I apologize to everyone for having to post, at least, one more time. This time however, it isn't to state my position but simply to defend myself.
....what I would say here, is that Yoga breathing will teach the rib cage flexibility, deep breathing as opposed to shallow breathing, and enhance your flexibility and potential for good circulation. If you are teaching all of these things, you are offering an outstanding service to scuba divers who took your course for Freedivng.
This would have sufficiently answered my question. Thank you.
....However, the moment you try to get the scuba diver to cheat their CO2 level mechanisms, with the apnea training specific to this, I would argue this apsect is inherently dangerous for scuba divers, and adds great risks to freedivers as well ( freedivers can have great enjoyment with 2 minute bottom times and no messing with the CO2 mechanisms).
WOW. Not sure where I ever, even implied that I was teaching a person to cheat their CO2 level mechanisms. I am merely stating that a freediver will develop an increased tolerance (whether doing static apneas or not) for CO2 and a greater sensitivity to its buildup. Secondly, if the scuba diver is applying these pranayama principles to their scuba breathing, why would it even be necessary to "cheat" their CO2 level mechanisms?
....If you have been teaching freedivng for 20 years, my guess is that you could offer a world of value to most scuba divers--or new freedivers, in "how" they should swim, how they should glide, how they should drop, and a hundred other motion dynamics issues. For this, I see you as having an enormous value to this scuba list.
Thanks and I also help them discover:
how to understand stress and control it
different techniques of respiration including respiratory sensitivity
how to breathe up properly to lessen the build up of CO2 (CO2 compartment theory)
relaxation and the benefits/effects thereof
Biofeedback and autogenic training
screening inventories
visualization training
analysis of a proper finstroke and techniques to proper finning
streamlining
weighting
ascents
descents
and much, much more. But what is not here is showing a participant how to cheat in the quest for air conservation while on scuba.
....I just don't happen to believe you should teach the divers how to cheat the CO2 system....if you get a daredevil that thinks that freediving is about breaking the depth barrier and getting to 120 or 200 feet or some circus depth like 300 and beyond..then you should get a psych evaluation, and if they pass, then go ahead and teach them the apnea drills that will allow them to ignore high CO2 levels.
The original post asked about the usefulness of static apnea exercises toward scuba and air consumption. I responded with the assumption the poster was performing a well-rounded routine that includes what I have already mentioned. I think it would benefit but nowhere have I exacted or even implied a way for this diver to cheat their body out of the air they need. I do not teach competitive freediving nor competitive scuba...they are both taught on a purely recreational level. I simply feel the techniques will result in a conditioned respiratory system that will carry over and serve as a benefit for the scuba diver. I teach freediving and all the necessary components that go along with it.
But please don't think that this is your value to this list, just because most scuba divers do not know these particular tricks.
Final note....I have on occasion told a diver that to possibly help with their air consumption the might want to consider doing some cardio work. Not because the running will increase their leg strength and make their finning improve but because the overall event will have a profound effect on their diving. With that being said, I do believe the increased leg strength can only serve to benefit the finning as well. Much like freediving, the single component (static apnea training) within the event (freediving) will serve the diver well. I will go on record as saying that this is simply my anecdotal and opinionated response. I would love to move on and discuss other issues but in the meantime, I shall wait here in my defensive position.
