how long can you guys hold your breath UW?

[TheAlphaMag]

I've been trying to increase my lung capacity...

Normally, I hit 30 seconds and my body starts to freak out and I can feel my diaphragm contract, then my throat tries to suck in air, and it just goes back and fourth, as if i'm breathing, but nothign is going in or out. I max out at 45 seconds.

So I hyperventalated for about 20 seconds, and held my breath. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I started counting my heartrate, I felt like it was the most relaxing thing I could do. When I opened my eyes and looked at my timex, I was at 1:30. I challenged myself to do 2 minutes. I had to. Come 1:45, I started getting those involuntary breathing motions. But I hit 20, as painstaking as it was.

Is this good training or bad? I did a real quick google research and found that no matter what you do, hemoglobin will carry the same amount of oxygen (97% saturated or something like that). The only difference is that by hyperventalating, your expelling the CO2 in your body.

Shall I continue?

 

[pipedope]

I strongly suggest that anyone who wants to free dive and push their times get proper training and practice.

For practice you want an instructor or buddy there just in case you go past your limit.

There are things better than hyperventilating, one is packing. Packing is simply getting your lungs as full as possible, and that is more air than a deep breath so it will last longer.

Relaxation is key, including changing the brain state, closer to a deep meditation than anything else. Good freedivers get to where they do this easily and autonatically when they submerge.

Like anything else we do, good instruction can help you get much better, much faster.

When I was just self taught I could get to 60' and back. After one afternoon of leasons I could spend a minute at 60' with no trouble and much less stress on the way up.

 

[picksmither]

Hey Guys,
I don't claim to be any expert in this sport, but I frequent the www.deeperblue.net freediving forums and I have picked up a lot. I would recommend everyone interested in freediving use the search function there to learn about anything they might be curious about. Some of the worlds best freedivers frequent those forums, and the topics that have been covered in the past are numerous and thorough. If you don't find what you are looking for through the search function, feel free to post. Everyone is friendly and the wealth of knowledge in that forum continues to amaze me.

First, THIS IS A DANGEROUS SPORT, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
That being said, with a buddy, patience, and self awareness the dangers are greatly reduced.

Shallow Water Blackout is a serious and imminent risk that should not be taken lightly. DO NOT DIVE WITHOUT A BUDDY because you can black out for a myriad of unforeseen reasons AT ANY TIME. Please, if you do not know what Black out (Shallow Water Blackout or SWB and/or normal Blackout) or a Samba (Aka LMC or Loss of Motor Control) is or how to treat it FIND OUT IMMEDIATELY. Many people have died in bathtubs and pools because there was no one there to revive them from a blackout.

Lifeguards do not count as a freediving buddy. Even if they know what you are doing, and spot that you are in trouble, they are not trained to handle it. I know this because I am one.

Blackout is only one of the many risks associated with Freediving. I mention it only because it is the most serious and pressing risk of freediving. With more experience you will learn about many more possible risks, and ways to prevent them. Blackout must be prepared for from the very first time you try and hold your breath.

Last but not least, SCUBA has virtually no crossover to Freediving, they are completely different sports that play by completely different biological and physiological rules. The way I see it, the only advantage a SCUBA diver has when starting freediving is that he is familiar with equilizing. Being an experienced SCUBA diver frequently hurts new freedivers more than it helps them.

This is a great and growing sport. I hope that everyone that is even mildly interested in this sport takes the effort to learn more. Train safe, Dive safe. Till later...


~James

P.S. Personal Bests: Static 4:45, Dynamic No fins 55m (180ft), Constant Ballast No fins 18m (59ft). But depths and lengths mean virtually nothing the deeper you get into the sport.

 

[Crimson Fish]

Shallow Water Blackout is a serious and imminent risk that should not be taken lightly. DO NOT DIVE WITHOUT A BUDDY because you can black out for a myriad of unforeseen reasons AT ANY TIME. Please, if you do not know what Black out (Shallow Water Blackout or SWB and/or normal Blackout) or a Samba (Aka LMC or Loss of Motor Control) is or how to treat it FIND OUT IMMEDIATELY. Many people have died in bathtubs and pools because there was no one there to revive them from a blackout.

