Regulator Skills
At a minimum, you should check your air supply every 5 minutes.Monitoring Your Air Supply
Monitoring your air supply is a habit you should develop during your first pool session. At a minimum, check your air every 5 minutes. Check it more frequently when you are diving deeper than 30 feet or when the cylinder's pressure is below 1000 psi.
Your psychological comfort in the water will have a significant impact on your air consumption. If you are anxious or excited, you'll breathe faster and go through your air supply faster. Your air consumption rate will improve with experience as you gain comfort and control your breathing rate.
Another habit to develop early is surfacing with at least 500 psi of pressure remaining in your cylinder. This provides you with a reserve for use in the event of an incident during ascent or at the surface. Keep in mind that you'll continue to consume air during ascent, so begin your ascent with 700 psi or more.
Your psychological comfort in the water will have a significant impact on your air consumption. If you are anxious or excited, you'll breathe faster and go through your air supply faster. Your air consumption rate will improve with experience as you gain comfort and control your breathing rate.
Another habit to develop early is surfacing with at least 500 psi of pressure remaining in your cylinder. This provides you with a reserve for use in the event of an incident during ascent or at the surface. Keep in mind that you'll continue to consume air during ascent, so begin your ascent with 700 psi or more.
