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Techniques to increase breath hold
- Thread starterT2K
- Start date
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.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Howdy and Welcome!
Indeed there is much to do to become more proficient at breath-hold or apnea as we call it. I suggest that you take a look at the "how to start freediving" thread in this "Beginner Freediving" forum.... Take a look at the thread titled "Tables" as well - I also offer some basic info in "new to freediving..". There is a lot of great info on this site and some of the best divers in the world pop in here quite regularly to answer your questions.
If you are interested in freediving, you might want to aproach this discipline by dividing it up into several different studies. Gas exchange/imbalances, Technique and Technical Freediving, Physiology and Physics of Freediving, and Psychology of Freediving. There is serious, "must have" information in all those areas for the serious deep swimmer.
Regarding your question: Basically, there are a bunch of different kinds of breath hold ex. One of the best is the C02/02 Tolerance Tables. There has been a lot of discussion on this topic by many folks on these forums. If you do a search on our profiles you can see what threads we have been active on and read the topics related to your questions. Diligent practice of tolerance tables will give you spectacular results.
Most important is the basic breath-up.... and there are other techniques related to fine tuning gas balances that should be taught later with personal instruction.
You have a lot of different things that you can do in the way of pool training and other activities that can be done hypoxically.... just swim laps breathing every other side every other stroke, or every third or fifth or seventh stroke. do that for 500yds a workout.
One shouldn't do breath hold practice in a pool solo. The lifeguard is not watching you and blackouts can happen quite suddenly and without warning. However, one lap crawl, one lap kicking. one lap underwater is good...
If you are planning on learning to be a deep swimmer I suggest that you look all over this forum and that you consider a course from our hosts here at deeperblue or, if you are stateside, www.performancefreediving.com
Also, there are opportunities on this board to go and do training. I have a house in Kona where I am inviting all kinds of divers to come and visit. Performance Freediving holds courses in Kona as well...
So welcome aboard, chat it up. If you want to PM me or want to ask specific questions, go ahead. Its about community and safety. We want you to live through your interest in this discipline.
Lungfish
Indeed there is much to do to become more proficient at breath-hold or apnea as we call it. I suggest that you take a look at the "how to start freediving" thread in this "Beginner Freediving" forum.... Take a look at the thread titled "Tables" as well - I also offer some basic info in "new to freediving..". There is a lot of great info on this site and some of the best divers in the world pop in here quite regularly to answer your questions.
If you are interested in freediving, you might want to aproach this discipline by dividing it up into several different studies. Gas exchange/imbalances, Technique and Technical Freediving, Physiology and Physics of Freediving, and Psychology of Freediving. There is serious, "must have" information in all those areas for the serious deep swimmer.
Regarding your question: Basically, there are a bunch of different kinds of breath hold ex. One of the best is the C02/02 Tolerance Tables. There has been a lot of discussion on this topic by many folks on these forums. If you do a search on our profiles you can see what threads we have been active on and read the topics related to your questions. Diligent practice of tolerance tables will give you spectacular results.
Most important is the basic breath-up.... and there are other techniques related to fine tuning gas balances that should be taught later with personal instruction.
You have a lot of different things that you can do in the way of pool training and other activities that can be done hypoxically.... just swim laps breathing every other side every other stroke, or every third or fifth or seventh stroke. do that for 500yds a workout.
One shouldn't do breath hold practice in a pool solo. The lifeguard is not watching you and blackouts can happen quite suddenly and without warning. However, one lap crawl, one lap kicking. one lap underwater is good...
If you are planning on learning to be a deep swimmer I suggest that you look all over this forum and that you consider a course from our hosts here at deeperblue or, if you are stateside, www.performancefreediving.com
Also, there are opportunities on this board to go and do training. I have a house in Kona where I am inviting all kinds of divers to come and visit. Performance Freediving holds courses in Kona as well...
So welcome aboard, chat it up. If you want to PM me or want to ask specific questions, go ahead. Its about community and safety. We want you to live through your interest in this discipline.
Lungfish
Last edited:
Sure, happy to help....
If you look at the thread titled "Tables" by lehman, you will see a basic discussion... there are some others. If you search my profile (click on Lungfish in the message) and pick all the posts by Lungfish... you will see many comments about tolerance tables and other stuff... same with others on this site like Eric Fattah and some of the rest of the very experienced crowd.
here are the phase I tolerance tables as I learned them. There are about 20 phases.
You do them continuously, meaning that you ventilate for the duration required, then you immediately static (breath hold) for the required duration, then you ventilate for the required duration.... etc...
If the first level table is too difficult, start 15secs slower...
