Breath Holding

[holdingmybreath]

....
By the way, a question regarding equalizing: I assume that equalizing for skin diving is the same as for scuba: before and during descent, right? It's a bit more challenging for me to equalize when swimming head down while doing a skin diving descent, so I'll have to work on that.

yes, it's the same. always better to stay ahead of the equalizing game. I've broken an ear drum fdiving.. with no pain, and really no indication that there was a problem (broke at 34', on my way to the bottom) Until that happened I generally didn't equalize the 1st time until about 20'. Now I'm an equalizing fanatic... almost constant from surface to depth. rather than the valsalva method of equalizing learn the Frenzel, it's a ton more efficient. you can do a search here and find more info on that. try raising your head slightly if you're having trouble equalizing, that can sometimes help, or even bring yourself upright if you have too. be sure to fill your mouth with air too, that can help. as you get deeper you'll even find a point where you have to bring more air from your lungs up into your mouth in order to equalize. oh, the wonders of pressure.

 

[freediver]

What greatly helps me are 1) tilting my head to the side so that my head is in a horizontal plane. The key is putting your eustachian tube in a vertical plane, this can be done upside down or right side up. 2) Carefully overpressurize your ears at the surface and prepare them for equalization. Chewing gum helps warm them up as well!

 

[Dylan Murray]

Dumb question...when relaxed and sitting in a chair, my max breath hold time is 1:15, but when I swim underwater while holding breath the best I can do is about 15 seconds. Is this normal? Is it just mental, the result of the greater CO2 generated by the exertion of swimming underwater, or what?

Not a dumb question at all! I have a three minute relaxed breath hold time and about a minute and ten second average time at depth, due to the volume changes in your lungs at depth, and of course your body useing you O2 to fin and in return triggering your CO2 receptors in your body quicker, which gives you that urge to breath again.
This feeling however can be overcome by practice. In 12 months I have quadrupled my breath hold time, but you need to be continusaly practicing.

 

[mccabejc]

Okay, here's an update and request for help. I've improved my "sitting in chair relaxing" breath hold to between 1:45 and 2:00, just by relaxing and practicing. However, after MUCH practicing in the pool at home (swimming underwater), I'm still stuck at around 20 seconds maximum (maybe 25 on a real good day) before my body doesn't allow me to stay under any more.

The problem is that for a class I'm taking I need to swim down to 15-20 feet wearing a buoyant 7mm wetsuit and fins to grab a weight belt and put it on. That means I'm exerting myself big time to get down, so the relaxing bit doesn't work. When I simulate this in a pool and in the ocean, after about 20 seconds my chest starts convulsing, and the urge to surface becomes irresistable. I've really hit a brick wall with this, in spite of a lot of practicing, and the best I can do is grab the weight belt and surface, but no way I can take the time to put it on.

Anyone have any words of advice? I know it's all mental, but I haven't yet found the key to get my brain to cooperate. Thanks.

 

[humanFish]

Okay, here's an update and request for help. I've improved my "sitting in chair relaxing" breath hold to between 1:45 and 2:00, just by relaxing and practicing. However, after MUCH practicing in the pool at home (swimming underwater), I'm still stuck at around 20 seconds maximum (maybe 25 on a real good day) before my body doesn't allow me to stay under any more.

The problem is that for a class I'm taking I need to swim down to 15-20 feet wearing a buoyant 7mm wetsuit and fins to grab a weight belt and put it on. That means I'm exerting myself big time to get down, so the relaxing bit doesn't work. When I simulate this in a pool and in the ocean, after about 20 seconds my chest starts convulsing, and the urge to surface becomes irresistable. I've really hit a brick wall with this, in spite of a lot of practicing, and the best I can do is grab the weight belt and surface, but no way I can take the time to put it on.

Anyone have any words of advice? I know it's all mental, but I haven't yet found the key to get my brain to cooperate. Thanks.

Great update. Good work on your progress.

I think the exertion aspect of this is really the key. I would concentrate on ways to exert "less energy" when doing this drill. For instance, how you get to the bottom my make the difference. I would suggest the following:

1) If you are not doing so already, then try to relax on the surface directly above the belt, I assume you are breathing through a snorkel.

2) Take 2 deep breathes and exhale as much as you can...really force the air out. On the 3rd breath breathe in as deep as you can and pack as much air as you can into your lungs.

3) (This technique is good for a properly weighted diver, but may not work for an unweighted diver...try and see)While taking in this 3rd breath, drop your arms in front of you towards the belt...the drop your head beneath the surface and bend at the waist...now lift one leg vertically and hopefully you will start to sink..without expending too much energy. Once your fins are below the surface now you can kick.

Your body should be vertical with your arms either in front of you or hands clasped at the waist. Your eyes should not be looking at the belt, but horizontally along the bottom. This is the optimal way to sink yourself and be streamlined.

One other thing you might try is to change your fins. If you are split, go to a paddle fin. If you have a paddle fin, get a bigger/longer one. Streamline, relax, and practice.

BTW - I'm sure there are activities that would tire any stressed diver out in less than 20 seconds on a breath hold. I think this would be a tough excercise for a lot of people.

hope that helps, good luck!

