FRC - How do do it?

[rbsub]

FRC - How to do it?

I just began with FRC breathholds. Now I have some questions about it:

In the time between then breathholds I exhale slow (15- 20 sec.). What about the last exhalation? Should the last exhalation be a slow one as well? Or is it better do do one or two deep breaths (not to fast, not to slow to prevent hyperventilation)?

And how can I prevent to cheat myself with the point where I start the breathhold. It appears to me that from breath hold to breath hold I leave more and more air in my lunge, espacially while working with CO2-tables.

Or is it better to do a active exhale and breath only a little bit?

 

[laminar]

Hi Rsub,

It's interesting that you are doing what sounds like dry tables on FRC. I've never done that.

For me FRC diving is a means to a specific end, and that's enjoyable and relaxed freediving.

If you're just starting out, perhaps trying FRC dynamic in the pool (with a buddy, for sure) would be of the most benefit. Or cautious recreational diving in water less than 20m. Do you want to compete or just enjoy your dives?

The amount of air in your lungs will vary to some degree, but over time you will learn to adjust the lung volume slightly for the depth or time you plan to spend. As a general rule, I prefer relaxed normal breathing. This is more like the breathing you do when you are not thinking about breathing at all.

If you've been diving on a full inhale up until now, diving on FRC will be strange and perhaps a little scary. You can search the forums for threads on FRC:
http://forums.deeperblue.net/freedi...ale-frc-adaptation.html?highlight=FRC+laminar

I would focus primarly on changing your diving style to suit FRC, which is a lot more important that doing tables, since wasted energy will limit your dive time much more than apnea ability since any extra CO2 generated will feel much more hard to manage than usual.

So things to work on:
-proper buoyancy control
-being limp and not moving on the descent
-VERY gradual depth progression to lessen your anxiety and body tension (in the context of repeated dives, not max rep diving)
-ensuring effective and maximal vasoconstriction
-mouth fill equalizing technique if you want to go deeper than 30m (use with caution)
-chest and diagphram flexibility and control (this is vital for FRC diving and I heartily recommend that you take things as slow as you can)
-learning the difference between the inhale and FRC breathing reflex and hypoxia. If you dive with little wasted energy, you will not get as strong CO2 reflex early in the dive to warn you of approaching hypoxia. This is another reason to approach FRC diving gently and with direct supervision.

I would recommend going to the deep end of a pool with a buddy and doing simulated FRC dives. Go to the middle of the deep end and practice diving down without effort and lying on the bottom for a time that is comfortable to you, say 30-45 seconds. Then swim in circles/pull yourself along the bottom until you feel that you should ascend. If you have the slightest doubt, ascend. Once you have more experience with the different sensation of FRC diving, especially at the end of a dive, then you can try longer dives. Try to avoid swimming any particular distance underwater at first, since it's the sensations and relaxation and energy waste reduction that is most important.

I really took several months to get accustomed to diving on an exhale before I became confident enough. Now my dive times are actually longer on average than my inhale dives used to be and they are WAY more enjoyable.

Good luck!

Pete

 

[rbsub]

Pete , thank you for your valueable advices.

I began working with the tables in FRC-style because the normal tables took to much time for me. 40-45 minutes every two day don't fit in my daily routine. Until now the time which I need for the tables in FRC-style is much less:t.

Once a week I'm in the pool (with a buddy!) to practice FRC-diving. Until now it's only relaxed laying on the bottom, playing games under water or we do some dynamics. No deep diving - the pool is only 3.5 m deep. I'm waiting for the summer.

What I noticed is that with FRC I'm much more relaxed during the dive. But my bottomtime is bad and I think the tables will help me with that.

I hope that I will find the time to join one of Sebastians clinics during summer.

 

[marginatus]

could you please post your tables?
are they the same as in inhale tables?

 

[rbsub]

could you please post your tables?
are they the same as in inhale tables?

Yes, they are the same tables as the inhale tables. Beside the fact that the times of the breathholds are less.

And I recognized that the recovery time between the breathholds needn't be so long as they are in my inhale tables.

By now, my breathhold time in an exhale table is half of the one from the inhale table. But I hope it will get longer.

 

[rbsub]

I would recommend going to the deep end of a pool with a buddy and doing simulated FRC dives. Go to the middle of the deep end and practice diving down without effort and lying on the bottom for a time that is comfortable to you, say 30-45 seconds. Then swim in circles/pull yourself along the bottom until you feel that you should ascend. If you have the slightest doubt, ascend. Once you have more experience with the different sensation of FRC diving, especially at the end of a dive, then you can try longer dives. Try to avoid swimming any particular distance underwater at first, since it's the sensations and relaxation and energy waste reduction that is most important.

Pete,

I did that yesterday evening at the pool training for the first time. It was very relaxing and I felt very well.

Again, thank you very much for your advices.

 

[marginatus]

thanks. i'll try it

 

[laminar]

One thing to bear in mind with recovery from FRC dives is this: Quite often I'll surface from a dive, take a few deep breaths and in less than a minute feel ready to go back down again. I believe this is mainly due to less accumulated CO2 because the overall effort of the dive is much less than a buoyant/negative inhale or inhale with packing dive.

However, you still should allow an ample interval for complete recovery. Energy stores that you may have used will take as long as four minutes to replenish. If you were at all hypoxic, you'll need to wait for time to circulate oxygen to all of your tissues. And finally, if you are doing repetitive dives deep enough, you'll need enough breathing cycles to blow off Nitrogen. Yes, even diving FRC it is possible to get DCS (I believe).

FRC tables are one thing but when you are in the pool or diving, remember to allow for at least a 3-4 minute interval between long dives.



Pete

 

[rbsub]

FRC tables are one thing but when you are in the pool or diving, remember to allow for at least a 3-4 minute interval between long dives.



Pete

I guess that I have another definition of long dives as you haverofl.

For me a long FRC dive in the pool is 60 to 90 sec. I made recovery breaks of 2 - 3 minutes and felt very comfortable.