hitting 'the wall' when diving

[warren22]

Hello

I've got a few questions about free diving

I am very much a beginner but have been fascinated by it for a while.

I once worked with a guy who was a self professed free diver. One thing that he told me that i really want the answer to is that (according to him) after holding your breath for about 1 or 2 minutes (in an untrained person) your body starts fighting for oxygen. He told me that the levels of fear/discomfort will rise and rise and thats when you get air. He said, however, that if you brave it out sound in the faith that these warning can saftely be ignored... then the fear drops away and you feel like you've just got in the water... a second wind so to speak. Then he said.. all you need to do is make sure you dont ignore the second warning. He reconed he could hold his breath for about 4 or 5 miuntes.

I've searched this website to try to validate this idea of going throught the pain barrier to green pastures beyond.. and a can't find anything.

My questions are..

1. Does anyone agree with this description of what it feels like to hold your breath for that long and is this a recognised phenomena.

2. Is this the same as the 'contractions' that i've read about? If so then do they really stop completely as this bloke says? basically should i have a little bit more faith?

3. Also people keep talking to me about parkinsons type neaurological disease associated with long term free diving. Is this true? and is it the result of going to depths or is it due to lack of oxygen... or is it just a load of rubbish??



Any help and replies would be greatly appreciated. I can hold my breath for about 2 and a half minutes but towards the end i start to ponder as to the dangers of what i'm doing. As i'm sure any freediver will agree in one way it does feel very wrong...

I'm hoping someones going to put my mind at rest.

Pip. A free diver wannabe from Sheffield. Uk

 

[DeepThought]

1. If talking about dry static breathhold then for me the discomfort increases during the whole hold but I've heard some poeple describing a peak and an easier period afterwards.

2. Doesn't sound to me like he was talking about contractions, they usually don't disapear during the breathold. Most beginners don't get abdominal contractions at first. Patience.

3. Never heard of parkinson linked with freediving.

I think that if you are training dry, with airways exposed to air (even if mouth is closed) and assuming you don't have health problems the consensus seems to be that it is safe to push yourself gradually into longer breatholds. Actually, that's the most common way to train.
In theory, if you are to actually surpass your limits and blackout you will spontaneously start to breath again. (if that happens take a break from breathold for atleast a day)
It is not very common for beginners to blackout on their first steps, assuming no heavy hyperventilation is done.

I hope I answered your questions.

 

[cdavis]

Hi Warren, Welcome to DB,

Questions:

1. Yes and no. Some people, me included, go through waves of "urge to breath" it gets worse then better then worse. I would not expect it to be near as distinct as your buddy described. Doing dry statics, you may encounter something like that. Just diving, CW or whatever, DON'T ignore the first warning unless you have a well trained buddy at arms length. Good way to BO.

2. Not the same as contractions. They might get to feeling a little easier for a while, but won't stop.

3. Complete BS. There might be some long term bad effects of intense freediving, not uncommon for many very intense sports, but it is not something that you need to worry about. Some ideas have been tossed around. However, no one has documented anything, nor (to my knowledge) is there any widely held suspicion (by knowledgeable people) of any particular side effect .

Have fun practicing. Good luck

Connor

 

[efattah]

tylerz and some others have reported contractions 'disappearing' and stopping for several minutes, but even for them this is a rare phenomenon. In my case the first 'tingle' in the lungs usually does go away.

 

[crusty]

I was Talking to a very acomplished ( world record holder) spearfishing buddy on the way to a dive on the weekend and he ways saying that when he used to do wet statics (3meters) that after a while his contractions would completly dissapear and he would get a period of calm before they started agian.
This could extend his botton time by 30%.

His time was 4mins to 4.30 a moderate time in free diving terms, but good for a spearo

I would have no reason to dought him as he has been diving for 40 years or more and has never had a black out, and I just put it down to how his body works.

Im way to scared to push it to that point, i have come close to a mild samba in the pool ( tingling skin on my back & neck , loss of motor controll when tying to restet my watch after surfacing. and a slight loss of memory for a few seconds) that i dear not ignore my final warnings.

Having said that i would love to push it to the point of finding out how far i can go, but i would have to have lots of spotters, oxygen and a ambulance standing by before i would.

Crusty

 

[warren22]

Thankyou people

A very quick and helpfull response.... fascinating stuff holding your breath. I'm going to keep at it. Kind of a bit dissapointed by the response though. I was secretely hoping that i'd feel absolutely fine without breathing after the first three miutes or something. I suppose its just a matter of practice instead.

how anyone can hold their breath for over 7 minutes i don't understand.

I am in awe.

like all young jedi i must have patience.

 

[DeepThought]

Just diving, CW or whatever, DON'T ignore the first warning unless you have a well trained buddy at arms length. Good way to BO.

VERY good advise there!!
Sometimes there are even no warnings, or that the warnings come too late to do anything about it, so this is why one should advance gradually in a safe environment.

Kind of a bit dissapointed by the response though. I was secretely hoping that i'd feel absolutely fine without breathing after the first three miutes or something. I suppose its just a matter of practice instead.

No reason for disappointment here as the more you advance in your skill and adaptations the uncomfertable phase becomes less comfertable or is atleast delayed. Same as with serial breatholding in the same session, in the first hold it is usually harder than the second one given they were the same length.