Tips and techniques for new freedivers?

[do it easy]

14 year of scuba diving makes me wish I had gills, and freediving is the next best thing. I'd love to be able to cruise down and drift over a wreck while divers swim around it.

Personally, I think freediving is much more exciting, but since I already bought all the scuba gear, I might as well use it. I'm not sure why, but it seems like I see more when I freedive versus scuba. And yes, it is pretty fun freediving with scuba divers around - most of them don't see you at all, and the ones that do give you funny looks, especially when you swim slowly.

 

[freediver]

Testing my breath hold time is one way for me to judge how my relaxation is coming along.

I see. With your involvement in martial arts, you're probably aware of diaphragmatic breathing. It is essential to relaxation. Also, do some research on biofeedback and autogenic training. They have helped me tremendously over the years.

I have always wanted to be able to free dive better, more for fun than anything.

Excellent reason!

14 year of scuba diving makes me wish I had gills, and freediving is the next best thing.

I just had gills implanted last week, still trying to get used to them!

I'd love to be able to cruise down and drift over a wreck while divers swim around it.

You'll get some pretty perplexed looks but it is a blast! Aside from the books mentioned, if you have any specific training questions, I will be glad to discuss what has worked for me personally.

 

[Jimmer]

Thanks Freediver, I appreciate the offer. I'm going to look into getting a couple of those books in the near future. And let me know how those gills work out for you

 

[5ata]

Jimmer is probably closer to training for freediving than other techniques I formerly adhered to.

Over the course of the last couple of years, my usual land based training by doing cardio and weights with pool sessions has taken its toll on my body. I have finally taken Aharon Solomons advice and been practicing a form hot yoga called Core Yoga (a mix of Core Power Yoga/Pilates) for the last 2 months and it has made a huge difference in the feel of my body and my mental state. I also use the Static Apnea Tables for breath hold training (current best is 4:20 sec static)

When I trained with Aharon in January of 2006, he had confidently stated that the Pipin way of training was detrimental to the philosophy of freediving. Ashtanga Yoga or any other form of Hot/Power Yoga could maintain flexibility, strength and proper breathing technique. When I first started it, I thought I was in pretty decent shape. It kicked my butt!!! Now I only do my Power Yoga/Pilates six times a week and have found my core muscles stronger and more flexible that anything I could have done in the past. I sometimes substitute doing dynamic apnea laps every so often with gear on to check on my freedive fitness and all I can say is that I can accomplish more in the pool now than I could in the old way I use to train. I also have given up caffeine and virtually all dairy products. I also recommend flushing your sinuses twice a day using a Jala Neti Pot.

Some may think that Yoga isn't a manly way of training, but if Aharon at the age of 70+ years can freedive to 60 meters by only doing Ashtanga Yoga and water training - well, that speaks for itself.

You'll find just what level of physical fitness you truly are at, and will find your body becoming stronger in places you never thought.

Safe diving...

 

[freediver]

Good stuff Cliff and great to hear from you again!

 

[rrjc5488]

I was just on vacation with a guy who's brother can fee dive the wreck of the rhone. For those of you who are unaware of what the rhone is... its a wreck in about 70-80 feet of water with about a 70 foot swim through.

For me, I find that to be incredibly impressive, for a recreational diver at least. Anyway... I was told he used to do some slow, deep hyperventilation breaths, then take a big breath of air and sprint until he needed to breathe again. He did this a bunch of times.

He said its taught his body to work with little amounts of oxygen.

I guess in theory it works. Has anyone else heard of this technique?

 

[5ata]

I was just on vacation with a guy who's brother can fee dive the wreck of the rhone. For those of you who are unaware of what the rhone is... its a wreck in about 70-80 feet of water with about a 70 foot swim through.

For me, I find that to be incredibly impressive, for a recreational diver at least. Anyway... I was told he used to do some slow, deep hyperventilation breaths, then take a big breath of air and sprint until he needed to breathe again. He did this a bunch of times.

He said its taught his body to work with little amounts of oxygen.

I guess in theory it works. Has anyone else heard of this technique?

Sounds like CO2 Tolerance training - there are variations on this type of training technique.

 

[do it easy]

I was just on vacation with a guy who's brother can fee dive the wreck of the rhone. For those of you who are unaware of what the rhone is... its a wreck in about 70-80 feet of water with about a 70 foot swim through.

Does he do the swimthrough or just an up and down?

 

[Thalassamania]

I was told he used to do some slow, deep hyperventilation breaths, then take a big breath of air ... Has anyone else heard of this technique?

That's, in a nutshell, the technique that I teach.

 

[rrjc5488]

Does he do the swimthrough or just an up and down?

Yes, he does the swim through. Sorry for not specifying.