hello :) new here and need som advice on training

Hi everybody, I'm new here I'm an experienced scuba diver but I have no experience freediving... Anyway I need some advice on training techniques for a swim test I plan on taking. Right now there is no way I'd ever be able to pass the test, but I have a year to train so hopefully by then I can anyway, I have no idea to go about training. I just passed a swim test, which was much much easier than the one I want to. The one I passed was in saltwater and in just a bathing suit, and consisted of swimming 200ft above water(not timed) and then a freedive to 22ft to recover a weight, and a 50ft underwater swim. Sadly to say I had trouble with even those things, although I did pass it was hard for me. I hadn't been even swimming in over a year when I took the one, so if I would have worked out some it probably wouldn't have been to hard. anyway the test I plan on taking in a year is in 52 degree (brrr) saltwater in a 2.5mil wetsuit and consists of a 45ft freedive, a timed 200ft swim above water where your also being judged on swimming technique, freediving to a depth of 20 ft and then while your down there swim 20ft across the bottom of the pool, and running up and back down a large set of stairs carrying a 40pound bag of ice. so... thats the test :11: I really wanna pass it, and like I said I have a year to train, hopefully thats enough time to get my body up to that. so anyway does annyone have any suggestions of how to go about training?

the toughest part of this for me would be the 55deg. water w/2.5mil suit. If you're in any kinda reasonable shape the rest shouldn't be to tough.. if you've made a freedive to 22' that means you were able to equalize your ears and that's the most difficult thing you'll have to do on the 45' freedive. For the freedive I'd start by learning the frenzel method of equalizing and get in the water with an experienced freediver who can give some good tips on surface dives and finning techique. An experienced freediver should be able to show you first time out that 45' isn't that difficult. The 200' swim and carrying the 40# will mostly be about being in shape.. laps in a pool would be a good thing to do. Swimming underwater in a pool, with a bud watching you, you can see that it may not be difficult to swim 45', turn around, and swim back.. it's a little over 1/2 way on most pools...

out of curiosity - what is this test you will be taking and why use a 2.5mm suit??? Why not a full 3mm suit?

sorry I forgot to mention on the free dive I don't get to use fins or a mask. The test is for a job as an animal trainer. I already have a job at the same place in the same department but my job deals mostly with the sharks and stingrays. for media reasons I'm not allowed to mention the name of the place :icorolley which is dumb but its pretty easy to guess anyway considering there's not many places with marine mammal training. I already have my foot in the door as far as the experience and education needed for the job, I'm just focusing on the swim test now. the 2.5mil thing is cuz they're custom made show suits, and for some reason thats the thickness they chose. Don't know why tho. anyway, I know I obviosly need to just get in generly really good shape, but as far as the free dive, I don't know if i can hold my breath that long, is there anything I can do to strengthen my lungs? and how would I practice for that considering most pools are only 12 ft deep or so? and I don't live anywhere near a lake or the ocean or anything. I was thinking as far as the rest I'm gonna start doing jogging and stair exercises as well as laps both underwater and above, but as far as the technique I really don't know much about different strokes and stuff like that, so I really need help with that too, I'm a strong swimmer, but I'm not the most graceful looking and "proper" swimmer, and I'll be graded on that... anyways, again any kind of advice is needed and welcome!

Here's what I recommend:

1. Swimming - I would take swim lessons to improve your technique.
2. Freediving - Is a matter of CO2 tolerence training - I myself do 3-4 days a week - with mask and fins - dynamic apnea - 25 yrds surface, 25 yrds underwater - I do that for 30 minutes (typically about 20 laps total). This will develop your capacity for being in higher levels of CO2. I then swim with only goggles, 400 yrds breast stroke to build upper body strength and additional cardi vascular fitness.
3. Go to the gym and do Cardio Apnea - I use an elliptical machine and every 2 minutes go into a state of apnea for 15-20 seconds while maintaining my cadence of 120 bpm (Listening to music) - make sure you breathe deeply during your whole workout.

In addition, I would look to learn to do a type of freediving called "Dynamic Apnea without fins" - Also called "Froggy" - doing breast stroke underwater with improved hydrodynamics.

Maybe these suggestions will help - but I think the main thing is to get your cardiovascular fitness to a level where you can tolerate higher levels of exertion.

Too many scuba divers these days are weekend warriors who don't take the time needed to stay in shape - freediving is a participtory sport - it requires regular conditioning to maintain ones fitness.

hth