Mike McKinnon

Mike is one of only seven active SSI Instructor Certifiers in Australia. This is the highest professional level you can achieve through the SSI system. Having dived in over 12 different countries and certified well over 800 people from Open Water level through to Instructors, Mike has a wealth of knowledge that puts him at the top of his profession.

GENERAL DIVING: The Skill of Breathing

September 22, 2021

The Skill of Breathing

Do you ever get a headache after a dive? You’ve had a great dive, but the side effect seems to be this awful headache! The chances are that you are not breathing correctly when diving.

Identify the Problem

Breathing too quickly and not allowing your body the time (the breathing out length of time) to expel all the carbon dioxide that has accumulated in your body.

Fix the Problem

Well, there is the one end of the spectrum where you could invest some time in the art of meditation where you learn the art of breathing correctly or if meditation is not for you a simple rule of thumb is to (whilst diving):

Breathe in for 3 seconds, and breathe out for 4 seconds

Or there abouts – the main point to note is to breathe out longer than you are breathing in.

Enrolling in a perfect buoyancy course will improve your air consumption and fine tune the correct exchange of gases (through correct breathing techniques)

Diving is a recreational activity and you should be relaxed and calm. You are not on a sports field, you are merely hanging in the water and relaxing as much as possible whilst you slowly make your way around the marine environment

Happy Diving,

Will Paterson
700+ dives