can anyone freedive?

[freediver]

Stomach breathing or diaphragmatic breathing simply means utilization of the dome-shaped diaphragm muscle. If you observe an infant breathing you will notice their stomach rising and falling. If you obseve an adult you will likely notice their upper chest moving during respiration. This is due largely in part to everyday stresses changing our breathing habits.
This correct (stomach) way of breathing allows us to use our lungs at highest effectiveness. It induces relaxation (crucial to freediving).
If you want to regain the "proper" breathing try this exercise. Lie on your bed or floor and place your left hand on your chest and your right hand on your stomach. Take a breath and make a conscious effort to allow your bottom or stomach hand to move with little or no movement from the hand on the chest. When your stomach hand moves this means that your diaphragm is depressing (flattening out) and forcing your stomach outward. May seem awkward at first but with a little daily practice you will notice a difference.

 

[JustinW]

Along with what rab stated, you can hyperventillate yourself 2-3 quick deep breaths to build up extra O2 This should enable you to stay under longer. Don't over hyperventillate as it can cause you to pass out, and passing out in the water isn't a good thing.

My God, please don't do this. This is the fastest way to kill yourself as explained numerous times here on the board. You don't build up 02, you deplete C02, and then your blood runs out of oxygen without your brain triggering you about your 02 status, the end result is death by aspiration after you pass out.

 

[worlddiver]

hi,

i´m like a fish underwater, but cannot hold my breath for
more than a minute... :-(

is there solution for me? Will I ever improve? How?

thank you!

Twice a year, Divetech in the Cayman Islands holds a 4 day freediving clinic from beginners to advanced. When I attended the clinic in April 2005 there was 24 students and two of them was Tiger Woods and his wife. I wents from 40' in a 45 second breath hold to a 2 minutes 30 seconds breath hold to 130' by the end of the clinic. They had 2 world record holders helping out and also teaching some of their tricks, like breathing from your mask on the way back up, which I found helpful. They also had video of all the open water training so ever night you could see where you need to improve for the next day. It was a blast, especially being around world class freedivers.

 

[JustinW]

They had 2 world record holders helping out and also teaching some of their tricks, like breathing from your mask on the way back up, which I found helpful.

Now there is a trick I had never thought about. Makes complete sense also.

 

[bikeflip22]

the only trouble i see with free diving, for me anyways, is equalizing. i don't think i would be able to do it fast enough...

any tips on that?

 

[holdingmybreath]

the only trouble i see with free diving, for me anyways, is equalizing. i don't think i would be able to do it fast enough...
any tips on that?

Equalizing is the #1 problem for people giving freediving a go. Some helpful hints.. Learn the Frenzel technique of equalizing.. basically you close off your lungs, use the back/top of your tongue to act as a piston to force the air in the back of your mouth up into the eustachion tubes (put the tip of the tongue to the back side of your upper front teeth) if you're doing it corretly you'll see your adams apple go up and down. The Frenzel is much more efficient than the valsalva...
Also, on the way down if you have trouble you might tilt your head more vertical.. this helps.. even bring your body more vertical if you have to.

 

[NCSU_Diver]

I'm not sure if this has been stated or not but I don't feel like reading all three pages before I give my two cents worth. I'm a surfer out of Topsail Island, North Carolina. Right around hurricane season you usualy see the true locals out in the water surfing the swell because we are the ones that can take the spills and lack of air that goes along with being held under by a big wave. The best thing I've done is to find a very large rock (or weight) and get to a place that is reasonable deep (10-20 ft.). Let the rock sit on the bottom dive down pick it up and run with it along the bottom until your out of air then surface again and repeat. This helps your body get accustom to the lack of air and helps you expand your lung capacity. I saw some guys doing this in Hawaii and figured I'd give it a try. Currently I am at 1:45 on a breath. I had a 2 minute max but havn't had much time to stay in the water due to college messing things up!