How to Improve Your Air Consumption Rate While Diving

It’s always a bit of a bummer when a great dive gets cut short—not because of time, depth, or safety limits, but because you’re the first one low on air. If you’ve ever surfaced early while others still had plenty of bottom time left, you’re not alone. The good news? Improving your air consumption is absolutely doable, and there are simple steps you can take before and during your dive to make the most of every tank.

Let’s break it down.

1. Get Comfortable Before You Even Hit the Water

Preparation is key. Familiarizing yourself with your gear, understanding the dive plan, and anticipating the site’s navigation will help you relax and reduce anxiety, which in turn slows your breathing. That comfort and confidence you feel at the surface sets the tone for the entire dive.

2. Get Your Weighting Right

Improper weighting is one of the biggest contributors to poor air consumption. If you’re carrying too much lead, you’ll struggle to achieve neutral buoyancy. That means more kicking, more effort, and faster breathing—all of which drain your tank quicker.

Here’s how to fix that:

• Do a proper weight check before your dive. This is especially important if your body weight or exposure gear has changed.

• Avoid the temptation to add “just a few extra pounds.” Being overweighted makes buoyancy control harder, and your body works harder as a result.

  
  

3. Dial In Your Buoyancy Throughout the Dive

Even with perfect weighting, your buoyancy changes as you descend and ascend. Keep an eye on your computer’s depth reading and notice how your body reacts:

• If you need to kick or wave your arms to maintain depth, you’re not neutrally buoyant.

• Add or release air from your BCD or drysuit as needed.

• Check your buoyancy any time you equalize your ears—it means you’re changing depth.

•  A constant focus on that neutral “zen” state throughout the dive will help reduce your effort, making your breathing slower and more efficient.

  
  

4. Stay Shallower When You Can

According to Boyle’s Law, the deeper you dive, the more air you consume with each breath. So, if the dive briefing says the bottom is at 80 feet, remember: you don’t have to go all the way down. Staying at a shallower depth for part or all of your dive can dramatically increase your bottom time. Talk to your buddy beforehand and agree on a comfortable max depth that supports both of your air consumption rates and goals.

5. Streamline Your Gear and Trim

Reducing drag helps reduce effort—which helps reduce air consumption.

• Tuck away gauges, octos, and accessories to avoid them dragging or creating resistance.

• Assess your trim: strive for a horizontal, streamlined profile in the water.

• Test different styles of BCDs to find the one that fits your body and distributes weight most effectively.

• Make sure your regulator is serviced regularly to ensure it’s not requiring extra effort to breathe.

• Try different fins! Not all are created equal, and what worked for you 10 years ago might not be ideal today. Schedule a fin test day with your local dive shop—your legs will thank you.

6. Keep Diving!

Experience matters. The more dives you log, the more natural these habits become. Confidence, comfort, and control all lead to a calmer diver—and calmer divers breathe less.

Final Thoughts

Improving your air consumption doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen with awareness and practice. Whether it’s fine-tuning your buoyancy, streamlining your gear, or simply diving more often, each step gets you closer to longer, more enjoyable dives.

Remember: the best divers aren’t the ones who go the deepest—they’re the ones who know how to stay underwater the longest safely and comfortably.