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something finally clicked

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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monofin_diva

Well-Known Member
Jun 21, 2005
174
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so i'm out in my pool tonight around 10pm swimming around and i realized for the first time.. i didn't "quite" feel the need to breathe. normally i have this odd urge to swallow and i'm by NO means on par with any freediver. i just prefer apnea swimming.

i've been doing some of the tips i've been given on this forum like working on my static apnea while walking and holding my breath.. someone emailed me and suggested i try taping off like 75% of the end of my snorkel to increase my lung capacity.

i was able to spend almost 2 min underwater. until now i could only do average 1:45 - 1:50 static and about 45 or 1:00 dynamic. it wasn't until i realized how long i was just leisurely monofinning around the pool and diving to the deep end (9ft) did i realize that i was really going longer than normal. i went to get my watch and i was astounded to see my time was longer than my static personal best.

this really gave me a lot of encouragement.

then of course one of my neighbours was outside and started asking me questions and totally screwed up my concentration but im so happy right now i just had to share it.

this is my first time surpassing my own personal best!! i know it's nothing to write home about but i am so excited right now. tonight was really my first time doing two full laps in my pool (equaling about 50 m or so on one breath and not feeling all winded when i came up for air).. i actually felt like i could have EASILY kept going were i in a longer pool.

thanks for all the help! i'm so jazzed right now.. :king

ok.. time for bed
 
Diva,
First of all congrats! The feeling must be awesome and is very familair to all of us here on Deeperblue.

Please make sure someone is watching you when you do this. Make sure it is someone who is capable of draging you out of the pool if you blackout and familiar with what to do when dealing with a hypoxic blackout.

It seems like you are pushing your limits.

If you blackout in the pool without a partner watching you, you will drown and die.


Take good care of yourself.
 
people were outside too, but i will admit that i do swim alone. that's why i bought a front mounted snorkel so i can still swim and breathe at the same time. i normally just hold my breath though. for some strange reason it never dawns on me that it's a hypoxic exercise because i'm "just swimming" and not "actively" trying to increase my apnea time. but last night after i got out of the pool (albeit excited) i thought, damn almost 2 min without air underwater is a bit of a long time to do that alone even if i DON'T feel like i need air.

so i take your advice. even if you aren't trying to increase your apnea time, holding your breath while you swim is still hypoxic. i still don't know how to swim on the surface with my monofin yet. so like the only way i can is with a snorkel or a under the surface.

the odd thing last nite was.. i was just going for my usual before bed swim, that's the time of day when i just sorta leisurely fin around. i wasn't even trying to increase my time this time. i hadn't been in the pool for like 4 days because i was a little under the weather and i usually swim 2 times per day for a total of about 4 or 5 hours.

maybe the break gave my lungs a chance to recharge or something and they were all geared up and ready for a swim because i wasn't even actively trying to increase any times, it just dawned on me that i was under a lot longer than normal and i didnt feel the need to breathe or swallow.

i will take care of myself, thanks for your concern, i really appreciate it.
 
Hi Mono_Diva

Congrats I'm sure you will find that you can make better times and you will enjoy it a lot.

Please take care, find a budy who watch your training. The risk of SWB is allways there.

Cheers
 
thanks guys!!

yeah shallow water blackout is always a concern of mine. especially because sometimes i'm not thinking about it as "training" but just regular swimming.

sometimes people will see me in the pool and join me, but i can almost be assured they would NOT know what to do in the least should i black out.

i have a scuba diving partner and he'll spot me, but honestly, between me and you guys, i think he gets really bored. he's not big on freediving so he's always like.. come on lets go diving.. i'm like dammit i wanna free dive.

but hey.. a spotter is a spotter and beggers can't be choosy. however, i do swim alone most of the time :hmm
 
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congrats to your PB!
Pocoshower said:
Please take care, find a budy who watch your training. The risk of SWB is allways there.
Click to expand...
thats right ...
i already posted it once here on DB:


after that i respect the water in any way ...even if its only 10 cm deep. Now i never go dive or swimm alone.

good luck and dive safe!
Adam
 
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oh my. i guess it's easier for that to happen than i realized.. and it can happen very suddenly.

should i still not swim alone if i'm using a snorkel? or only no apnea swimming alone?

either way i guess it's still better to have a partner with you

thanks for sharing that story with me
 
adam.. i just read your profile.. we have the same birthday (different years).. i've never met another person born on the same day as me.. that's pretty neat :friday
 
Swimming in a good condition shouldnt be a problem snorkel or just classic swimming. the problem our feeling decide about our condition, and its dificult to say hm, "am i dehydrated or not?" And my body dehydrates very often, thats why i never go swimm alone. So long there are some swimmers on you line, it is relative safe.

Sure , some people will say 25 m dynamic without packing , hypervent. shouldnt be a problem and very easy to do, anyway its better not to dive alone! And to train with a body makes more fun and is much safer! And there is no some insecure feeling that something can happen...

10 march well i'm no wonder that i like swimm and dive, as fish btw my cousin was also born on 10 march and same year as me very funy
 
I have done the same - a totally unexpected blackout when I thought I was well within my limits. That is why it is important to have a buddy. I do sometimes train alone, when there is nobody to spot me, but when this happens I only do short distances, up to 20m. I don't think this is good though.

Lucia
 
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