How I Lower My SAC Rate "You Asked, I Answered"

[@c.patricksadowski9959]

You forgot fin kicks. Definitely, fin kicking still will increase of decreed your SAC. If you are frog kicking, where there is a glide cycle, vs constantly scissor kicking, your SAC rate will be higher. I sincerely enjoy your videos. Keep up the great work.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

You are correct, some people can definitely benefit from changing their kick patterns.

[@ivoryjohnson4662]

Thank you Bryan .... folks tend to forget the human body is the primary piece of equipment in ALL diving equations. Post COVID makes it hard running but spending time in the pool is my way I get my cardio plus gets me used to being in the water. Getting my equipment serviced and setup for my body shape makes me relax knowing where all my gear up as well as relax when I lose my hose or have an issue

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello Ivory Johnson, I need to get back into running, its been a while for me. Recently, I have had some cardiac issues, and other medical concerns that has prevented me from running. So my weight has went way up (though my breathing rate has not changed). Hopefully, all of that will change very soon, and I can get my health back where it needs to be.

[@johnb2271]

Ah, the long awaited "how to lower your SAC rate" video. Worth the wait. Thank you Bryan. Great video.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

You're welcome and glad you liked it. The biggest issue we had with this video was, everyone is different, and each diver's comfort level is different from the next. When we talk about SAC rate, there are way too many variables that can change how much psi we consume per minute, even down to what size cylinder we use. So we decided to focus on tips and tricks that I use, to help reduce the amount of air I use per minute while underwater. This way other divers can use these same techniques to reduce their air consumption and hopefully make them feel more comfortable while underwater as well. At the end of the day, unless a diver is static, in a total relaxed state, his SAC rate will always be different dive to dive. So the best we can do is to focus more so on relaxing under water, becoming more comfortable in the underwater environment, and mastering our skill sets. All these things in return will help us reduce the amount of air we consume, and thus, lower our SAC rate. In short, by becoming better divers, we reduce our SAC rate, instead of reducing our SAC rate to become a better diver.

[@RyanWiles-k1k]

Adding AI was the quickest way for me to lower my SAC rate. Being able to see my SAC rate in real time on my computer helped me to tell when I wasn’t actually relaxed and allowed me to focus on both relaxing and improving my breathing. Over a couple of dives I was able to cut my avg. SAC rate in half and help to tell when I was breathing correctly.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello @user-hw9zh9qe9y, thank you for sharing your experience with us. Being able to track information in real time can definitely help a diver understand their breathing rate better.

[@matthewwyjad]

I have been developing non compressible buoyancy packs for my sidemount setup with steel tanks. In a 7mm wetsuit i can add about 6 lbs of buoyancy and comfortably finish a dive with 5-700psi. It has helped a great deal with more consistant buoyancy, and put me very close to being neutral with full steels and full lungs.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello Matthew Wyjad, it always good to hear that divers are being innovative and developing new ways to assist them with buoyancy and trim. Stay safe.

[@artposada2171]

Hi Brian, The KZbin algorithm brought your channel to me. I’m glad it did. I watch many scuba related channels because I’m a scuba addict. But I’m writing because you’re a little different than the others. I really like the deeper educational aspects of your presentations. You don’t just do the typical buoyancy or cleaning a mask simple things. Keep it up. Visit us in SoFla for some awesome shark dives and spearfishing or photography or just sightseeing in Broward and Palm Beach counties diving it’s pretty good here.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello Art Posada, thank you for the kind words. I would love to come join you in SOuth Florida for some diving. I am currently up in North Florida in Cave Country for a few days.

[@deerlakediver5554]

A couple of comments to think about... One: Lose weight. We Americans are generally Fat. Because fat floats, less fat requires less lead, carrying less lead reduces the energy required to move, and will reduce your SAC rate Two: Cardiovascular activity is great, and reduce your heart rate, but exercising the exact muscles you use while diving will make those muscles more efficient. Put some huge fins on, get in the pool, hands against the wall, and fin like your life depended on it for 20 minutes or so, at every opportunity. This will not only lower your average heart rate under future load, lower your respiratory rate during times of exertion, it will improve the efficiency of the muscles used while diving.Which will lower your SAC rate. A side benefit is that you will be less fatigued after you dive, which translates to a safer more fun dive.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello Mark, I say if that helps you lower your SAC Rate, then do it. There is always more than one way to skin a cat. Happy Diving.

[@panditreuvers]

Nice video, I have another way to lower the SAC-rate. At my diversclub here in the Netherlands we do condition training in a swimming pool. Without gear or only snorkel gear. One of the exercises is take a breath at the first swimming stroke and two strokes with our faces in the water. After a few laps, three strokes with our face in the water and so on. This to practice breathing technique. It helped me a lot. At my first open-water dive I used a 12 liter (80 qf) tank in twenty minutes. Now almost 100 dives later I can stay down over 1,5 hour with the same tank.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Sounds like you had some awesome training Pandit Reuvers. And congratulations on reaching 100 dives.

