How not to hyperventilate?

[WeRtheOcean]

One problem I have while snorkeling is that I feel like I am hyperventilating. Maybe it's the increased pressure on my thorax, so I unconsciously breathe harder? But I'm talking about at the surface, with snorkel out of the water, so I wouldn't think there would be much pressure. Maybe it's the exertion of swimming? Whatever the reason, I don't really like the slowly increasing headache, and I worry that dizziness might come next. Is there a technique for avoiding this?

 

[dcvf2]

Hi « WeR the Ocean »

Think at your Pseudo !

Practice the abdominal ventilation.
You inspire in 3 or 4 sec and expire slowly in 6 or 8 sec…max 5 cycles.
Breathe deeply very slowly.
Afterward breathe normally

STOP to breathe like this if you feel dizziness…that will be the hyperventilation, and don't dive until the symptoms disappeared

Say…and repeat « I feel well, I’m relax »

Don’t imagine the pressure on your chest…even at 20m ( 60 feet) I don't feel it!
Take the time to observe the marine live so you will be able to say ...« WeRtheOcean » !

Good luck

 

[WeRtheOcean]

Think at my pseudo? I'm not familiar with that term.

 

[АлександрД]

One problem I have while snorkeling is that I feel like I am hyperventilating. Maybe it's the increased pressure on my thorax, so I unconsciously breathe harder? But I'm talking about at the surface, with snorkel out of the water, so I wouldn't think there would be much pressure. Maybe it's the exertion of swimming? Whatever the reason, I don't really like the slowly increasing headache, and I worry that dizziness might come next. Is there a technique for avoiding this?

this looks like hypercapnia, not like hyperventilation.
I think could be two possible reasons.
First - may be you have SHORT breath strikes. And in this case relation between deadspace in the tube and cycling air is poor, and you have too much CO2 in the inhaled air.
in this case you can try to breath in as deep as you can, and breath out as much as you can, and doing it slowly. Very slowly. This will allow you to have as less CO2 retention as possible (deep breath), and will not allow you to reach hyperventilation (slow breathing).
Second reason - may be you have bad snorkel - may be too long, may be too fat. In this case, if you have small vital capacity, and snorkel with huge dead volume - it could be reason for CO2 retention.
Just read symptoms of it - it could be similar with yours.

…max 5 cycles.

as I read and heard from many freedivers (incl. speargunners) - not more than 3 cycles. 5 could be too risky, if you have deep dives. It is like PPO2 - what is safe - 1.4 or 1.6 or 2.0....
But this more related to serious deep freedives, not to described problem.

 

[dcvf2]

Think at my pseudo? I'm not familiar with that term.

Forget it's a bad joking

 

[Zef]

Tell us a little more about you: Height, weight, overall health, amount of exercise you routinely do, overall comfort level in the water.

For many breathing from a snorkel is a big change from how they normally breath. If using a snorkel is something new for you and the activities with which you are using it is a increased activity level than you are used to then perhaps you need to do 2 things:
1. Become more used to breathing from the snorkel so that you can be more relaxed.
2. Improve your fitness level

Additionally, if you are not generally comfortable in the water then that will exacerbate the issue.

It is difficult to make any further recommendation as you have not provided enough information about you and what you are experiencing for anyone to properly asses what is going on.

-Z

 

[happy-diver]

Think at my pseudo? I'm not familiar with that term.

channel your inner ocean my son

and do an apnea course, Ommm!

 

[divad]

Think at my pseudo? I'm not familiar with that term.

[nym]

 

[dcvf2]

To АлександрД
You can be right, if he has short breath strikes…but WeRtheOcean wrote :
1) « …I unconsciously breathe harder »
2) « I don't really like the slowly increasing headache, and I worry that dizziness might come next »

- If headache Ok —> hypercapnia
- if dizziness is one of the sign provoked by hyperventilation.
For that reason I proposed (like you) a simplified relaxing breath method.

Question : does "WeRtheOcean" confuse headache with dizziness ?
Does he express correctly what He do feel ?

So like « Zef « said
"Tell us a little more about you: Height, weight, overall health, amount of exercise you routinely do, overall comfort level in the water….It is difficult to make any further recommendation as you have not provided enough information about you and what you are experiencing for anyone to properly asses what is going on "

You wrote :
« … as I read and heard from many freedivers (incl. speargunners) - not more than 3 cycles. 5 could be too risky »


I agree totally with you.

The relaxing methods, is to be practiced before you enter in the water or before an "static" in swim pool.
I followed this method taught by an instructor of "Apnea Academy" ... founded by champion Pelizzari

Here is the complete relaxation method that I simplified a bit.

First we must practice the abdominal ventilation, watch this video
=>
We inhale for 3s (or 4s) and exhale (twice the time), 6s (or 8s).

a) 5 cycles : inhale and exhale as above
b) 4 cycles : inhale 3s, apnea 3s and exhale in 6s
c) 3 cycles : inhale 3s, apnea 3s, exhale in 6s, apnea 3s.
d) breathe normally
4) in the water before the « duck dive » 3 deep cycles In, Out.

Remarks : extract from AIDA cours.
After a ventilation, don’t dive if you fill one of the following symptoms.
Euphoria, tingling in the extremities, light headedness, dizziness, numbness around the mouth, a metallic taste in the mouth, semi paralysis of the hands.
It's hyperventilation ... breathe normally and do not dive until symptoms are gone.

So we are waiting for the answer more WeRtheOcean’s details.

 

[Jonny Wishbone]

Anxiety?