What's that famous quote from the Marine Lieutenant who barked his timeless warcry right before the troops charged up the trench and overtook the attacking Germans?

Was it, "Come on you sons of *****es! You want to live forever?!!"

I'm too abstract. I had the desire to post this, and now I foresee a myriad of possible outcomes, some desirable, most, perhaps, not.

Still, I suppose I just wanted to throw out the opinion of the other side of the house. With proper knowledge, be it self-taught or naught, comes acquired confidence. Hopefully those who take up an interest in anything dangerous can recognize their own limitations and go from there.

And my number one point, is don't be afraid to do something unorthodoxed, even if it means going it alone, even if going it alone is what's being defined as unorthodoxed.

The Buddy System doesn't always work and can even sometimes be a hinderance to progress as I've learned from time spent in the Marine Corps.

C~F

 

[freediver]

What's that famous quote from the Marine Lieutenant who barked his timeless warcry right before the troops charged up the trench and overtook the attacking Germans?

Was it, "Come on you sons of *****es! You want to live forever?!!"

I'm too abstract. I had the desire to post this, and now I foresee a myriad of possible outcomes, some desirable, most, perhaps, not.

Still, I suppose I just wanted to throw out the opinion of the other side of the house. With proper knowledge, be it self-taught or naught, comes acquired confidence. Hopefully those who take up an interest in anything dangerous can recognize their own limitations and go from there.

And my number one point, is don't be afraid to do something unorthodoxed, even if it means going it alone, even if going it alone is what's being defined as unorthodoxed.

The Buddy System doesn't always work and can even sometimes be a hinderance to progress as I've learned from time spent in the Marine Corps.

C~F

good point Crimson Fish.
In actuality, the act of freediving is something you do not want to do with a buddy. One person should always remain at the surface acting as safety personnel.
There are certainly those who feel compelled to dive alone and hopefully these persons have this acquired confidence that you spoke of. My only concern with diving alone is the margin for error. If I have a competent diver at the surface and, worst case scenario, I suffer an ascent blackout. My chances of survival are excellent. My buddy would simply get me to the surface and wait for me to initiate breathing or lightly caress my cheek to stimulate the breathing (contrary to some belief, ascent blackout does not result in immediate aspiration and drowning). Without the competent diver at the surface, however, a similar incident would be catastrophic.
Your post is very interesting and thought provoking.

 

[picksmither]

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely want people to take part in freediving. The main problem with freediving is their are too many yahoo's dying because they were diving alone. (ie without a buddy meeting them on the way up in case of shallow water blackout). I don't wish to scare people away from freediving, but merely to maintain its integrity. For the first year I started freediving I never had a buddy.

I am a big risk taker, always have been. However, shallow water blackout is like no other risk because you never know when you could be a victim of it. One day a safe dive may be to 30 feet for 2 minutes. The next day a safe dive might be 10 feet for 45 seconds. There are too many factors. You cannot feel an SWB coming, it is just like quickly falling asleep. Most divers don't know they had a blackout after waking up from one. With almost all other risks in life their is a nearly fail safe way of preparing for it, or something you can do to prevent it once it starts. But not with blackout.

I hope everyone can start and enjoy freediving, but I want everyone to be safe also, if not for their sake for the rest of the freediving community. A buddy does not have to be a qualified freediving instructor (though that would be optimal). As long as they know what to do in case of a blackout (Basically, remove the mask, blow across their face, tell them to breathe repeatedly. In rare cases begin rescue breathing.) This buddy could be anyone.

Thank you for posting Crimson Fish. You bring up a good point, we should all be risk takers. Perhaps I came across too strongly the first time. Freediving is primarily a solo sport, the feeling of complete aloneness/peace at depth is part of it's appeal. it's primary risk is easy to prepare for, just have a buddy meeting you from about fifteen feet from the surface and watching you for about 15-20 seconds after you surface. That was my only point.

Till Later...

~James