Noticed a big difference in my air consumption after switching to a different regulator setup

I've been diving around the rigs in the Gulf for about 4 years now. Finally swapped my old Kirby Morgan regulator for one of those new balanced diaphragm ones that my buddy Mike kept pushing. I mean, I went from burning through a tank in 35 minutes to almost 50 minutes on the same depth profile around 60 feet. Has anyone else seen that kind of jump, or is it just me getting more efficient with my breathing over time?

2 comments

2 Comments

henry_palmer241mo ago

My first dive with my Apeks XL4 I went from 45 minutes to almost an hour at 50 feet off Venice. That balanced diaphragm stuff is no joke, Mike was right.

river_scott1mo ago

Is it really the regulator giving you that much extra time, or were you just breathing slower and more relaxed because it’s new gear? I've seen guys claim huge gains switching to balanced diaphragms but their actual SAC rate barely changed.