Tips To Conserve Air In Scuba Diving

[Lorenzo]

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!

[lars2923]

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.