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Snorkeling / FreedivingNot into SCUBA yet or perhaps looking for a different take on viewing our underwater world? Discussions about snorkeling and freediving from recreational fun to a competitive sport!
Please note: The last reply in this thread was more than 4 month(s) ago.
1. If I can hold my breath for 2 minutes and 5 seconds sitting on my couch (that includes the exhale and holding before breathing in) what kind of time could be expected under the water exploring, etc.??
2. Anything really to 'fear' while snorkeling in St. John's and any need for a diving knife (like toys, etc. etc.).?
3. Any tricks/tips/techniques for improving abililty to hold breath while practicing on couch (pre-breathing, relaxing, etc. etc.)?
1. you just never know... maybe 3 minutes.. maybe 1, and if you black out you could be under the water forever. Realize that there is a lot more to getting under the water than just holding your breath. maybe you knew that..
2. I don't think there's much in the water to be concerned about.. dive knife.. I suppose the one time you decide not to take it (which I usually do) is when you'll wish you had one. get a nice small one if you're going to get one, I hate the big ones.
3.a way to speed up breath hold practice is to do it with empty lungs.. let all your air out and then hold your breath. deep, full exhales and inhales is a good place to start too. NO HYPERVENTILATING.. but maybe you knew that too. There is a lot more info on training and techniques out there if you do the searching. try searching for information on static tables and see what info you can find.
be careful, do a bit more homework on the breathholding/freediving, and good luck! St. John's.. sounds like a good time.
My max static breath hold is around 4 minutes and for me that translates to about a two minute max useful time while swimming, There are lots of variables that effect this including water temp, ability to relax in water, fear etc...
Never dove in St. John but I would say probably no need for a knife
When I practice for breath holding, if I am doing a static hold I try to focus on something else for as long as possible, When not static I try to accomplish different tasks that force me to maintain composure as my breath is running out. Another thing I try is to take one breath per minute and see how many minutes I can keep it up for. Or exhale fully and see how long you can hold your breath for.
Definitely not an expert but it works for me, hope it helps
1. If I can hold my breath for 2 minutes and 5 seconds sitting on my couch (that includes the exhale and holding before breathing in) what kind of time could be expected under the water exploring, etc.??
I have seen great variances in the time that a person can hold their breath dry and wet. Personally, my times in-water are substantially better than dry. I would venture to guess, however, that most will have better dry times as they are still trying to gain comfort in the water. Please note that your time "exploring" would be substantially less than the time static on your couch. I'm sure you were aware of this but I didn't want you to expect a max dry static on the couch to equate to a 2'05" exploration dive.
2. Anything really to 'fear' while snorkeling in St. John's and any need for a diving knife (like toys, etc. etc.).?
Nothing to "fear" as long as you are comfortable in the water. I like your approach in that you are snorkeling first and the freediving comes in to enhance your snorkeling, in other words, you don't appear to be aiming toward any competitive aspects.
3. Any tricks/tips/techniques for improving abililty to hold breath while practicing on couch (pre-breathing, relaxing, etc. etc.)?
Lots of these available if you know specifically what you want to improve. The empty lung training that holdingmybreath mentioned is really good! Look into some of the breathing exercises. I would love to share some things that have worked for me over the years if you're interested. As far as breathing exercises for me personally, the one exercise that I have found to quickly and very effectively induce relaxation is the Yogic Alternate Nostril Breathing. Do a bit of research on it and try it out!
Thanks!
As always, please make safety your prevailing directive! Enjoy St. John's!
Freediving (and it is freediving if you're concerned with holding your breath for over a minute underwater) is not something to take lightly. Reading a book or getting some advice online just makes it more dangerous. People die trying to hold their breath in a pool. The only way you can be reasonably sure you'll be safe if you hold your breath and dive underwater is if you have a buddy giving you direct supervision.
I know it sounds harsh, but that's just the way it is. There are lots of things that can go wrong, some you wouldn't even think about unless you had training. If you're going to stay on the surface and snorkel then no problem, but once you start going deep everything changes.
Good training is available in the U.S. from PFI or FIT. Search this forum for more information on these organizations. I am not affiliated with either one. I'm just a concerned freediver who wants you to be safe.
JB
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"No matter where you go, there you are."
Buckaroo Banzai
I found that I can hold my breath a little longer in the water, I guess I am just more relaxed taking in all the fish.
As for a dive knife I never take one, I have been to St. Thomas and didn't see anything that I would need a knife for. So just relax underwater and enjoy the view. The Virgin Islands are my favorite place in the Carribean.
hubbys SCUBA instructor says to always hyperventilate.. i know it works for me.. but I am just learning. I Am not going for freediving perse' but just skin diving. to about 33 feet max.
hubbys SCUBA instructor says to always hyperventilate.. i know it works for me.. but I am just learning. I Am not going for freediving perse' but just skin diving. to about 33 feet max.
julie
There are many technuiques to extend breathold time, however, each of these come with their own risks. Hyperventilation is one of them. If a scuba instructor told him to always hyperventilate I hope he also told him of the risks involved and how to balance out the risks with the appropriate safety precautions. There are exceptions but the majority of scuba instructors don't know the first thing about freediving so take what you hear with a grain of salt and be safe. AnotherNWdiver gave some great advice regarding taking a course from one of the widely recognized freediving schools.
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2. Anything really to 'fear' while snorkeling in St. John's and any need for a diving knife (like toys, etc. etc.).?
IMO the only reason a freediver would need a knife as a safety precaution would be to use in the event of entaglement. The only time I carry one is when spearfishing or when freedving on wrecks because they tend to have more than their share of monofilament. If you carry a knife I'd recommend getting a small one and attaching it to your weight belt. The reason is because the knife & sheath itself can become entangled on monofilament or the line of a speargun. If it becomes entangled you always have the option of ditching the weight belt & knife all together. Personally, I would never wear a knife strapped to my leg or arm while freediving.
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