Hookbreath

[pingshui]

I read this term several times now, but nowhere I found any further descriptions.

So my questions are:
What should a proper hookbreath be like? How many should I take after the dive? And what is actually the advantage (scientifically)?

I would be grateful for any enlightenment!

 

[monkeyhatfork]

invented by fighter pilots to recover from g-force, helps to minimize risk of blackout, bear down hard on the beginning of your exhale like your trying to sqeeze out a big dump, you feel some pressure in your head. For science explanation you'll have to wait for Trux to reply I usually use 3-4

 

[Kars]

Exhales relaxes the body and let's the blood pressure drop that in turn may be enough to have a low on O2 diver go BO.

Upon surfacing inhale a good amount of air fast and hold your breath as you tilt you head downward and put muscle pressure on your chest, throat in order to keep the blood pressure up. After the first inhale and the short 3-4 second pressured breath-hold, inhale more again on top, short and fast without exhaling and hold again for 3-4 seconds, and finally a third time.
By this time, you're over 8 seconds after your first inhale and your O2 in your bloodstream is restored enough, so you can ease off and do the Surface Protocol.

Basically it's a short fast inhales and holds keeping the blood pressure up.

 

[pingshui]

Thanks Kars, that makes perfectly sense. Did you incorporate it in you surface routine or just for competition/max dives? and do you use it for all disciplines?

 

[Kars]

I make it into a habit. Normally I do just 1 mild hookbreath. When I´m doing a near max dive I´ll do the full 3 hook breaths.
I think it's good to program good habits.

 

[toku58]

Wow? I've actually been intuitively doing something like this, on my max breath holds. My first breath upon surfacing is a good amount with a short hold, about 2-3 sec. then I exhale and take anther quick breath and a another short hold for 2-3 sec. and maybe a third. (depending on how my heart rate is)
But I've been doing this more to prevent HV and becoming lightheaded. Now I see that the lightheadedness that I was feeling might have been from blood pressure loss also.

Thanks guys!

 

[azapa]

you should always train exactly the same recovery breath - to program it as a surfacing action.
- small exhale
- BIG inhale (mouth wide open)
- HOOK - bear down (like monkeyhatfork says - like taking a dump) - but "feel" the pressure up in the head
REPEAT 2 or 3 times

If you program this enough, static, spearing, training dynamics etc, it may just save you when you really need it. Do it ALL the time.

 

[pingshui]

Again, thanks a lot for the advice! I will incorporate it into my practice, hopefully doing it right