Conserving Air While Diving

Man has a natural inclination towards being one with his surroundings. Everything is interconnected and each person feels the need to be able to feel every medium that intertwines between the complexities of his being. This is the reason why so many people are going crazy about scuba diving.

Scuba diving has attracted the attention of many enthusiasts all over the globe. It seems to be a very fulfilling and enjoyable activity. Some people have made careers out of their passion for scuba diving. The world has sensationalized scuba diving in such a way that it has helped preserve the environment and greatly contributed to the awareness regarding the environmental issues that are associated with our aquatic resources.

One of the major and popular issues that are continuously being discussed in the scuba diving arena is the conservation of air under water. An emerging scuba apparatus design is called a rebreather, which can help people address the concern about rapid air consumption. The apparatus functions in such a way that the exhaled air by the diver is stripped of carbon dioxide and is re-circulated to the air chamber. This way, one can enjoy the deep seas much longer. However, in most cases, divers don’t have such an apparatus.

Having insufficient air under water poses grave risks for the diver. One of the major causes of brain damage from scuba diving activities is the prolonged lack of oxygen that flows into the brain. Our brains rely on oxygen to deliver the necessary nutrients for it to function and if a diver doesn’t know how to properly manage his air, he is exposing himself to the risk of running out of breathable air.

So, what are some of the ways by which a scuba diver can conserve air while diving? One of the most controversial suggestions regarding the issue is to hold one’s breath during dives to be able to conserve air. In real life, one shouldn't make breathe holding as a diving habit. A simple analogy for holding one’s breath is it is like killing the chicken to be able to get the eggs. It’s really a matter of priority. Do you want to conserve air from your tank while risking yourself to the negative effects of carbon dioxide saturation? The build up of carbon in the brain is dangerous because it pollutes the blood stream and deprives all the parts of the body from the much needed gas that is oxygen.

However, holding one’s breath has some useful applications. It can be used to be able to control one’s buoyancy under water. It is usually used by professionals to ascend a maximum of one foot, but nothing more than that. One should also remember that it is a “no-no” to hold one’s breath while ascending rapidly.

A more accepted way of conserving one’s air under water is to practice slow breathing. When you inhale and exhale, you should do it in a way that you fully go through the process. Breathing completely and slowly is the way to go if you really want to conserve water under water. It makes the whole process of respiration more efficient and effective as compared to taking short inhales and making short exhales.

Another tip (which is related to the one given above) is that it is more advisable to make big kicks as compared to making tiny ones. The concept behind this is that it is a more efficient way to move under water, therefore, you conserve your energy and less oxygen is needed by your body.

Sometimes, divers usually do all the things that are mentioned above and they still find themselves consuming too much air. For all the air hogs out there, the problem might not be under water. Being physically fit is very important in scuba diving. A diver who smokes would most definitely consume much more air much rapidly than a diver who is in good physical condition. Looking at the issue of air conservation under water from a more holistic point of view is perhaps the best tip that one can imbibe.