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How to start Freediving

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
hi sanso,
packing is when a person does a full inhale and then forces or pumps more air into their lungs using their toungue as a kind of piston. some people swear by this technique others think its counter productive as it hinders the relaxation state and if you are into greater depths may give a higher risk of dcs as you are carrying more nitrogen down with you but this occurs at big depths.
 
Thanks, Feargus :)

actually that explanation was not so much meant for me, but I saw someone ask in another thread.

@akoni, I think that explanation is pretty good. Should be ok for the vocab-part of 'how to start freediving'.

Cheers!
 
Hey guys.Love the site.Great info.living in the U.S.Trying to get back into freediving.Been out of it for years since I was living in Egypt Years ago.
PS.Could someone answer IRONIC LETTUCE last question??
in table A dose the rest period changes as I progress or dose it stay the same also for table B Do I change the rest period as I progress or dose it allways stays the same??
 
MFA,

With an O2 table, the rest period always stays the same, and the holds get longer. With a CO2 table, the rest periods get shorter, while the hold stays the same duration. As you progress, you either increase the length of the last hold in the O2 table, or the set length of the holds in the CO2 table. :)

Todd
 
Guys and Gals,

This is an incredible website you have put together. Thank you so much for providing this invaluable resource for the many individuals who want to learn to go longer, farther, deeper under the water.

I have read every posting in the "Beginner Freediving" section now, and I have seen numerous people ask for specific gudance on TRAINING for BEGINNERS. There is an excellent series of articles written in DB by Aharon and Maria-Theresa Solomons on this subject, including an in depth discussion of Training Tables. If you are looking for guidance on training, look no farther than:

http://www.deeperblue.net/bio.php/89

See you in the water!

Bill
 
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Unfortunately the topic is on it's limit of length, so I have to filter stuff out. Maybe I can use Deepthoughts second post in this topic for expansion. :) Deepthought? :D
 
Packing however is something completely unnecessary for beginners and most of the time even for advanced freedivers. Using the schedules should give a performance boost, also train finning technique, stretching and relaxation, if you can use one finstroke less than you did before you can go further, if you can relax more before submerging you can conserve your air better and longer. Packing brings not only the chance of damage to the lungs but also other risks, safety risks. Before you start packing you should have a more stable performance and a buddy that knows every aspect of Freediving and Freediving Safety.
 
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Sure, just tell me what to paste there and it'll be done. :)
I will paste your last post there in a moment.
 
Friends;.I would appreciate sugggestions on how to equalize while descending.; Unlike scuba I find that it is impossible with lung air.
Stephen Meyer
Charleston W.Va.
 
Friends;.I would appreciate sugggestions on how to equalize while descending.; Unlike scuba I find that it is impossible with lung air.
Stephen Meyer
Charleston W.Va.

Stephen,

It sounds like you're basically relying on the Valsalva, which pushes from the diaphragm; no big deal when your air supply is "unlimited". Learn how to do the Frenzel technique, it's one of the best for those of us that aren't lucky enough to have the gift of "hands free equalization". Basically, in a nutshell, puff a bit of air into your mouth, close your throat (imagine you're about to lift something heavy, your Adam's Apple should lift), pinch your nose, then try to make a "guh" or "K" sound. Your throat will piston the air back into your 'tubes. Also, if you're doing it right, your throat should move, but your abs should NOT.
 
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As for packing, for myself I only use it as a stretching exercise, to get my lungs used to holding larger volumes of air. Basically, I'll start with 10 packs, hold for 10 seconds, then release, and on the next, I'll do a few more packs. The other day, on my final hold, I did 30 packs, relaxed into the hold....and came to lying on my side on the floor! Whoops! I asked Mandy about it, just to be sure WHY it happened, she said it was most likely pressure on my heart, and that that's why she does her packing stretches LYING DOWN. Well, live and learn! :D At least now I know what it's like to black out! lol

Todd
 
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Thanks todd; I had never heard of the Frenzel tecnique tho I have been scuba diving for years. I also have been investigating this 'equalization' problem for the past sefvral years and had never recieved any type of answer. Thanks again.Stehen Meyer
 
Up to what depth is the valsalva technique effective?

ive tried to learn the frenzel but its hard:head
 
Dunno how deep valsalve will take You, but learning the Frenzel is well worth it.
And if it's just because You'll hardly find anyone who can move their soft palate at will :D
Seriously, though, go through the excercises in efattahs document one by one and You'll get there. The time is well-spent.

Keep it up,
 
Most people are able (me including) get to around 40 m I guess.
(my PB is 39 m)
 
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As for packing, for myself I only use it as a stretching exercise, to get my lungs used to holding larger volumes of air. Basically, I'll start with 10 packs, hold for 10 seconds, then release, and on the next, I'll do a few more packs. The other day, on my final hold, I did 30 packs, relaxed into the hold....and came to lying on my side on the floor! Whoops! I asked Mandy about it, just to be sure WHY it happened, she said it was most likely pressure on my heart, and that that's why she does her packing stretches LYING DOWN. Well, live and learn! :D At least now I know what it's like to black out! lol

Todd

I have had similar reaction to standing up packing i went completely blind and when i could see again i could nt remember what just happened.:)
 
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Hello. I'm the most green, inexperienced, non-serious apnea trainer on this site.

I'm doing this training simply for the positive effects it supposedly has on blood-flow to the brain as a result of the mammilian diving reflex and the expansion of the carotid arteries via building C02 tolerance.

Of course, my #1 concern is safety.

What I've been doing is 60 laps of dynamic apnea in a 25 yrd pool with about 15 sec. rest in between each lap.

