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contractions

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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blues_diver

Pinoy Deeper Blue Member
Jun 7, 2002
22
1
3
49
hi guys,

sorry if this is a dumb ass question, even for a newbie.
what are contractions and how are they counted?
thanks!
 
Poeh,.....

About the couting, normally in the west we count from 1 upwards.....like: 1..2..3..4..5..6 and so on.:D :D :D :D
 
Originally posted by blues_diver
hi guys,

sorry if this is a dumb ass question, even for a newbie.
what are contractions and how are they counted?
thanks!

Hi BD, no worries :)
If you can hold your breath long enough to resist the temptation to breath, then (most of us) you may have involuntary diaphragmatic/abdominal contractions as your body attempts to regain control of the breathing. More advanced fdivers know approximately how many contractions they can sustain in a particular situation before they lose consciousness.
Cheers,
Erik Y.
 
a further question on contractions

hi to all...

As we talk about contractions I wonder whether one need to start to return to the surface immediately as the first contractions begin (The depths I am talking about is between 15-20 meters). I can guess that the answer depends on how advanced and fit a freediver is, but for a recreational freediver like me, whose max. depth is 20 m, there may be an approximate answer
for how far to push the contraction limits. A second thing is how to improve the bottom time before contractions start. And independently from regular pool and sea trainings to improve our aquatic potential, is there a way to ignore or stop contractions for a while just by pure will power or psychological relaxation?

Thanks in advance
 
pim: hehehe, i guess i had that little comment coming. i figured that contractions are the urge to breathe during apenea. i get them already at 3 mins (dry static), but i read here and there that some of you guys are able to count the number of times they kick. the way i feel them is like one straight uninterupted bad ass urge! reason why i asked why some people are able to count them.

erik: so i take it that these "countable" contractions only happens to advanced fdivers. i still have a long way to before i get there, was just wondering anyhows. thanks for the insightful reply!

arbati: since a lot of freedivers are into yoga that perhaps could be one way of ignoring contractions. i dont know if its possible to stop them, but i think we can only prolong the tolerance. i used to stare at my watch while i time myself when i do statics. i found out that i am more able to go further my best times when i dont, not being conscious of the passing time helps me ignore the urge to breathe sooner. i think about the bills i have to pay, the over due reports i have to make, and things like that. doesn't relax me but it sure gets my mind of the contraction! hehehe.

dive safely guys!
 
I seem to get the one urge that I need to constantly fight too. Currently my best time is 3 minutes, and the urge kicks in at around about 2 minutes on a good attempt, but sometimes at around 1:30.
Is this just a case of me not being particularly tolerant to the CO2 currently, and will this improve with practice, or is it likely to be something I'm just stuck with?

Thanks,
Matt