Diving - Increase Bottom Time

[britmaveric]

Fellow Divers out there - I'm looking to increase bottom time. I typically peg out at 40-45min for a tank of air. I'm looking to increase this - any breathing techniques that more experienced divers like to share???

[Farma]

What depths are you normally diving to? What profile do you do?

I’ve found it’s a combination of buoyancy, depth, slow fining, gentle breathing plus going with the current as much as I can that allows me to enjoy long dives more than just the breathing technique alone. Regular diving with my own equipment and correct weights helps as well.

I’ve found the most important factor in reducing my air consumption is getting buoyancy spot on a soon as I hit bottom. This saves a lot of fining and wasted air trying to get it right during the dive.

If I have to swim against the current I keep as close to the bottom or wall as I can. In strong currents and there’s no possibility I will damage the reef I will use my arms to crawl along rather than fin until I find calmer water. (Yeah I know, I’m not supposed to touch the reef)

I find if I fin once, glide along then fin again I can make slow shallow breaths. Gently inhale and exhale. Using this method I expect a 12 litre tank on a 40 metre dive to last 80-90 minutes. Any less than that and I’ve been chasing something.

I’ve heard people humming as they dive. If it works for them fine, but the next time I dive with a Yank humming the stars and stripes again he won’t see the surface alive.

As a general rule the reef racers use the air, slowpokes like me stay under longer.

[britmaveric]

Use rental equipment - can't be bothered to lug diving gear abroad with me.

Normally dive around 30m, buoyancy seems fine, and I don't speed along, I try to relax and soak everything in. Perhaps I'll try the split flippers - apparently exert less using these?

[chuchok]

I don't recommend this....but...skip breath.holding your breath a little bit every time you breath in and then breath out slow.only did it when I was on a constant depth etc,I would normally out last my buddy by 10-15 mins on a 80cuft tank.Is considered dangerous,but I did this for about 20 years.

[Farma]

If diving in the UK I'd expect to have shorter dive times. I'm a wimp when it comes to cold water.

With holiday diving, the dive masters can sometimes lead faster than you want, if they do, just tell them to slow down.

Having your own gear makes a big difference. I use Buddy Commando and carry it minus the bottle with my own mask and regs when going for a dive holiday.

Try to keep the same rental gear for the duration of your dive holiday.

Expect it to take a few dives to get used to the equipment and your air will last longer.

A regular dive buddy helps as well. You know each others dive styles and it takes most of the worry out of the dives. Split fins may help but sometimes you just use more air until you get used to them.

Weight may be something to look at. I know my air consumption goes up if I carry spare weights incase a novice has problems.

Another thing to look at is to keep arms in close and don’t let everything hang out. The less movement you make, the less air you consume.

I still keep thinking back to buoyancy. I had an Arab assigned to me once and our first 20 metre dive lasted all of 18 minutes before his air ran out. The following dive I told him we would be sorting out his buoyancy as soon as we hit bottom. That second dive lasted over an hour and he wouldn’t stop thanking me.

[Chantal]

Brit

Check that you are weighted correctly. If you are weighted incorrectly you will use more air. Otherwise worrying about it can also make it worse. It really gets better with experience.

Happy diving!

[migrant]

It's difficult if you don't dive often. I've found when I dive frequently my air lasts longer. Getting back to diving on holiday, after a dry spell, doesn't give much chance to improve.

Physical condition also seems to play a part. The times I'm in shape, I seem to do better.

[jdinasia]

Brit ... when you coming next? Let's plan a dive day!

[skippybangkok]

Piece of cake.... friend i used to dive with had the same problem, and one day put the question forward to me.... answer was

BE LAZY ! Very simple theory, the more muscle u use, the more O2 u burn....

Keeping it short.....

1. At end of one dive, tank empty, go up a slope to 3m, totally deflate BCD, and keep on taking them weights off until you are totally nuetral. ( most people over weigh them selves ( p.s. if know in advance strong current dive, add one or 2 back)

2. BE LAZY. The more you kick and fiddle about, the more u use air. Cross ur arms as u swim to preven you flapping ur arms around. Recommend maybe one kick every 2 or 3 seconds..... Alot of people think its the olympics. On the hard deep, I would get 70mins ( nitrox ), could do multiple stern to bow..... most people think they have to swim fast to see it all. The opposite, the slower you kick, the more u tend to see.... and its so peacfull.