Then, I do 30 dives to the bottom of the pool (about 6 feet) and hold my breath for about 1 min each dive with 30 seconds rest in between. I consider this static apnea b/c I don't move too much at the bottom. I go to the bottom however to get the divers reflex. (Or, should I just float on the surface?)

I plan to do this every day for about 3 weeks. I tell the lifeguard what I'm doing but I don't have a "buddy." That said, I don't think I'm being too extreme.

Having said that my questions are:

1. When you build C02 tolerance, leading to longer breath holds, what is there to indicate a black out is upon you? After you resist breathing after that 1st set of contractions, when do you start playing with dangerous hypoxia?

2. Do you see any problems with this training regimin or do you suggest a better regimin for my stated goal which is basically brain health?

Thanks. Any advice or other facts would be appreciated.

Chlorineguy
 
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Chlorineguy here are the answers as best as i can answer them but someone else may do better

"I plan to do this every day for about 3 weeks. I tell the lifeguard what I'm doing but I don't have a "buddy." That said, I don't think I'm being too extreme."
Answer I think it is very extreme with no buddy

"1. When you build C02 tolerance, leading to longer breath holds, what is there to indicate a black out is upon you? After you resist breathing after that 1st set of contractions, when do you start playing with dangerous hypoxia?"
Answer: There are often no indications and you are already playing dangerously with hypoxia or hypercapnia

2. Do you see any problems with this training regimin or do you suggest a better regimin for my stated goal which is basically brain health?

Answer: yes get a buddy to watch who knows what to do if you black out a lifegaurd is of no use to you other than maybe giving you a false sense of security.

There are far too many stated cases of people that have died doing exactly what you are doing so if you think i am over the top I'm not.

Best advise try and do a course and don't do wet apnea training without someone watching. There are too many variable that affect performnace hydration stress tiredness etc and blackout can occur after sevral symptoms or after none at all.
Seriously a lot of people have died doing this and if that doesn't bother you it makes training apnea in pools very difficult for the rest of us when you die as the pool amangement will usually ban apnea training afterwards and tell other pools the problems that they have had leading to a bigger outcry to ban this dangerous sport. Compare this to how many athlethes have been killed while training in a controlled environment with buddies or in competitions.
i am getting off my soapbox now so hope you will yake on board whats been said.
 
I have to second fcallagy. Training alone is a definitive no-no. And as fcallagy wrote, telling lifeguards what you do, rather makes it worse than better because of the false feeling of security. They do not have only you to watch. When we do freediving training in our club we use several redundant layers of security and it is really necessary:
  1. There is a lifeguard in the pool dedicated only to our group (not the general pool lifeguard), and doing nothing else that supervising us. We are lucky to have an excellent one, who is one of the top city lifeguard instructors and has also great experience with spearing and competitive freediving. The lifeguard is a requirement of the city (it is a public pool), and we have to pay him ourselves, but frankly told it is well worth of it. BTW. the member fee in our club is ~200€/year and it covers the lifeguard pay, the swimming pool entry (4 hours a week), diving insurance, FFESSM federation license, and it also covers costs of participation on competitions.
    .
  2. Freediving Instructors - we have several instructors who went through AIDA and/or FFESSM drill. They train with us, but the one that is responsible for the training that day is not in the water, and besides coaching us, he is responsible for the security too.
    .
  3. We train in pairs or groups of three buddies, where we watch each other
    .
  4. When doing exercise anywhere close to our personal max, there is always a buddy following closely and securing the performing one in the same way as at competitions - watching for signs of samba, acceleration, bubble releasing and intervening immediately in case of need.
    .
  5. During wet static training nobody ever does any breath-hold without being directly supervised - it means he is being "clicked" each few seconds and immediately pulled out of the water if he/she fails to respond. During exercises we do this in small groups, keeping each other by hands in a circle and sending the finger "clicks" around. Again, when we perform close to our PB, the supervising buddy is securing like at a competition.
    .
  6. Regularly but randomly we have accident simulations (we do not know if it is a real one or not) where one of us simulates a blackout and others have to find him and save him in time. The simulation includes using oxygen and CPR device, we drill to be able to localize the necessary equipment as fast as possible, to assure that everyone leaves water in case of accident, minimizing the time to get to the phone to call the emergency, and also announcing the accident to the receptionist so that he makes the entry free for the emergency team and knows exactly where to send them. It was clear at the first simulations, that without the drill, there would be just big chaos, and even with the professional lifeguards in place it wouldn't be easy, safe and fast enough.
    .
  7. And of course, during training we do no perform to the max. We organize max sessions once or twice a year - with increased security in place, just like at a competition. Top freedivers in the club can train to the max when preparing for a competition, but are then supervised individually, and there are never two of them doing a max performance in the same time.
So, as to your training system, I'd really repeat what fcallagy wrote - find a club with serious security in place, or at least a buddy with whom you try to maximize the security in the way I described above.

When training for CO2 tolerance, it is usually safer doing shorter breath-holds or distances and progressively reducing the rest times. In this way you assure rising CO2, but still avoid hypoxia. So for example you can make 25m laps, starting with 20 breath cycles between them, decreasing it by one each lap and ending with just one or two inhales between them (you can repeat the minimal breath-up more times then). Still, doing it alone is to be avoided.

Training statics at the bottom is one of the most dangerous things you can do. Even if someone supervises you from the surface, before he notices something is not OK, it may be already too late. Do not forget that when you blackout, the brain is already in rather deep hypoxia, so some irreversible damage may start in seconds. When the life guard notices you may have blacked out, and decides to pull you out, and before he really does it, it may take considerable time, and although they probably manage to rescue you, there may be already irreversible damage in your brain. This is exactly why we always train wet statics in a shallow pool, with contact supervision (clicking by hands each other) - in this way, if someone blacks out, the reaction is practically immediate, or within a few seconds in worst.
 
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