Breath control techniques?

[Thalassamania]

I follow pretty much what Thal says regarding slowly inhaling and relaxing. But still, the first dives of any day I go out, are shorter. I don't know why. Perhaps after a few dives I build tolerance for the feeling of needing air? Or I get more relaxed...I'm not sure. But after 10 or 15 dives, I can definitely stay down longer.

I find exactly the same thing, my first dives are up to maybe a minute, then the lenghten, to two or rarely more, then they start to shorten again and I know it's time to go.

 

[llqwyd]

There is an excellent article on freediving in the August/September 2008 issue of Hana Hou (Hawaiian Airlines). It is an informative piece by Michael Shapiro about his experience taking a freediving class with Kirk Krack. Great read if you can find it. Don't miss the last page, though. Sad little blurb about Sergio Goes (the photog for the piece) and how he died freediving (not trying to discourage, but INCOURAGE).

ALOHA!

 

[Hank49]

The dangerous part I guess, and I'm definitely guilty of this, is feeling a little short of air, but then seeing a fish, down a little deeper but close enough that you feel you can get it. In this instant I've never thought to myself, "no, I'd better surface. I could get SWB", and I would guess that's why most get hit with SWB.

 

[OceanObsessed]

But still, the first dives of any day I go out, are shorter. I don't know why. Perhaps after a few dives I build tolerance for the feeling of needing air? Or I get more relaxed...I'm not sure. But after 10 or 15 dives, I can definitely stay down longer.

It gets easier after a few breath holds because the mammalian dive reflex kicks in. You can google it or check out deeperblue.net to read more about it.

After a while your breath hold times eventually begin to shorten and this is because your body has acquired an oxygen deficit from repeated breath holds and your body simply needs time to recover.

-Chris

 

[duskdiver]

I recently bought the book from Umberto pellizari and found it really informative, evetything is in there!!
(manual of feediving)
greets!

 

[Thalassamania]

It gets easier after a few breath holds because the mammalian dive reflex kicks in. You can google it or check out deeperblue.net to read more about it.

After a while your breath hold times eventually begin to shorten and this is because your body has acquired an oxygen deficit from repeated breath holds and your body simply needs time to recover.

-Chris

Mammalian dive reflex is trigger by immersion of the face, that induces an almost immediate brachycardia, which is quite difference from the effect we are commenting on here.

 

[freediver]

I follow pretty much what Thal says regarding slowly inhaling and relaxing. But still, the first dives of any day I go out, are shorter. I don't know why. Perhaps after a few dives I build tolerance for the feeling of needing air? Or I get more relaxed...I'm not sure. But after 10 or 15 dives, I can definitely stay down longer.

I'd say your subsequent dives were longer due to two distinct reasons: 1) The relaxation that you touched on brought on by the dive reflex which yields a lowered heart rate and a significant reduction in O2 metabolism. 2) The gained elasticity your lungs are experiencing from repeated contraction and expansion through your breathe up and dives to depth.
The Japanese Ama are well noted for diving 8-10 hours a day to depths that are consistent and significantly deep.

 

[Aquaholic21]

I normally do all the slow breathing and calming stuff but i will also do a few breaths of light "packing" (gulping air down into your lungs in order to store more air than you could normally breath in with your diaphram) to stretch out your lungs and increase their capacity (use your head, dont pop your lungs, if it hurts, stop packing, your lungs are probably too full). Then I'll do 3 deep breaths somewhat quicker and a little hyperventilating. For the final breath, I breath out all of the "dirty" air in my lungs that I can, take in the fullest breath I can and pack air on top of it. Ive gotten up to a 5 min breath hold doing this!

 

[OceanObsessed]

Mammalian dive reflex is trigger by immersion of the face, that induces an almost immediate brachycardia, which is quite difference from the effect we are commenting on here.

While its true the dive reflex is triggered by facial immersion it can also be triggered in other ways. It can actually be triggered by breathold alone. In the PFI and Martin Stepanek's FII courses they teach you to initiate the dive reflex by holding your breath until you get diaphrammatic contractions, which then also triggers almost immediate bradycardia. You can still kick in the reflex with breatholds without contractions but the holding until the onset of contractions an effective way to initiate a strong reflex quickly.

For anyone reading this, if you have never held you breath until diaphrammatic contractions I wouldn’t recommend trying this in the water. Some people don’t get contractions so I would recommend getting comfortable with this on land before trying this in the water and be sure you have a spotter.

 

[Thalassamania]

While its true the dive reflex is triggered by facial immersion it can also be triggered in other ways. It can actually be triggered by breathold alone. In the PFI and Martin Stepanek's FII courses they teach you to initiate the dive reflex by holding your breath until you get diaphrammatic contractions, which then also triggers almost immediate bradycardia. You can still kick in the reflex with breatholds without contractions but the holding until the onset of contractions an effective way to initiate a strong reflex quickly.

For anyone reading this, if you have never held you breath until diaphrammatic contractions I wouldnÃÕ recommend trying this in the water. Some people donÃÕ get contractions so I would recommend getting comfortable with this on land before trying this in the water and be sure you have a spotter.

With all due respect, you are changing the subject without resolving the accuracy of your original statement.

As to your hypothesis that prolonged breathhold cases diaphragmatic contractions which in tern cause brachychardia (and note that all brachycardia is not mammalian diving reflex) would you be so kind as to supply a reference from a peer reviewed journal that substantiates that claim?