Cannot Remain Submerged for 50' Breath Hold Swim

[Oldbear]

What I would like to ask SBers do you know of any techniques that might help me stay submerged while swimming and holding my breath 50 ft?

I start my GUE Fundies course this weekend and I am so excited; this is a course that I have waited for nearly a year. I am 49 and wanted to make sure that I could not the required swims at a local pool. The 300 yd swim within 14 minutes was not an issue. The 50 ft submerged swim while holding my breath was. I am incredibly positive buoyant; I need nearly 20 lbs in sea water just to become neutral buoyant. When I tried the swim in the local pool I could remain submerged for only about 35-40 ft. Holding my breath was not an issue; I just kept floating to the surface.

Today I will try again with a weight belt, however, even if I succeed I have not check with my instructor yet to see if I allowed to use a weight belt for this exercise (the GUE standards do not say I can or cannot use a weight belt). The down side of the weight belt that I can see is the weight belt adds drag, the more weight the more drag. I am going to experiment with different weights and see if I can find a good balance to adding just enough weight to allow me to stay submerged for the 50 ft, but not so much as it slows me down and I surpass my breath holding capability before I reach the 50 ft mark.

The pool is 3.5 ft to 5.0 ft in depth. Another possibility is if I am allowed to take the test in a deeper end of the pool that too might allow me to start deeper, thus travel farther ( 50+ ft) before surfacing. I just do not want to rely on this possibility...nor wearing a weight belt. My preferred way is just to rapid breathe 3-4 times to expel any CO2 in my lungs and dive down and swim the 50 ft.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

~Oldbear~

 

[BluewaterSail]

Talk to your instructor. Its his decision if what you do will pass. You are probably stressing over nothing.

I couldn't stay under for the whole distance. When I floated up, I just dove back down with like a jack-knife I think its called. As long as your face stays in the water, he will probably accept it. Some of us just are very positivly bouyant.

 

[kathydee]

A deeper pool will most likely make a big difference.

I agree - just talk to your instructor.

If you float up, just keep your face in the water and continue kicking full distance.

I WISH I was that buoyant!

Have a great class!

 

[TSandM]

I'm like you -- made of cork. None of my instructors has cared, so long as I kept my face in the water and clearly did not take a breath. It is a "breath-hold" swim, not an underwater swim. Although I seriously envied my Cave 1 buddy who dove down to about 20 feet and gracefully swam the whole width of the cenote there. I can't do it!

 

[nimoh]

if you use a breast stroke style arm movement and a frog kick, then toward the end of the stroke, you can angle your hands a bit to pull yourself downwards as well as forwards. I can swim underwater in shallow water, but if I stop moving, I immediately pop up to the surface.

Deeper water would allow you to angle your whole body slightly downward so you are swimming down as well as forward.

 

[Cyprian]

Another quick idea to try: If you have no problem holding your breath for the 50' swim, then let some of the air out of your lungs before you start, or as you travel the distance. I started with a full set of lungs and just exhaled slowly as I went along. That said, I am not a positively buoyant person, so this might not help you at all....but it's just a thought.

Good luck with Fundies! Where are you taking the class and with which instructor? I'm looking forward to the report.

 

[Oldbear]

Another quick idea to try: If you have no problem holding your breath for the 50' swim, then let some of the air out of your lungs before you start, or as you travel the distance. I started with a full set of lungs and just exhaled slowly as I went along. That said, I am not a positively buoyant person, so this might not help you at all....but it's just a thought.

Good luck with Fundies! Where are you taking the class and with which instructor? I'm looking forward to the report.

When I get about half way I start exhaling with small bubbles...

I am taking the course in Broomfield Colorado with Rob Calkins

No worries...I will provide a course report in two weeks.

 

[lv2dive]

I agree with the above-posted recommendations... esp. 1) blowing bubbles midway/towards end 2)using frog kick and gliding and 3) talking with instructor. I had to do a 50-yard breathhold for an aquarium program with no "pushoff," and after I came to understand that I just needed to use minimal movement and glide as much as possible, I had no problem.

Best of luck in your class!

 

[amascuba]

Take three deep breaths to help purge your body of CO2. On the last exhale, duck underwater and start a slow, deliberate, and steady swim. You don't need a lung full of air for a breath hold.

Have fun in class! Rob was a good instructor!

 

[alewar]

Try to get neutrally buoyant by going to the bottom of the pool and releasing air as needed. The key is not to breath in as much air as you can, but to minimize effort under water.