Hello freedivers! - is breath holding healthy?

[rhinocerus]

Greetings to all,

I've just come back from Thailand where I spent 3 months living on Koh Tao, next door to their free diving champions - the blue eyed german giant Roland and his spanish mate whose name escapes me. Both are gentlemen and both are always eager to go out in their longtail to spearfish.

I wish I had taken a course whilst I was on Koh Tao but I was loving hanging out with these two and watching them freedive. I don't think I learn't anything practical. Just loved their silence.

I would often come up and down three times before they would come to the surface. I used to love watching them float ethereally below me. Not a muscle moving.

Very zen.

I then did a month in a local Thai monastery - enjoying the silence, enjoying the meditation, enjoying basic food - but found it hard to enjoy the wooden bed and wooden pillow.

Not very nice.

I met a hot french girl called Sophie I think - she was french and very into her free diving. She was doing a course and I remember thinking that I would love to do this course. I didn't do it and now I realise it was because I was afraid of where it might take me. She spoke of almost blacking out and to be honest that terrified me. Anyone felt that way?

Truth is I have been freediving, surfing and ocean swimming for twenty years so I should have packed the fear away, bitten the bullet and done the course.

Decided that I love the silence, love the sea and love meditation. In short I need to get into this freediving armed with more information. So you guys are a godsend! Thanks.

So where to start?

I have the cash to fly to a country and do a course. I live in Australia and can go east or west. Thailand, Indonesia, Hawaii, Fiji, the pacific islands (too many to name) or perhaps here in Australia?

Any suggestions?

I also would like to know if practicing holding your breath, holding your breath for long periods of time and the associated techniques of freediving - is all this good for your health or bad for your health?

Should I start a thread on this? (I did a search and found nothing so far) and if so where would someone suggest I start it.

Thanks to anyone who reads my hello.

Nice to be here

Rhinocerus

[fcallagy]

http://forums.deeperblue.net/beginner-freediving/

Hi Rhino first look at the link above its the begininng free diving thread and full of useful info and warnings about the dangers of freediving. Defiantly do a course there are some in Australia and New Zealand afaik but others could probably give you better info. I believe that its good for my health as I have improved myself to try and be a better free diver ( ie lost weight got a bit fitter ) but as to wheather holding your breath is actually good for you I doubt it ( but no worse than having a few beers inmho) but I do it cos I enjoy it and it allows me explore the ocean the way i like best.
Welcome to db searchs should bring you a lot of info but nothing beats a course.

[rhinocerus]

Thanks Feargus,

Yeah that was the way I thought the health question might go.

It would be good to get a freediving related MD to comment I guess. Any MD's that are involved on the board that you know of? Could be an interesting topic for discussion.

I agree wholeheartedly, it ain't called free diving for nothing.

I am motoring throughout the beginners section. Great information. Great member interaction.

Loving it.

[code2d]

Here is a other website to review in full that a other member gave to me
Physiololgy I Chapter (shallow water blackout) from Freedive by Terry Maas and David Sipperly

[Erik]

You might want to go to Hawaii to take a Performance Freediving course- they do a few per year there I think, and the course is phenomenal. It will bring your fear down to a healthy level of respect for your limitations, which you might see are much higher than you may have thought.

[rhinocerus]

Ahh yes Erik - I've been reading a few comments over these threads that suggest a course in Hawaii.

It sounds good - what's the pricing like?

[Erik]

Check here amigo: Performance Freediving | home |

[rhinocerus]

Gotcha. Looks great. Good instructors it seems. Thanks Erik.

I'm excited already. This link helped the feeling.

[Pocoshower]

Hi Rhino

You will find this suggestive

FREEDIVERS

Saludos and wellcome to DB

Carlos