3. Stay very warm. All my friends laughed at me for using hood, thick wet suit, gloves etc. They all follow suit now.

4. Relax before decent. I spend about 2 or 3 mins at anchor line or on surface to get my heart beat as low as i can before going under. kitting up gets ur heart racing, and u shud slow it down before the dive ( like meditation a little)

If you dont think it works, my friend ( photographer ) who is about 140kg+ went from 45-50 mins dives at 6 to 8 meters off pattaya to 2 hours. (dont recommend it, 1.5 is nice, too cold after that and 2 hours wears u out.). I think Farma said he had a low consumption as well.

KEEP THE HEART BEAT LOW, AND U WILL LAST FOR EVER.

Edited October 26, 2006 by skippybangkok

[skippybangkok]

p.s. and of course depth is the enemy of time...need to choose which u prefer.

[ZZZ]

Take a course in meditation. This will help you to control breathing and heart beat, it will also help you to relax.

[britmaveric]

Brit ... when you coming next? Let's plan a dive day!

Good question - prob next Oct for Phuket. Be grand to do some diving with you mate.

I have bout 10 mates coming with me in March, and don't think I can convince em to leave Patters.

[Rhys]

Stay in your limits..

[2long]

Take what anyone who claims to dive 40m for 80-90 minutes and can teach an Arab to go from 18 mintues to over an hour so quickly, with a tablespoon full of white salty stuff!

[Farma]

2long

And your diving experience is? Phuket, Phi Phi, A cold quarry and..

I don't mean diving Nana or the world cup final either.

[LadyinRed]

How much weights are you using? I breathe slower with less.

[JimsKnight]

Fellow Divers out there - I'm looking to increase bottom time. I typically peg out at 40-45min for a tank of air. I'm looking to increase this - any breathing techniques that more experienced divers like to share???

Britmaverick!

One method is whats known as 'Diaphragm breathing' technique. In tech diving this is what I and others use to conserve air at deep depths.

For non tech diving...

A good start is to slow down your breathing down, often divers breath too fast, faster than necessary, and underwater its beyond whats required.

Take care though, don't take the pss to the point of blacking out though, when you start 'seeing stars' thats the sign you've pushed too far, so speed your breathing up again.

Take things slowly underwater, rushing about is (usually) a waste of energy and therefore air. A good benchmark is for a 45 minute dive coral reef dive with the deepest point of the dive being 20M and only using 80 - 100 bar on a single tank (12 Liter). It will leave you with about 100 - 120 bar and enough air for a second short dive without needing a refill! So basically only half the tanks used.

Once you can do this you're about as good as you'll get.

Smaller people (smaller lungs = less air consumed), women and non-smokers may be able to reduce air consumption further.

If you want to know your air consumption then PM me and I'll send you the equation and the ways and means...

I'd explain it here but I don't have all the bits and pieces to hand...

Good luck!

[LadyinRed]

One quick tip

If u smoke, u breathe as if u are dragging gently, and exhale gently. May screw up your bouyancy at first, but once u get the hang of it, u'll be gliding like those fishes in there. From then on, slow and deliberate movements will keep you steady.

If not, err.. excuse this post!

[smartecosse]

I don't recommend this....but...skip breath.holding your breath a little bit every time you breath in and then breath out slow.only did it when I was on a constant depth etc,I would normally out last my buddy by 10-15 mins on a 80cuft tank.Is considered dangerous,but I did this for about 20 years.

its considered dangerous cos it can kill you!

Brit all you need to do is buy a 20litre tank and overfill to 260 bar and you are sorted

or better yet by a ccr have 3 hrs at 30m, some deco and all of 2 litres of air

[limbos]

What helped me in my early diving days, was an air integrated computer, it tells you exactly how long your air will last at any given depth with any breathing pattern. It taught me to concentrate more on my breathing and with playing around with my breathing patterns, I could extend my bottom time.

30 meters is in general not a depth where your air will last long, maybe try shallower dives.