Breathing Techniques for Recreational Freediving

[samdive]

My advice to beginners is to start off your freediving career by spending 2 minutes before each dive doing deep, slow belly breathing and nothing more fancy than that. That is certainly enough for people to find their first "limits" and then you can add in some more advanced techniques/training if or when you need to.

I wouldn't advise anyone to experiment with hyperventilation other than in very controlled situations with a coach who knows that they're doing (and most coaches won't let you anyway!). I've had a few blackouts in my time and I think every single one can be traced back to hyperventilation - unintentional or intentional - it isn't a good idea!

[suzzi]

What is FRC

[monkeyhatfork]

(FRC) functional residual capacity, do a search on this site there are several threads dedicated to FRC diving

[apneaboy]

'Vertigo, unrelated to ear drum failure, is one you don't hear much about, but it happened to me, only once. Diving a Florida Spring, super clear water and deep. I was about 10 feet down and got an instant, very strong sense of vertigo, had no idea which way was up even though I could see it clearly. Only lasted a few seconds, but was EXTREMELY uncomfortable. The only extenuating circumstance I could think of was lack of a hood, but I'd been in for quite a while, so it shouldn't have had any effect.

Connor'

It could have possibly been hyperbaric vertigo. If one ear equalises at slightly different rates to the other you can get the vertigo feeling. Weird sensation. It can happen at the beginning of a session or even near the end once your ears 'get a bit tired' or maybe a bit of stuff (mucus, blood etc) is floating around inside causes a blockage that wasn't there before.

Its doesn't have to be a rupture as such.

[cdavis]

Thanks apneaboy,

I never had a name for it, but that sounds about right.

Connor