[@adventurescuba1747]

Thank you for this excellent video on reducing SAC rate! It was a great part of my ongoing learning!!

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

You're welcome Adventure Scuba, glad you liked it.

[@roboppers]

First and only important rule is (my opinion), don't worry about your rate! If I dive with less experienced people the first thing I tell them is don't worry, I don't care if the dive is 10 min shorter.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

I like the way you think Rob. Having fun during the dive and just enjoying your time underwater is the key. This in itself will help lower a SAC Rate as well. The more relaxed we are, the less we breathe.

[@thomasw5430]

Great piece of advice. I can not agree more with the cardio training. I have been injured for the past month and it is preventing me from doing my usual cardio training. I already know that my sac rate is going to be horrible when I get back to diving, only because I have not been able to do any cardio since 9/19. I have been told no run omg until the spring so it will take some time to get back to where I was.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello Thomas, I too recently hurt my ankle by finding the only hole in the road. I took about 2 months off from running in the mornings to give my ankle time to heal. Now I am back at it thankfully.

[@Alejandro-vg7yt]

Great pieces of advice!!! Thank you for sharing them. The great thing about all these tips is that they are applicable for everyone. Better for me to get back on the treadmill. Cheers!

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

You're welcome, glad you liked it and found it helpful.

[@JohnJones-iq7uj]

It's no joke. I was in the beginning stages of high blood pressure. Doctor told me to eat healthy and do cardio. So I've been running every morning for the past 6 months. Scuba is where I notice the biggest impact. All of a sudden, my breathing rate improved so I could make a tank last longer, and before exercising, I would be exhausted after 3 dives. Once I started daily cardio, I can do many more dives in a day, and not feel that exhaustion. Honestly, I run every morning now not for my health, that's just secondary, but because it makes me a much better diver.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

@@JohnJones-iq7uj Its amazing what a little bit of exercise will do for a person.

[@coreybaldwin989]

Awesome video as always!! A ton of great information from you.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Thank You, glad you liked it.

[@jesspeoples3292]

Thanks for the video. I am guilty of over thinking things too. I use some of the tips you have this video. The problem is I can't afford my own regulator just yet and some regulators are harder to breathe from. I don't get to go diving as often as I would like. Again thanks for the video and have a bless day.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

You're welcome Jess.

[@charlesclements4350]

I am waiting for the video about your marina. Thank you for the view of the lake. A video tour of the lake would be nice, too. Because I would have to travel a good distance to get to the lake, a section on amenities near the lake ( hotel/motel, restaurants, boat ramps, location of your marina) would be most highly appreciated. You know the saying, "Get local knowledge before going there".

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello Charles, I will try to get a video on our marina some time this week. Also I agree, a video on our lake would be great as well.

[@charlesclements4350]

GREAT!

[@brianc5212]

Since I am not so fortunate to be able to dive every day I often practice breathing with a regulator while in/around the house.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

We encourage students to do the same with a snorkel while watching their favorite TV show. This way they can work on having proper breathing habits while they are relaxed.

[@Lupacool]

I take my shirt off

[@VashBlaster]

Great video as always, it's a very interesting subject. Even being a very "green" diver, 'cause I had the opportunity to work in the summer in a diving center/school I had allot of pointers from the Divemasters and Instructors, and from seeing them, i was able to learn to control my breathing, i was able to slow down my breathing and relax the throat and toraxic area to relax it. And specially cause i Love to photograph under water, I needed to hold or release the breath a bit just to control the boyancy and stop to take a photo, it helped me a lot really. Weight wise, i had some weights in lead custom made for me, since I need 7kg of weights, i had made 4 x 1,75kg weights that could fit my vest, cause i don't like wearing my weights at my waist cause of my back after a while. The optimal thing would be to have like you said in those Sand/pellet bags, but unfortunately they're expensive here so What i have is going to have to do for the time being. I'm totally able go up if i need, even with out air on the BCD and even transporting a Diver to the surface (unfortunately I had that experience), so I'm ok with that department, with time and training I may be able to down the weight a bit, but for now it's good, even because My suits are from 7 to 8mm and if I use thermal inside or a shorty inside it's harder to break the surface. But still, everything can be trimmed with time and training :) Hugs from Portugal

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

The more you dive, you will lose more and more weight from your rig. Over time, as you become more comfortable underwater, your body will relax out and you tend to be more negatively buoyant, primarily from exhaling more than what you do now, thus, not having the same amount of positive buoyancy. This will allow you to shed weight. Different suits definitely play a big role in it, but the more relaxed we are, the less air we hold in our lungs.

