Can you give me any tips on reducing my air consumption?

Well put Doug. I can't add anything other than what caught my eye on this question was the NDL and the 50 dives. Dive more is right on. Poking around the edges of NDL with only 50 dives is not what I'd call a good idea. Especially for someone concerned about air consumption since there's a possibility that they'll pop over the edge and require an unplanned deco stop(s). Now where is that gas gonna come from? Your buddy could be in the same situation with low air or perhaps enough just for themselves to complete the required deco and safety. At least one person gets hurt. Maybe both.