Late night apena

[BlueKarma]

Sometimes before i go to bed i try to do a little static apena. I want to get good at freediving but i often struggle with the 1 min mark. (yes i am new)
any good ideas/suggestions for training outside of my bed? lol
i used to use it as a way of falling asleep, kinda stupid ya know? blacking out so i could sleep.
anywayz ideas 4 increasing my time. i know how to relax and i have a breath resistance trainer.

[Rogert]

there is a few ways to do this out of bed, one way is to download free static programs like this one, http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=67375. i have also been doing apnea walks. i set myself a goal to walk in one breath and if i feel good when i hit that stage then i further my goal. this might be a good thing for u. i have gone from 47sec static to 2:00min static in about 2-3weeks. but if ur on ur own, dont do any training in the pool.

hope this helps, happy training
cheers!

[RydDragyn]

First off, I'm very new myself - I'm only up to 1 minute 33 seconds static apnea in the pool. But I personally found that a good way to get past the one minute mark, at least with static apnea in a pool, is to relax and not look at the clock obsessively. I'll occasionally signal to my buddy to let them know I'm okay, or sometimes my buddy will signal to me every 30 seconds so I can pace myself.

Hope that helps. Maybe someone more experienced can chime in and give us both some useful advice.

[naiad]

When I was a beginner, all I could think of when doing static apnea is "I'm holding my breath!". When I could forget what I am doing, and how long I have been holding my breath, my times improved a lot.

Lucia

[DiverTodd]

Originally Posted by RydDragyn

First off, I'm very new myself - I'm only up to 1 minute 33 seconds static apnea in the pool. But I personally found that a good way to get past the one minute mark, at least with static apnea in a pool, is to relax and not look at the clock obsessively. I'll occasionally signal to my buddy to let them know I'm okay, or sometimes my buddy will signal to me every 30 seconds so I can pace myself.

Hope that helps. Maybe someone more experienced can chime in and give us both some useful advice.

When doing static in the pool, you should ALWAYS have a buddy, who should be timing you with a stopwatch. Try for a set time, say 2 mins. At 1 min, your buddy should be tapping your shoulder every 30 seconds, and you should be giving him a signal that you're ok. Once you hit 2 mins, if you can keep going, the taps should come every 15 seconds. Having your buddy taking care of timing takes the burden off of you, so you can focus on relaxing into the hold. It's a great, SAFE way to train and increase your time!

Todd

[RydDragyn]

Thanks for the great advice Todd!

[DiverTodd]

No problem! Just consider yourself lucky that you HAVE someone to train with! Here in Ohio, a freediving training buddy is a HOT commodity! One that I'm in SERIOUS need of, since I need to train up for the PFI student competition in April! So, if there's anyone out there that's NEAR me... heh heh...

Todd

[Evita]

Late nite apnea is the best :-)

When I first started doing dry tables, I was doing them in the morning and had a funny feeling in the head, arms and legs for several hours afterwards. So I switched to apnea at bedtime, so I can sleep it off.

My dry static times (and subsequently wet static) improved a lot when

1. I started to listen to the radio (music programme) and tried to make it part of the training - adjusting my pulse to the beat, listening without focussing. And suddenly several minutes had passed...

2. I began using a digital watch/stop watch, so I don't need to look at it very often to keep track of time (was that one round or two rounds of the dial?). I still use the image of the dials ticking around clock for visualisation, though.

But most importantly, I always have manageable goals for training - goals that are within my reach, but still high enough to be proud of. Don't start with your ultimate goal in mind. Make it something tough, but realistic. And make an effort to reach your training goal every time - it will give you much needed confidence and routine.

Along the lines of apnea walking: Maybe you can try translating your target apnea time into some other activity. For instance the time it takes to... listen to your favorite song, make a sandwich or walk a certain distance. And when you master that, take it up at notch.

Like Lucia says, bad thoughts can really kill your static, so try to keep them occupied with something safe. Focus on your heart beat and try to bring it down. Imagine going to sleep in one place or another - how would you make yourself comfortable, step by step. Etc, etc. The main thing is to not let your mind spin into panic. It may sound weird but you can actually make a plan for the thought patterns to follow during the static and then try to stick with it. See what works for you.

[DiverTodd]

Evita brings up some great points...a stopwatch is invaluable, as you only need to glance at it from time to time...if at all...to see how much time has passed. I'll use a stopwatch instead of a computer program if I'm doing holds based not on time, but on the number of contractions I'm holding through, increasing the amount of contractions I endure each time (I'll glance at it when I have my first contraction, to see exactly when it hit). I used to play songs in my head, but then quickly gave it up once I realized that I was timing myself once I became aware of how far I was into the song. Now, I just keep my mind blank, sinking into the darkness behind my eyelids, or, alternately, fixating at a spot in the ceiling plaster and focusing on it, repeating things to myself in my head like "relax"..."calm"..."focus", and giving myself positive reinforcement ("You're doing great, you can do this, Todd"..."There's the first contraction, don't fight them, let them happen.."). Doing static with your eyes open is a good practice to get into, as your eyes will be open during your dives. It's easier to relax and "shut down" with your eyes closed, but it can also have the negative side effect of conditioning you into closing your eyes during your dives; TRUST me on this one (Mandy had to remind me a few times NOT to close my eyes). And, like Evita said, and I myself can't stress it enough, confidence is VERY important. If you keep your training tough, but managable, pushing yourself JUST enough, you'll feel GREAT when you make it through a table, and you'll be glad that you held on...you'll know you're getting stronger, and your abilities are increasing! That feeling alone is sometimes worth the agony of a static table! Some days I'll just DREAD going into the static table, but, if I make it through (especially if it's a longer time I'm struggling to get through), I'll get such a RUSH of pride and confidence that I'll forget all about the negative feelings at the beginning. BUT, also remember, if you don't make it through, DO NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP! Everyone has a bad day now and then, and you gave it a try, which is better than not doing it at all. And besides, there's always next time!

Todd

[Marwan]

i see that someone has been reading Umberto's manual for freediving

[Evita]

Really? Who? I have borrowed it from a friend, but so far I haven't turned a page in it, because what I have heard other people quote from it frankly sounds outdated.

To be fair, I have also heard that the static tables originate from that book, so proper credit is probably due. But if that is so, I have picked up the lessons second hand.

And, ahem, some of us dive with our eyes closed. I am no deep diver but I like to close my eyes in the beginning of a dynamic and for as long as I can during a static. Make the most of the comfortable part of the dive. It will require all your attention soon enough...

[DiverTodd]

Well, sure, during a static, where you're at the surface and being monitored, it's fine to close your eyes. I was speaking of an actual dive. Besides, it's hard to see the descent line with your eyes closed! On a more serious note, it's important to keep the eyes open on ascent to help the diver stay conscious should a problem arise.

Todd (who has also never read Umberto's book)

[Jee]

Divng (CW) with closed eyes is very much possible, if you keep your hands on the line. Actually, one of my friends usually dive with closed eyes, and once on a free immersion one hit the bottom (rock) with his head (at about 40), fortunately nothing happened - clean dive. Other friend dove with closed eyes in a lake (I think CNF), and hit the bottom at 30 (mud) with a speed so his head dissapeared in the mud (sand) . Then he reached for the rope very relaxed and pulled himself out of the dirt, and swam up - clean dive - not so clean wetsuit! Like the monster of the lake he arrived to the surface!

BTW: closing your eyes at static: it is very good at the easy phase, and also good at the struggle phase. As Todd told, it is better to open the eyes at the end of the dive - it is easier to remain conscious.
What happened to me was, when doing the pool training realy in the morning, I did the O2 table with close eyes, relaxed, I started to sleep, still holding my breath. Then I - as started to sleep deeper, and perhaps tried to take a breath - suddenly opened my eyes (like when you have to wake up, wakes up a bit early and sleep back for 5 minutes, and the watch beeps to wake you up), and saw, that I was only at the 3 min mark, so I continued the dive to the given time of the table. It was funny. Thsi happened only twice to me along my all trainings. So this is one danger of clsing your eyes, when you are really relaxed, and really sleepy.