Breathing is nothing new... most of us come by it quite naturally :)
When scuba diving, breathing can be quite the challenge or challenging. Here are some tips that have helped people as they dive.
When scuba diving, breathing can be quite the challenge or challenging. Here are some tips that have helped people as they dive.
1. Stop Moving
Moving around uses energy. And you must breathe to feed that energy. The more you are moving around underwater, the more air you will use. You should use a minimum of movement to get the maximum air consumption.
Remember. Move Less. Save Air.
Concentrate and be aware of your movements. Keep your hands at your side or held in front of you (or whatever position you are comfortable with).
You don't need them to swim, so don't use them. Just move forward with your fins. If you are on a drift dive you usually don't even need those.
This is where buoyancy control helps you conserve air. You will see many new divers use their hands to adjust their position in the water column or to stay horizontal. Once you have control of your buoyancy, you will no longer need to do this.
Less movement equals less air used.
Look at the experienced divers and divemasters. They just float along and barely move.
That is what you are aiming for.
Concentrate on your movements while underwater - and then stop those movements. No fidgeting allowed. You air consumption will improve.
2. Streamline Everything
While this may not seem like a big deal, it will help improve your efficiency
underwater.
3. Stay Horizontal
The more vertical you are in the water column, the greater the resistance will be swimming against the water. This, of course, will cause you to consume more air.
Another advantage to being horizontal is that it is the best position from which to kick in most efficient manner. If you are vertical in the water and you kick, you will be propelling yourself up - which is most definitely what you do not want to do.
If you find yourself going vertical in the water, you many have to adjust some of your equipment.
Take a look around you the next time you go diving. Invariably the people who have the best buoyancy control and the best air consumption rate will be horizontal in the water. It is the most efficient position and the one that will help you extend your bottom time.
4. Buoyancy Control - Be Properly Weighted
Many divers - and not just "new" divers - find obtaining neutral buoyancy to be the hardest dive skill to master.
Look around you during your next group dive and chances are there will be people that are bobbing up and down like crazy or never stop moving underwater.
Now this isn't to criticize them because we were all there at one point. Me included of course. It is a difficult skill to master, no question about it. But it can be done with a little practice and patience.
And once you master neutral buoyancy - you will have a whole new dive experience.
It really is a different world down there when you can float along effortlessly and with seemingly no movement. So how do you get there? The best tip I can give you is to:
Use the Proper Weight/Adjust Weight After Initial Dives
This is probably the biggest contributing factor to problems with buoyancy control. Most beginning scuba divers are over weighted.
As they begin their training or their initial dives after completing training, divers are understandably a bit nervous. After all, breathing underwater is not natural and who knows what you will see in the open ocean (is that a shark?).
Since the new diver is nervous and anxious, most likely they will breathe more and breathe more heavily. This will cause a diver to rise (and fall) in the water column. As a result, new divers are sometimes given more weight in order to keep them on the bottom during their training dives.
Which is fine as far as it goes.
A problem may arise if the amount of weight isn't adjusted once the diver is more comfortable in the water. Once you are comfortable in the water you tend to need less weight. I have experienced this first hand several times.
Finally - Reduce your stress. Count slowly and breath in (I use a 4 count sometimes). Then out for the same number. :)
Moving around uses energy. And you must breathe to feed that energy. The more you are moving around underwater, the more air you will use. You should use a minimum of movement to get the maximum air consumption.
Remember. Move Less. Save Air.
Concentrate and be aware of your movements. Keep your hands at your side or held in front of you (or whatever position you are comfortable with).
You don't need them to swim, so don't use them. Just move forward with your fins. If you are on a drift dive you usually don't even need those.
This is where buoyancy control helps you conserve air. You will see many new divers use their hands to adjust their position in the water column or to stay horizontal. Once you have control of your buoyancy, you will no longer need to do this.
Less movement equals less air used.
Look at the experienced divers and divemasters. They just float along and barely move.
That is what you are aiming for.
Concentrate on your movements while underwater - and then stop those movements. No fidgeting allowed. You air consumption will improve.
2. Streamline Everything
While this may not seem like a big deal, it will help improve your efficiency
underwater.
- Make sure you have nothing dangling from your gear setup. This will create drag and increase air consumption. So get rid of those scuba accessories you don't use and have everything clipped and close to your body.
- Make sure your octopus is in a holder or in the BC pocket if a holder isn't available
- Clip your SPG (submersible pressure gauge) to your BC so it doesn't dangle. This will also help protect it from getting damaged on the coral or other surfaces.
- Put your dive light, slate, etc. in your pockets or have them clipped closely to your body.
3. Stay Horizontal
The more vertical you are in the water column, the greater the resistance will be swimming against the water. This, of course, will cause you to consume more air.
Another advantage to being horizontal is that it is the best position from which to kick in most efficient manner. If you are vertical in the water and you kick, you will be propelling yourself up - which is most definitely what you do not want to do.
If you find yourself going vertical in the water, you many have to adjust some of your equipment.
- You could move your weights around on your weight belt, or put them in another pocket if you have a weight integrated BC.
- You could also try experimenting with the placement of your tank. It may be sitting too low on your back. Try pushing it up a bit and see if this makes any difference.
- You may want to try adjusting your BC. Most, if not all, BC's have adjustable straps on the shoulder. You can try tightening them or loosening them to adjust where the weight of your equipment falls on your body.
Take a look around you the next time you go diving. Invariably the people who have the best buoyancy control and the best air consumption rate will be horizontal in the water. It is the most efficient position and the one that will help you extend your bottom time.
4. Buoyancy Control - Be Properly Weighted
Many divers - and not just "new" divers - find obtaining neutral buoyancy to be the hardest dive skill to master.
Look around you during your next group dive and chances are there will be people that are bobbing up and down like crazy or never stop moving underwater.
Now this isn't to criticize them because we were all there at one point. Me included of course. It is a difficult skill to master, no question about it. But it can be done with a little practice and patience.
And once you master neutral buoyancy - you will have a whole new dive experience.
It really is a different world down there when you can float along effortlessly and with seemingly no movement. So how do you get there? The best tip I can give you is to:
Use the Proper Weight/Adjust Weight After Initial Dives
This is probably the biggest contributing factor to problems with buoyancy control. Most beginning scuba divers are over weighted.
As they begin their training or their initial dives after completing training, divers are understandably a bit nervous. After all, breathing underwater is not natural and who knows what you will see in the open ocean (is that a shark?).
Since the new diver is nervous and anxious, most likely they will breathe more and breathe more heavily. This will cause a diver to rise (and fall) in the water column. As a result, new divers are sometimes given more weight in order to keep them on the bottom during their training dives.
Which is fine as far as it goes.
A problem may arise if the amount of weight isn't adjusted once the diver is more comfortable in the water. Once you are comfortable in the water you tend to need less weight. I have experienced this first hand several times.
Finally - Reduce your stress. Count slowly and breath in (I use a 4 count sometimes). Then out for the same number. :)