?

yankinlk · 15-11-2014 8:19pm

Practice Buoyancy next time - one of the toughest things to get right starting out, and has to be re-learned every major gear change. It has the greatest impact on air consumption IMHO.

What's you diving style? Do you fin like mad, or drift with the current? Do you lead dives (im guessing not yet) or do you follow someone usually, and if yes, have you told them about the air issue? Find a buddy that matches your style and slowwws down. The more you think about it, the more the air consumption increases, but don't be complacent either - know your limits.

locum-motion · 15-11-2014 11:58pm

Get yourself a 15l tank. You'll still be a horse on air, but at least you won't be cutting your buddies' dives short by as much.

As you get more experienced, your air consumption will improve, particularly if you also sort out your buoyancy as mentioned.

If you smoke, stop.

If you're overweight, lose weight.

Take up yoga.

As your consumption improves, you will hopefully find yourself in a situation where you've found yourself a regular buddy who gets about the same out of a standard 12l as you get out of a 15l.

As you continue to get more experience, your consumption will continue to improve. Eventually you'll be coming back with 70, 80 or 90 from those same depths/times.

All of the above comes from my own personal experiences. After over 500 dives, I still use a 15l tank, but now I do it so that I've got spare air if anyone else needs it, not for myself.

Maximus Alexander · 19-11-2014 2:42pm

I'm in the same boat as you OP, although I've only 15 dives under my belt. I get about 35 mins out of a 12L tank. I had a chat about this with the instructor who lead my last dive and he was of the opinion that most divers start out like this and it will naturally improve as you become more comfortable in the water.

Buoyancy is a big part of it, I'm kicking the fins a lot on a dive because I'm using different gear every time so it's never quite right. On each dive though I'm learning how to even it out by picking up a rock or adding some air to the BCD as required. My last dive was 35 mins and I came up on 70, so that's a bit of an improvement already.

snoopyloops · 13-12-2014 7:40pm

Hi, beside your everyday fitness activities ( running, cycling or just simply taking a 20-30 mins walk 4/5 times a week ) i would recommed bouyancy, trim and finning technique clsses - not only itll improve your air compsuntion but will make your dives more enjoyable. Also before you put your mask on splash your face with cols water, this will calm your breathing a little. If you dont dive drysuit you can still do classes and training in the pool during the winter. I

Need practice but not sure where to go

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