I'm new to diving, but that "less weight" idea looks wrong to me. On a couple of early dives, I used the minimum weight I needed get down, thinking it was somehow safer. As my tank emptied, I had to fight to stay down (using more air), and on my safe ascent I corked to the surface from about twenty feet with an empty BC because of tank buoyancy.
Doing things wrong to "save air" is foolish. Dive more and get better at it!
Lorenzo,
I've done the took too much out thing before and ended up underweighted.
At that point I knew the amount of weight I needed to carry, (A little more
obviously) wearing an 80 AL in a wetsuit.
I've moved on since then, diving a dry suit and 95 LP Steel and went back to
a weight belt vs. integrated and everything changed. I had to learn the
proper weighting and positioning of those weight (trim) again. Each time
a variable changes, it affects the weighting.
Like you said, dive more and learn. Since you are new, it would be good for
you to record some data that I will offer, you may find useful in the future.
That data being: Starting Pressure (ie. 3000 lbs), ATA (Atmospheres Absolute), time at ATA, ending pressure. This information along with a
base line (same time spent breathing from your cylinder), starting/ending
pressure and all that on the surface.. and watch how your rate of
consumption changes with time, configuration, current, weather, colds, etc..
what ever you collect data on.. With this information, you may now plan
dives knowing how much air you should have to support all obligations. There
is a pretty good article I read that goes into the details. I'll see if I can find
the link and post it here.
A thought just occured. Remember that skill in your open water class
where they taught you how to perform a bouyancy check? Some fail to
mention that that skill should be done with an almost empty cylinder.
If done of a full, add a few pounds to your system to compensate for the
loss of weight of the air by the end of your dive. On an 80AL, that could be
as much as adding 4 more lbs.
Great job on trying things out and observing the results. Experience is what
makes a diver a safer diver in the end. Do things in moderation and talk it
out with your buddy. Dive safe my friend and welcome to the world of diving.
Lars
Explore, understand, protect
"Let's go Diving"
Hi,
Here are very few more frustrating occurrences in scuba diving as having to abort the dive due to lack of air, while everybody else is still having fun down there. Being able to save air as you dive is one of the most important steps to become a good diver. Here are some tips that can help us improve our diving skills:
1. Proper Weighting Carrying extra weight makes a huge difference on air consumption- you have to inflate your BCD more thus increase drag, and your body's lower part tends to sink down, while upper part rise up- which increases drag furthermore.
Simple buoyancy check before diving with a new gear, at a new area, or after along time without diving should do the trick.
2. Buoyancy Try to achieve and maintain neutral buoyancy as soon as you reach your desired depth. Simple trick is to try hover - breath normally, add minimal amount of air to the BCD, inhale fully to elevate yourself off the bottom and return to normal breathing.
3. Move Slowly There's hardly ever a need to dive fast- you use up energy and air a lot quicker, and probably scare marine creatures as you do so.
4. Avoid Using Your Arms Arm muscles are weaker than those in our legs, plus, arms and hands don't propel us as much as our legs and fins do. Use your hands for signaling, snapping photos rather than swimming.
5. Streamline Keep all hoses secured, arms tucked, and try to swim as horizontal as possible, thus minimize drag, keep yourself and the equipment off the bottom and avoid damaging the marine environment.
6. Breathing Don't skip a breath. Breathe at the same tempo, long inhalations and exhalations.
It's recommended to inhale and exhale as if whistling or sucking air. You can also pick a nice tune to help you breath at the same rhythm.
7. Use Familiar Equipment To be more relaxed and feel in control, buy your own equipment. You'll also need to make very few changes on estimating weights as mentioned in paragraph 1.
8. Relax Easy to say, but some newbie diver have a natural fear when diving. The more you dive the more confidence you gain, and the more you realize there's nothing to it.
9. Practice It all comes down to it. The more you dive the better you get. Consider participating in a Pick Performance Buoyancy Course that fine tunes you buoyancy skills.
10. Dive Shallow If you still use up air a lot quicker than your buddies, dive slightly shallower, where the air you breathe is less dense and allows you to dive longer.
ignatiusmael said.
I am going to add that the breathing trick I use is when
inhaling, inhale what you need, then keep inhaling, slowly
until you can feel you can't inhale any longer, then slowly exhale.
Breath in, continue sipping to help relieve the feeling to need to
breath (dilutes the CO2) until your lungs can't take in any more,
then exhale slowly. Do this rythmatically. This along with
your bouyancy (horizontal as much as possible), streamlined,
trimmed and weighted correctly, have a good performing regulator
and time will do the trick.
Also, sleep well the night before, eat a healthy breakfast and lunch,
drink plenty of water and you should be good to go.
Regards,
L
Lars
Explore, understand, protect
"Let's go Diving"
Well, different strokes for different folks is all I can say! I will tell you what almost 5000 dives have taught me:
1. Be comfortable in the water and with your gear!
2. Breath off the top 1/3 of your lungs, you will have better buoyancy control and not waste air. Breath normal for the work your doing!
3. The less you move the less air you need! DON'T move your arms around and find a steady comfortable kick!
4. Be warm, even in warm water use a beanie or whatever it takes to stay warm. I did a 2 hour dive starting at 105ft and ending in 30ft. Most at 30ft in 84* water.
5. Forget about it! The more you concentrate on your usage the faster it will go! (Comfort thing)
6. DIVE DIVE DIVE Nothing takes the place of burning a lot of tanks under a lot of different conditions.
7. the better shape your legs and general condition the longer your dive.
8. NITROX!
I just got back from Bonaire where my avarage dive was over an hour at depth. The only reason it was not longer is my female buddy ran out first and I only have 130lbs on her! And that's pushing a camera that uses up 20% more are.
Also I would rather be 2lbs heavy than 2lbs light, but I would most like to be right on! Less weight means less air! Less mass to push! This is physics and every action has an equal and opposite reaction!
NO SPLIT FINS! Too much movement! Trim: less hoses, less dangles, less drag, and the right attitude! Horizontal!
If you think you can beat me on air consumption your welcome to come along and dive with us to prove it! I am usually the first in and last out, it's not bragging if you can do it
Last edited by Papa Bear; 01-01-2010 at 03:35 AM.
May all your dreams be wet ones! Visit us at Twotankedproductions.com
Reed's Rod dive Tool Please help save the worlds Coral reefs! http://safemooringfoundation.org/