Wetsuit/Warm Water Correlation to Times

[onelongrunner]

OK, I posted on here a few weeks ago and got some very helpful feedback, so alas I am back.

I have been focussing on my static in water (haven't even tried on the couch) and went from 1:50 or so up to 3:30 in about a week. I have been doing the tables a few days a week and find that I am pretty consistent. I did the (I think CO2) table the other day (that's the one where you decrese recovery time, right?) and on a hold of 2:30, I came up for one breath and went back down for another 1:30 without too much trouble.

So, my question is this...I am in the pool across from my house and while not COLD water, it is is still an outside pool (California). I am wondering if my timese would increase dramatically if I did it in a wetsuit since I am still a bit chilly in the pool staying still and all?

I'd love to get up over 4 mins and I am curious if anyone has an idea of how much difference it makes to have a wetsuit for static.

Any thoughts?

Cheers!!! (ps....before anyone asks...yes...using a spotter!!!)

[onelongrunner]

OK....two (perhaps) interesting observations from my training session tonight.

1. I did my O2 tables about 1 hour after a pretty decent meal. While I have done as much as 3:30 static, tonight I was unable to get past 2:45.

2. I tried my last hold in the hottub. I was only able to go 2:30. Could have been a combination of the excessive heat and the big meal, but one way or another it didn't work well.

Thus....I think I need to try this again first thing in the morning rather than after a rough day at work and a big meal.

Any thoughts on which has the greatest impact?

Thanks y'all.

[ADELENELYNCH]

I'm a newbie myself but here's what I've observed and also what other experienced freedivers have shared with me. Apparently, cold water is good for getting the dive reflex to kick in. In my "freezing" pool (I'm in sunny Singapore, so "freezing" is a relative word) one day, my friend did a 5:30 breathhold which is considered quite a good day for her. I, on the other hand, did a hold minute less than my usual because I was shivering from the cold. If put on a wetsuit and stayed warm, I usually do better. Conversely, in a hot tub, breathholds are usually less because of the heat and presumably discomfort. So my conclusion, optimal conditions are : nice cool water to get the dive reflex kicking but not so cold that you shiver and can't relax.

[salibandy]

Cold water does help the dive reflex. If you wear a suit, it should be fine as long as your face is exposed to the cold water. It won't help if you got too cold as a result of no suit and started shivering, would it?

Hot tub static. Hmmm. Not smart if you ask me. Haha.

Yes CO2 table is when you decrease the recovery time. Your static seems to be improving by leaps and bounds, keep up the good work!

Dramatic increase in static time with a suit? Don't know about that one. I myself got a suit because I got too cold in the pool. With my Elios top on, I keep myself from shivering. This helps me stay relaxed, more so because it also floats me.

[monkeyhatfork]

having food in your stomach will effect your time, ideally you want at least 3 hours between eating and breath-hold or diving, and better carbs than fatty or high protein

[onelongrunner]

Excellent....so now I have official permission to eat lots of carbs!!!

I knew up front that the full belly would negatively impact, I was just curious how much. Hard to determine what it was actually as it had been a very stressful work day and I also think that impacts the ability to relax through meditation.

As in many things, it's hard to isolate the real factor that creates the impact. That is to say the causal relationship rather than simply a correlation. So...more experimenting (though perhaps it's a good point about not doing statics in the hot tub...I had that thought as well but figured it wasn't really THAT hot).

Thanks for the input!