Phase I
02
1.ventilate 2:00 static 1:00
2.ventilate 2:00 static 1:15
3.ventilate 2:00 static 1:30
4.ventilate 2:00 static 1:45
5.ventilate 2:00 static 2:00
6.ventilate 2:00 static 2:15
7.ventilate 2:00 static 2:30
8.ventilate 2:00 static 2:30
total duration 30:45
CO² Table
1. ventilate 2:30 static 1:30
2. ventilate 2:15 static 1:30
3. ventilate 2:00 static 1:30
4. ventilate 1:45 static 1:30
5. ventilate 1:30 static 1:30
6. ventilate 1:15 static 1:30
7. ventilate 1:00 static 1:30
8. ventilate 1:00 static 1:30
total duration 25:15
Do the 02 table on one day, the C02 table on the following one. Try to complete a phase per week.
You should do these once or twice per week. Once you can complete this level, add 15secs to the 02table so you finish with set 7 and 8 at 2:45. Do the same to the C02 table by decreasing the ventilation by 15secs. Follow this pattern each week through Phase 10.
There are more tables to this but if you can follow this pattern for the first four tables, you will go a long way towards longer more comfortable submersions.
Lungfish
If you look at the thread titled "Tables" by lehman, you will see a basic discussion... there are some others. If you search my profile (click on Lungfish in the message) and pick all the posts by Lungfish... you will see many comments about tolerance tables and other stuff... same with others on this site like Eric Fattah and some of the rest of the very experienced crowd.
here are the phase I tolerance tables as I learned them. There are about 20 phases.
You do them continuously, meaning that you ventilate for the duration required, then you immediately static (breath hold) for the required duration, then you ventilate for the required duration.... etc...
If the first level table is too difficult, start 15secs slower...
Phase I
02
1.ventilate 2:00 static 1:00
2.ventilate 2:00 static 1:15
3.ventilate 2:00 static 1:30
4.ventilate 2:00 static 1:45
5.ventilate 2:00 static 2:00
6.ventilate 2:00 static 2:15
7.ventilate 2:00 static 2:30
8.ventilate 2:00 static 2:30
total duration 30:45
CO² Table
1. ventilate 2:30 static 1:30
2. ventilate 2:15 static 1:30
3. ventilate 2:00 static 1:30
4. ventilate 1:45 static 1:30
5. ventilate 1:30 static 1:30
6. ventilate 1:15 static 1:30
7. ventilate 1:00 static 1:30
8. ventilate 1:00 static 1:30
total duration 25:15
Do the 02 table on one day, the C02 table on the following one. Try to complete a phase per week.
You should do these once or twice per week. Once you can complete this level, add 15secs to the 02table so you finish with set 7 and 8 at 2:45. Do the same to the C02 table by decreasing the ventilation by 15secs. Follow this pattern each week through Phase 10.
There are more tables to this but if you can follow this pattern for the first four tables, you will go a long way towards longer more comfortable submersions.
Lungfish
Sure,
You will get more out of it if you go for the intermediate class with the physiology discussion..... they aren't that stringent on capabilities. More than a few newbies get to 100ft in the intermediate course....
So yes, I think you will get your money's worth. Nothing beats quality instruction, especially in freediving. I often say that if you are 100ft down, you might as well be on the moon. You wouldn't go there if you weren't equiped and adequately prepared.... so don't go deep swimming without preparing and learning from experts.
Martin is a pleasure to watch and learn from, and Kirk really knows his stuff. The course is really mellow and you will learn alot that you would have to figure out yourself if they didn't teach you...
Also, the PFD aproach is a little different than some but they are supported by mainstream freediving physiology studies... I like the technique that they teach and the instruction on initiating the mammalian diving reflex is critical to good diving.
Anyway, good luck, happy to help,
Lungfish
You will get more out of it if you go for the intermediate class with the physiology discussion..... they aren't that stringent on capabilities. More than a few newbies get to 100ft in the intermediate course....
So yes, I think you will get your money's worth. Nothing beats quality instruction, especially in freediving. I often say that if you are 100ft down, you might as well be on the moon. You wouldn't go there if you weren't equiped and adequately prepared.... so don't go deep swimming without preparing and learning from experts.
Martin is a pleasure to watch and learn from, and Kirk really knows his stuff. The course is really mellow and you will learn alot that you would have to figure out yourself if they didn't teach you...
Also, the PFD aproach is a little different than some but they are supported by mainstream freediving physiology studies... I like the technique that they teach and the instruction on initiating the mammalian diving reflex is critical to good diving.
Anyway, good luck, happy to help,
Lungfish
Last edited: