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Continuous apnea (dolphin style)?

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Vitalij

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Jul 23, 2017
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Hi to all from newcomer (dynamic apnea hardly over 1 min). From watching the behavior of porpoises I've got some conclusions being of practical interest to me.
While porpoises could dive deep and for a long, their continuous repeating pattern on feeding or on the move is: one breath, shallow water apnea <30 sec, one breath.
My question for experienced freediving gurus: is there such one-breath shallow pattern, some specific kind of dynamic tables, that could be comfortably used for hours?
Could one swim (fins attached) in relaxed diving way for a miles without breaking one-breath rythm (much like a traditional swimmers) and how long breathholding period should ideally be in this case.
 
I don't know the answer to this but I am going to the pool this afternoon and play with a "one breath" lap swim.
 
If you were doing any real length of apnea a one breath cycle wouldn't be sufficient and the inhale/exhale complicate things further. When swimming you exhale under the water because you don't have the time when taking the breath to exhale/inhale efficiently. If doing apnea you would need to inhale and exhale sufficient amounts to be safe. Remember that a dolphins blow hole is placed so that they can remain hydrodynamic and breath and have evolved in the sea to do just that, the very fact that we need equipment to do what they do reminds us of that. A combination of side finning and diving may work for you but just be aware of how dangerous it is doing apnea if you are already puffed out from swimming or finning and the sea is not a forgiving place. I would have thought that a front snorkel surface swim and diving when you want to for fun would work over distance as would a side swim and dive, your still finning and diving and most importantly having fun ;)
 
So after re-reading this post I realized that this is just doing hypoxic laps - ie breath ever 3, 5, 7 , 0r 9 strokes. When I swim laps for good exercise I breath every 3 strokes and go on like that for up to 30 minutes non stop . I played around with it last night and found I can go for several laps of slow/efficient swimming at 5 strokes per breath - but after a few laps I could feel the oxygen dept building, I know I could not go on like that "forever".
 
I would have thought that a front snorkel surface swim and diving when you want to for fun would work over distance as would a side swim and dive, your still finning and diving and most importantly having fun ;)
Уеs this is exactly what I used to do – continuous surface (front) snorkeling with monofin on long-distance swims. But I wonder if extensive freediving background could really change that experience.
 
So after re-reading this post I realized that this is just doing hypoxic laps - ie breath ever 3, 5, 7 , 0r 9 strokes. When I swim laps for good exercise I breath every 3 strokes and go on like that for up to 30 minutes non stop . I played around with it last night and found I can go for several laps of slow/efficient swimming at 5 strokes per breath - but after a few laps I could feel the oxygen dept building, I know I could not go on like that "forever".
Maybe this is the matter of training? After all "3 stroke hypoxic laps" is what they use in ordinary swimming (freestyle etc.) and newcomers have difficulties in following that pattern for a long.
What kind of "strokes" you experimented with? Hand strokes are taxing too much of energy and logically drive you into long proven swimmers 3-stroke pattern. Presumably only monofin could provide crude approximation to dolphin-style economy of propulsion. And, Mark, thanks for your really quick "field trials":)
 
For most swimmers who learn how and are in shape - doing 3-stroke breathing is not hypoxic. I was just doing a regular freestyle/crawl with no kick - I don't kick because I just enjoy it more that way.
 
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According to Bruce Hucker of the South Carolina Aquarium, dolphins average about eight to 12 breaths per minute when they're moderately active but breathe as few as three times per minute when they're resting.
 
hmmmm -12 breaths per minute- that's every five seconds - just like humans. When I watch them at the beach they don't seem to be surfacing that fast.
 
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I do fin swim in the sea for fun with bi fins, normally Cressi Master Frog and use a modified combat swimmer stroke with less arm strokes. This works well but for an extended apnea phase in the stroke, I would switch the fins to softer fins, maybe my freedive seacs. I use the master frogs because they are stiff and I can also use my dive boots on the pebble beach, a long swim with master frogs is a good workout! :D
 
Hi to all from newcomer (dynamic apnea hardly over 1 min). From watching the behavior of porpoises I've got some conclusions being of practical interest to me.
While porpoises could dive deep and for a long, their continuous repeating pattern on feeding or on the move is: one breath, shallow water apnea <30 sec, one breath.
My question for experienced freediving gurus: is there such one-breath shallow pattern, some specific kind of dynamic tables, that could be comfortably used for hours?
Could one swim (fins attached) in relaxed diving way for a miles without breaking one-breath rythm (much like a traditional swimmers) and how long breathholding period should ideally be in this case.
Yes, if you had elevated levels of myoglobine in your cells. Also some marine mammals such as pinnipeds when ascending experience tachycardia which helps with replenishing oxygen. One species of pinnipeds was doing 1250m continous dives with very short surface time (around 3min.) in contrast to their dive time which was around an hour.
 
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