One of the things I tell people that's great about diving is hearing your breathing and and doing it slowly. It's like meditating, and feels great when you come out. Which is true (just for me?), but it's my way of coaching would-be buddies to breathe slow. I really do breathe slow like an air mantra because it is relaxing and centring. I've had some hairy moments underwater (eg running out of air at 30M with no buddy in sight) but never panicked, and I think that's partly because of this thing with the meditative breathing.
This has always been my problem, I've got big lungs an when I get really active they start working really good as in, "gas guzzler"! So I must train myself to relax more an exert less energy, an plan dives so I'm going with currents an not fighting them! Actually, making dives better for me, as well as longer!
Dont panic and swim slow. 😇.. When I am in Oostvoorne with no visibility my air is gone in minutes 😂. And I am a turtle underwater.. When I am chilled I hardly fin and slowly moving and enjoying the view. Could you make tutorial doing frog kick, turning with fins only and moving backwards.
We have video's about the frog kick on the planning but don't have acces to water or dive gear at the moment sadly. So the video's are coming but we just have to wait until all of this blows over. 😷
I always ensure I am warm, swim very slowly and relaxed with a flutter kick. Probably each leg is kicking every 2-3 seconds each cycle. I also take very deep and slow inhale and exhales, about 6 breaths per minute. I out last small female dive instructors. Most dudes surfacing with 200-300 psi and I have 1300-1500 left. These dudes also breathing at a normal to rapid rate and kicking around like it’s a race to see everything. I am 6’4” and 220 lbs. slow way down and bottom time increases drastically.
Don't task load ... keep dive objectives simple ? and don't dive very low vis ..... keeping your buddy in sight takes just that little extra bit of effort ......Why ever dive very low vis ? Well for one it's a good test and a refresher for your navigation skills ...... Right or wrong ?
You mention that when you go up , when checking your SPG, you need to deflate your BCD. I think it also help to try to “micro” adjust your buoyancy by breathing out to go a bit down and in to go a bit up. Of course, this only works with Open Circuit.
I always use my snorkel when on the surface. If I’m the first in the water and waiting for everyone else. Helps calm my breathing without sucking gas from my cylinder.
Easy, don't breath as hard as you think you need to. I do this each new dive season an while not comfortable on the first couple of dives, it works. It's so easy, and tempting, to gulp air. My far lighter partner gets through her air more than twice my rate and we often end dives sharing my air. It's all a bit of a joke between our group.