[@johnraymond7189]

Hey Brian. I've been a mechanic of some sort all my life and an aircraft mechanic for 39 years. My point- I love tools. Where can I get one of those inline gauge/adjustment tools? Great content as always.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello John Raymond, XS Scuba is a great resource. These are the ones that we sell and use.

[@timverkoyen8742]

Awesome video! I wish I could dive every day....! Jealous :D

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello Tim Verkoyen, being in the industry definitely allows us to dive more.

[@apitz4umh]

I wish one day we dive together... Thanks for the good info...

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

You are more than welcome to come dive with us anytime.

[@apitz4umh]

Thanks...

[@simon1234567ful]

Friend of mine got pulled in a washing machine/vortex on galapagos. Inflated her bc fully and dropped all her weights and was still sinking at about 1m/s as soon as she got pushed out of the vortex she made an emergency ascent. Wasnt overweighted or anything. She was diving with a single aluminum tank normal bc no bp+w and i think 5mm wetsuit.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Hello Simon Hansmann, sorry to here about your friend's unfortunate event. Hope she made it back safely. I've been very fortunate over the years and have never been caught in any type of Vortex. I have heard several stories like yours though.

[@simon1234567ful]

@@LakeHickoryScuba yeah shes fine and still diving 😃 just thought id share the story for those believing in "100% ditchable" weights. Tbh i also focus on being able to dirch all my weights but for example why dive dry (i have the mares pure sls) i can only fit 8kg in the pockets so depending on the undersuit i might add some weight to the trim pockets. So 1 or 2kg arent ditchable but thats fine. 😃

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Glad to hear she made it back safely.

[@Derek6765]

great tips 👌🏻

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Thanks

[@bullhayward4335]

great info gonna have to implement a few of these tips myself out of curiosity what do you have your sac rate to? i know im a pig hovering around .8 .9

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

It all depends on what type of diving I am doing. When I am working (Salvage, PSD, etc.) it is very poor, but in general for fun relaxed diving it averages out to about 6-8 psi/min at the surface. My RMV is .17cf/min.

[@bullhayward4335]

@@LakeHickoryScuba for some reason my computer says sac but its in cf so that would actually be rmv lol so yeah thats more what i ment and yeah my rmv is close to 1 somtimes above some times below but most of my diving has been in current and such and im a big boy lol be nice to get the rmv down though

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

The easiest way to remember SAC rate is, Air Used / Time At Depth/ Depth in ATA. To convert to RMV, take the cf of the cylinder / working pressure. Then times that by your SAC and you will have your RMV. Most computers or even SAC rate calculators will factor the RMV at the same time, because your SAC can change based off what size cylinder you use. If you always use the same size cylinder then you can skip the RMV calculation for the SAC rate formula.

[@bullhayward4335]

@@LakeHickoryScuba all great info that I had picked up previously just found it amusing whe I actually looked that the computer download says sac but it's actually giving me rmv and the calculations are simple to make both ways and actually really handy

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Very true, know your SAC and RMV is very handy when planning dives.

[@MrDunk66]

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 Thanks

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

Glad you liked the video Dunk O.

[@sebastiankvyat3915]

My sac rate is 0.5cfm and around 0.7cfm is im cold or diving in heavy currant. I don't exercise much at all, but im only 20yo and a healthy weight so that probably factors into it. can my sac rate really improve beyond 0.5 like 0.4cfm or even 0.3cmf?

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

There are many factors that determined how low your personal SAC rate can go. Experience is one of the biggest factors. The more we dive, the more comfortable we become, the more relaxed we are, the less air we use. Thus our SAC rate lowers. A lot of divers confuse SAC with RMV. Simply changing our cylinders can change our SAC, but our RMV rate never changes.

[@DanBowkley]

So what constitutes a "good" sac rate? Mine is generally 0.45-0.55, and I'm a 41 year old lazy ass trucker. I couldn't run a mile if there were a bear trying to maul me.

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

I'm not real sure I can answer that question. Its going to be different for each diver. The more we dive, the more comfortable we are while underwater, the lower our SAC will become. I try not to look at our personal SAC rates as a competition between divers, as each of us are different. Some have big lungs, and some of us have small lungs. Your SAC rate will also change based off what size cylinder you use. So to say that .45 is good or bad, is all subjective to different variables.

[@diversdown2116]

So what is your sac rate

[@LakeHickoryScuba]

b st john, my changes depending on what my activity is. In general, mine averages around 8 psi - 10 psi per minute, for relaxed diving situations. When I do salvage work or PSD dives, it is much, much higher.