How to increase breath hold?

[John from the burg]

Nothing wrong with hyper ventilation as long as you don't exceed safe limits.

Maybe if your going for a record w redundant professional supervision but spearfishing is dynamic and cant be perfectly planned like a record dive.

Every single major freedive training organization discourages hyper ventilation, its not just about how much air you can pack in your lungs, co2 and o2 and lactic acid all have effects on your brain and muscles. In my spearing circles no one packs or hyper vents, thats amateur stuff used as a replacement for actual training.

 

[Subcooled]

I have seen a 103 m long freedive (with a monofin) beeing successfully done without hyperventilation.
Knowing your (variable) limits of course enhances safety.

 

[Phantom Menace]

Hyperventilation = bad (flushes the CO2 out of your lungs - the CO2 buildup is the trigger to breath)
5 sec in 10 sec out breathing for a few minutes before hand is best IMO. It relaxes you, slows your heart down etc.