Although there have been efforts to allow humans to breathe much longer underwater, the truth is that you are not meant to be there for as long as you can. Case in point: you need a tank to keep you alive under the water.

The self-contained tank is actually filled with a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, two of the most abundant elements on earth that work to relieve the buildup of pressure on your lungs so the organ does not get damaged, help push out carbon dioxide, and, of course, allow you to breathe underwater.

Your tank, however, does not possess an unlimited supply of the breathing gas and when it runs out before you can even ascend, you run the risk of not only dying from asphyxiation (lack of oxygen) but also from drowning.

If you do run out of air while underwater, the very first thing you need to do is not to panic and then:

1. Find your buddy. Here is a good reason why you should never dive alone, especially if you are new to Cebu diving. Aside from the fact that a buddy can help you keep track of your gauge (how much breathing gas is left), he may also have the alternative air source (AAS), a secondary supply of air that is intended for emergencies. All you need to do is to give him the signal that you have run out of air so he can give you the AAS immediately.

2. Abort the dive. It does not matter if, theoretically, you should still have more time to dive or you still want to extend your exploration.

As soon as you run out of air, it is time to end it and ascend together with your buddy. Now here is a very critical point you should remember when aborting: inasmuch as you want to get out of the water as soon as you can, increasing your speed is never a good idea for two important reasons. One, it raises your risk of decompression, and two, you will end up using a lot more air.

Note: What if you cannot find a buddy or you are, well, alone? You can still get out of the situation by slow ascent, exhaling slowly while keeping the regulator in the mouth. On the other hand, if you have a buddy but there is no AAS, you can do buddy breathing. This means you share the single regulator, breathing into it alternately.

3. Reduce the possibility of a recurrence. You can help prevent running out of air by:

Checking your apparatus before you dive, especially if there is any leak or the regulator is not functioning properly

Maintaining a self-assured composure. Do you know that you tend to need more air if you are anxious or nervous?

Diving in shallow waters

Constantly monitoring your gauge

Never diving when your breathing gas tank is not completely full

Getting the best training when diving in Cebu

Calculating how much depth you can travel first before you dive