What is a potential consequence of an irregular breathing pattern, such as skip breathing, while diving?

An irregular breathing pattern, such as skip breathing, can lead to an excess of carbon dioxide in the body. When divers do not breathe continuously or fully, they may not expel the carbon dioxide that is produced as a byproduct of metabolism effectively. This can result in elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, known as hypercapnia.

Hypercapnia can produce various symptoms, such as confusion, headaches, or decreased levels of consciousness, which can impair a diver’s ability to manage their dive and respond to potential emergencies. In contrast, other conditions like hypoxia, which involves a deficiency of oxygen, or decompression sickness, which occurs due to improper ascent rates, follow different physiological principles and are not the immediate consequences of an irregular breathing pattern like skip breathing. Nitrogen narcosis relates to the effects of nitrogen under pressure and does not directly stem from the breathing technique being used.