 

[freediver]

Okay, here's an update and request for help. I've improved my "sitting in chair relaxing" breath hold to between 1:45 and 2:00, just by relaxing and practicing. However, after MUCH practicing in the pool at home (swimming underwater), I'm still stuck at around 20 seconds maximum (maybe 25 on a real good day) before my body doesn't allow me to stay under any more.

The problem is that for a class I'm taking I need to swim down to 15-20 feet wearing a buoyant 7mm wetsuit and fins to grab a weight belt and put it on. That means I'm exerting myself big time to get down, so the relaxing bit doesn't work. When I simulate this in a pool and in the ocean, after about 20 seconds my chest starts convulsing, and the urge to surface becomes irresistable. I've really hit a brick wall with this, in spite of a lot of practicing, and the best I can do is grab the weight belt and surface, but no way I can take the time to put it on.

Anyone have any words of advice? I know it's all mental, but I haven't yet found the key to get my brain to cooperate. Thanks.

Your dry statics are great! You mentioned practicing in the pool with the underwater swimming, have you tried any immersed statics? Exertion underwater will greatly shorten your underwater time as you have discovered. Staying underwater is dependent on two things: 1) inducing the relaxation response and 2) increasing your tolerance to carbon dioxide. With your 2:00 dry static, you have induced a pretty good relaxation response and since the skill you are required to do will involve quite a bit of exertion (freediving in 7mm without weight! whew!), let's focus on the second key, increasing your tolerance to the CO2 buildup.
This exercise is very effective but very difficult if done properly. Exhale all the air from your lungs and submerge, placing your hands flat against the side of the pool as you kick. This exercise is very uncomfortable but highly effective. Please have someone nearby to assist and don't overextend your limits. Remember, your not maxing out but simply extending your point of tolerance.
Dry land exercise: Mark off a distance of twenty feet. Next, standing at the starting point of your distance, perform a breath hold for a preset time (no more than 1:00). Once you have reached the minute, start walking the twenty foot distance. Try and make it back to your starting point without speeding up your gait.
These exercises are great for increasing your tolerance to CO2 and training your body to function in an apneic state. Please use caution and only take, from the workouts, what you need to improve. Don't overextend your limits.
Good luck and safe training!

 

[spectrum]

The problem is that for a class I'm taking I need to swim down to 15-20 feet wearing a buoyant 7mm wetsuit and fins to grab a weight belt and put it on.

7mm full suit or a 2pc w/14 on the core. Either way holly crap. I had a hard time doing that in a 12 foot pool in my 3mm (without fins). Are you doing this in fresh or salt water? What class? Have you considered lining your trunks with lead flashing?

Be sure to let us know what turns the trick for you.

Pete

 

[mccabejc]

Spectrum,
This is for the Los Angeles County Advanced Diver Program, which is an advanced scuba course on steroids. It includes skindiving skills, and the one I mentioned is done in the ocean. It's not quite as hard as it sounds, since the wetsuit compresses a bit, but the first 5-10 feet is kinda tough.

Thanks for the help folks. I'm determined to at least double my time to 45 seconds.

 

[Rick Murchison]

ALWAYS MAKE SURE SOMEONE IS WATCHING YOU IN THE POOL!

This cannot be overemphasized. Even more than Scuba, solo freediving is just asking for the coroner. Even in a pool only 4 feet deep.
Never, never practice breath holding underwater without a safety.
Rick

 

[Tim220171]

Thanks for the help folks. I felt like I had hit a brick wall, and just couldn't get much past the 30 ft underwater swim in the pool. Made 40 a couple times, but mostly only 30ft.

But tonight after about 6 tries to swim the length of a 30 ft long swimming pool, suddenly I did two laps (60ft) on one breath. Then again. And again. Total of 5 times in a row. Strange. Like suddenly a switch went on.

And I also got to 1:30 breath hold while sitting in a chair relaxing, 15 seconds better than my previous best. Guess my lungs just decided to go with the flow.

By the way, a question regarding equalizing: I assume that equalizing for skin diving is the same as for scuba: before and during descent, right? It's a bit more challenging for me to equalize when swimming head down while doing a skin diving descent, so I'll have to work on that.

I see some great advice here on this topic.
I like to free dive as well . Years ago when I was a kid i would snorkel alot and at one time i could hold my breathe for 3 min out of water . But always it would be cut to half that in water.
After scuba diving i have come to realise the importance of slow relaxed movements underwater and correct bouancy . This applies to freediving too.
You do have to practice out of water and build that mental and physical conditioning
but when you take to the water if you dive with a wetsuite or in salt water then use a weight belt to get you NEUTRALLY buoyant . This is going to take away alot of the effort when you dive . You probably realise that when you exert your body is using the oxygen in the blood so when rested in or out of water compared to swimming you will see a big difference in how long you can hold a breath. The rest is conditioning and practice as already mentioned by others here, but as I found , if you are weighted correctly and swim or drift slowly , you can get more time underwater. Also get the specialised freedive fins which are much longer and give greater kick power . After all you only need to kick when going up and down and the quicker and shorter time you do that the more bottom time you can get.