Question In need of a bit of guidance

[Big wave Troy]

Ive discovered apnea due to surfing bigger waves and my need to stay calm during long hold downs in big surf .
At first i found the Wim Hof breathing which i loved , for meditation reasons, but soon discovered it was lowering my CO2 tolerance, so quit. I then got the stamina app with a goal of increasing tolerance to CO2. Ive read here that the stamina app alone is not a way to increase freediving skills and totally understand that.
My first question is : is it possible to incorporate the W.Hof relaxation breathing whilst increasing my CO2 tolerance with the tables of Stamina, i think not. ? If not are there any specific relaxation methods to prepare for long periods under water ?
My second question is re static apnea training. I have a pool and have tried a couple of goes(with my wife as a buddy) but my breath hold is nothing like as long as when on dry land. Im super keen to get more time in the pool but feel i might be doing something wrong.
Big thanks in advance for patience with a beginer and any knowledge shared .

 

[TerryJamesWalker]

Ive discovered apnea due to surfing bigger waves and my need to stay calm during long hold downs in big surf .
At first i found the Wim Hof breathing which i loved , for meditation reasons, but soon discovered it was lowering my CO2 tolerance, so quit. I then got the stamina app with a goal of increasing tolerance to CO2. Ive read here that the stamina app alone is not a way to increase freediving skills and totally understand that.
My first question is : is it possible to incorporate the W.Hof relaxation breathing whilst increasing my CO2 tolerance with the tables of Stamina, i think not. ? If not are there any specific relaxation methods to prepare for long periods under water ?
My second question is re static apnea training. I have a pool and have tried a couple of goes(with my wife as a buddy) but my breath hold is nothing like as long as when on dry land. Im super keen to get more time in the pool but feel i might be doing something wrong.
Big thanks in advance for patience with a beginer and any knowledge shared .

Hi, Mee too with bigger waves and an AIDA surf course. I'm fairly new to freediving too, but have a good understanding of oxygen and CO2 metabolism.
Can you describe the Wim Hof breathing? Not sure why it would lower CO2 tolerance?

Relaxation seems to be different for everyone, but some notable pros advise a few minutes of box breathing, or 4 secs in 8 sec hold 8 sec out type stuff, followed by 2 mins of completely natural relaxed belly breathing (symmetrical and small tidal volume).

Wet static should be longer than dry due to dive reflex; so thats likely to do with relaxation problems, both before and during....

Chip in anyone if I'm talking nonsense

 

[Big wave Troy]

Hi, Mee too with bigger waves and an AIDA surf course. I'm fairly new to freediving too, but have a good understanding of oxygen and CO2 metabolism.
Can you describe the Wim Hof breathing? Not sure why it would lower CO2 tolerance?

Relaxation seems to be different for everyone, but some notable pros advise a few minutes of box breathing, or 4 secs in 8 sec hold 8 sec out type stuff, followed by 2 mins of completely natural relaxed belly breathing (symmetrical and small tidal volume).

Wet static should be longer than dry due to dive reflex; so thats likely to do with relaxation problems, both before and during....

Chip in anyone if I'm talking nonsense

Hi Terry,
Thanks for your reply.

I looked at finding an AIDA course here in France , but did not know they did a surf course, that sounds perfect .

Yes i read a few places that the W.Hof breathing reduces CO2 tolerance over time due to the fact its hyperventilation as opposed to standard CO2 tables that gradually increase tolerance overtime. I read that its not recommended to mix the 2 up. Heres one of the pieces i read below about superventialation :

"Measurements in studies show that subjects' CO2 levels are usually lower at the end of three rounds of Wim Hof breathing compared to when they started the session. That means, their breath holds after superventilation are not long enough to bring the CO2 back to the starting level. We can assume that this is the case for most of us, if we stop the breath hold more or less as soon as we feel the urge to breathe. This does not mean that a Wim Hof breathing session now and then will affect our CO2 tolerance. After all, CO2 tolerance is an average value. However, if we use the Wim Hof method on a daily basis over a longer period of time and also tend to be somewhat stressed in our daily lives and tend to breathe quickly and through the mouth, it is very likely that we will become increasingly sensitive to CO2 and thus experience shorter breath holds".

Its well confusing for me , as im pretty much totally new into it.

I feel the benefit's already of my CO2 tables and O2 tables. I had a surprise big wave session just after my first post. I got steam rolled twice and felt way stronger in my breath hold AND stayed fully calm.

Yes thanks for the tip on the relaxation method , i think you have a point about my static attempts and i just need to do some serious relaxation before i try the next time. My dry static best is 3.30 and in the pool its 1.15, so will get back in the pool after a good relaxation session and try again.

Thanks again