Dynamic Apnea

[chrismar]

Originally Posted by trux

On the back way. or going down? In any way, it seams rather dangerous - you never suffered lung squeeze because of the contractions in such depth?

He's talking dynamics there, methinks.

Ant Williams experiences few or no contractions. He might be a better bet...

[Mullins]

Yeah put that bugger through some pain for a change!

[flying_spanner]

Originally Posted by Mullins

Yeah put that bugger through some pain for a change!

AWW Dave are they picking on you?????

I'm new to Free Diving (did my No Bubbles course instructed by Dave and Fran just last Nov.) but I don't think I expereince any contractions as such.

I can swim just on 90m now (dynamic with fins) 50m without, and don't really expereince any that I remember.

I can also collect Schallops in 17 - 25 metres of water all morning long, feel absolutly stuffed, and like I've dived a little too deep too often, and definatly should have been taking longer surface intervals, (what can I say there's kai to be a gatherin' dowh there!) nope still no contractions.

The fact that I haven't had long to really push myself yet may well be the reason. Or maybe I'm just lucky. Dunno.

Oh yeah 4min 20sec Static. Nope no contractions.

one last PS...
Sorry to whoever this thread was hijacked from...

[frogmansailor]

Not a problem on that hijack, this is quite interesting.

I was just able to push myself to contractions the other day (static - contractions starting @ 2:40) and it managed to push me to 3:09 when my longest before that was just about 2:35. I had never experienced them before. It's quite a unique experience (kind of like a hickup ish type thing?) I can't really think of anything else to describe it, but I think thats what it was.

[billieball]

You know, it's refreshing to know others don't start having contractions (if at all). My hubby always thinks I am full of "it" when we are doing tables and I have no contractions. He can be sitting next to me, stomach jumping after 2:30, and I'm fine until right before 4:00...and even then, the contractions are SUPER small. In dynamic, I've not yet gotten them (but I've only gone a little over 50m w/fins). With free immersion, no real contractions sometimes...at least not if I've breathed up properly. They may hit when I reach depth, but have never become uncomfortable. I'll refer my husband to this thread so he sees I am not crazy!

[sanso]

Originally Posted by billieball

... no real contractions sometimes...at least not if I've breathed up properly. They may hit when I reach depth, but have never become uncomfortable. ...

That sounds like for You, "breathing up properly" involves quite some hyperventilation! You might want to re-think Your breathe-up routine.

[TRITON]

In most of my CW dives ,with or without fins , I get contractions on the way down at about 45-50m ,and their intensity depends of how relaxed I began the dive.
Dave, you said in CWT you get contractions on the turn (100-110m),right?And in DYN you get them at 50m......it's seems that in CWT the dive reflex is stronger and therefore you get contractions later.

[billieball]

Originally Posted by sanso

That sounds like for You, "breathing up properly" involves quite some hyperventilation! You might want to re-think Your breathe-up routine.

Actually, I absolutely DO NOT hyperventilate. During formal instruction from Martin Stepanek, I was taught not to do this. Instead, I practice a different "breathe-up" routine. It is taught in the FIT Level II course!

--Billie

[speedomodel]

I don't believe I've experienced contractions yet. I'm comfortably swimming 75+ yards dynamic without fins. But, I'm a novice and I expect they'll happen sometime. Perhaps when I start trying tables or apnea walking?

[apneaboy]

Chrismar what do you do to mentally block contractions, i just have them whether i think about it or not. Only the breath up affects when they come, do you have something specific you do??

[Tony Babowicz]

Actually, I've seen Billieball have some serious contractions. It involves making her laugh. Like when I did the "shower dance" on the boat last year. Or the joke I told involving my wife and involuntary muscle contractions. But as far as contractions when diving, I believe she actually doesn't have them. This girl is an animal when it comes to apnea. Her husband Todd is good as well. (When they aren't crying about being seasick!!)Which brings to mind actually witnessing a serious set of contractions this girl had. She wasn't holding her breath however. She was vomiting and laughing at the same time!!!

[billieball]

Ahhh...Tony. I love ya, man!
--Billie
Too bad on our last trip to FLL, there was to be no diving.

[chrismar]

Originally Posted by apneaboy

Chrismar what do you do to mentally block contractions, i just have them whether i think about it or not. Only the breath up affects when they come, do you have something specific you do??

I think it may be a personal thing. On my first ever static attempt, I got no contractions and a time of 5:30, so I knew it was possible for me to do long holds without contractions. My approach was to do one-breath CO2 tables and repeatedly tell myself that I don't need to have contractions. I believe that personally my contractions are semi-concious, in that they make the dive feel more comfortable and so my body has them. The positive reinforcement prevents me from experiencing them, though the real mechanism is still a bit of a mystery to me.

[sanso]

Originally Posted by billieball

Actually, I absolutely DO NOT hyperventilate. During formal instruction from Martin Stepanek, I was taught not to do this. Instead, I practice a different "breathe-up" routine. It is taught in the FIT Level II course!

All right, all right! - I just wanted to make sure.
Can You explain the delaiy of contractions with the different breathe-up? The only thing I can come up with right now is lowering the CO₂-level but I believe You that Martin didn't teach that.