Out of Water Training

[RabiSpear]

Any suggestions for pool training to increase breathold and bottom time? I am looking specifically for exercises that may have been useful to other advanced freedivers (90 ft. max). I would like to break the 90 ft barrier, but I would also like to increase my bottom time in the 60-80 ft. range. Any tips on relaxation and surface breathing techniques would be good too, as they perhaps the two most critical aspects of the apnea dive (IMO).

[yonfuki]

there are "breath trainers" out there that sell in the $50-100 ranges that merely increases the work of breathing while you exercise or whatever....nice if you have a deep wallet. I don't, so one exercise I've done to increase lung capacity is to use scuba and take a deep breath at 15', hold it and SLOWLY ascend holding onto something (for control) until my lungs start to feel tight and hold that position as long as possible. I shouldn't have to tell you to use a spotter buddy in case of emergency. Please try to keep regulator in your mouth in case you pass out and be negatively bouyant so if you do you don't float up and embolise.

[yonfuki]

I started the night before my annual dive physical and managed to add nearly 1.5 cubic feet to my lung capacity test.

[RabiSpear]

Wow. So are proposing to basically use the pressure change to stretch your lungs? I would definitely use a spotter for that one. Good advice though. Done carefully, I can see the benefit. I broke down and bought a breath trainer. I feel a little like a poser, so I only use it in the dark when no one can see me! Seriously, I do a lot of static stuff in the pool to build bottom time and Suunto wristop was the best thing ever in terms of monitoring bottom time vs. depth. I do a lot of blue water stuff where, without a computer, you have no clue where you are or what is going on. Thanks for the advice.

[kitefisherman]

I'm no doctor, but it sounds like you could get a lung overexpansion injury doing that. Air volume increases approximately 33% as you go from 15' to the surface. Sure you try to stop when your lungs feel tight but you might go too far and not find out that you did until it's too late. I don't think I'd try that without knowing a lot more first.

Not trying to put you down, but that just doesn't sound right to me.

[yonfuki]

I learned alot of dive physics and dive medical practices at the Ocean Corporation (commercial dive school). Granted I don't suggest it's for everyone but then again neither is freediving in general.

[Prodigal Son]

Wow. I agree with kitefisherman...looks like your begging for a pneumothorax. I guess you must have really pliable lungs, or unknowingly have already reduced your alveolar reserve.

[Chad Carney]

Don't kill yourself, take a class from a pro.

I recommend Kirk Krack.
See www.performancefreediving.com You'll learn how to pack, and stretch you diaphram, refine your entire technique to where you don't feel pushed. And proper safety techniques.

His student and assistant instructor Martin Stepanek just set the new world constant ballast record @ 305'. (His static record is 8.06 minutes.) Another student was Brett LeMaster, a former record holder.

See the summer issue of Spearfishing Magazine for the story on the class.

Chad Carney

[Rolo]

I don't recommend pool training, unless you got a spoter. Many guys have died while training in a pool. I specifically do my training while I run. This is a favorite technique of Umberto Pellizari. Basically, for every X number of paces you take inhaling, you just double that number while exhaling. For example, five pacing on one slow inhale, then ten while slowly exhaling. Try to increase as you become better at it.

There are many other techniques, just remember to be careful and don't overextend yourself. Good Luck.

[Ed Walker]

Thats just plain bad advice. As one who has lost a family member to an air embolism near the surface, Ive got to say you're crazy to try to "stretch" your lungs with compressed air, regardless of what they told you in school. It only takes a small air bubble to pass into your blood then to your brain to kill you instantly.

[TGuthrie]

I'm with Ed and Kite, not such a great idea

[RabiSpear]

Yeah,
I've never gone that route myself. However, I did pick up some great pool exercises. The best involves swimming underwater in a 25 meter pool one length at a time. I can swim several laps at a time, but the most effective way for me to simulate the feeling I get on deep dives is to 1) Swim a length 2)exhale and inhale one time 3)Swim back and repeat. This sounds stupid because it is easy at first. However, by the 6th lap your body is screaming for oxygen and it forces you to relax in order to continue. By the end of a set, I can't swim 20 feet without a breath. Additionally, you do not risk SWB like you may if you were trying to do several lengths without a spotter.

[Rolo]

Rabideath,

There's dozens of techniques and exercises to increase apnea. Your method sounds pretty safe and should be effective. Good Luck.

Recently, I've been training by running 4-5 miles followed by swimming in a pool, both under and over water. This works three-fold. First, increases your stamina for those long fishing days when you are diving for several hours at a time. Second, it increases your times by following a moderate level jog with a minimal breath hold exercise in the water. Thirdly, I'd like to get back into running Triathlon's and this is excellent practice.

But the best way to increase your hunting skills, depth range, and botton time is to just, "Get out there and do it". There's no substitute for on the job training or "game experience".

It's nice to see some activity in this thread, sometimes it feels lonely... Good post.

[RabiSpear]

RJ,
I think diving to get better goes without saying, but I think doing something different can get you over the hump sometimes. I am trying to crack 90 ft, and doing pool and out-of-water stuff has worked in the past. It feels like I hit a wall and I can stay at that depth, but I can't go down any more. Kinda strange, but I know it's all mental. I will be going for it this weekend off Jax, so I'll let you know if it works.

[Rolo]

RabiDeath,

Funny you say "it's all mental". That is so true. Have you ever tried NLP?

My biggest drawback is trying to relax. My heart-rate is usually beating faster every time I go out, because of the excitement of doing what I love and have such a passion for. Again, this is all in the head. Good luck achieving your goal, please let us know once you get there and surpass it.

Dive Safe,

[RabiSpear]

NLP? Packing air? Let me know what that is. I love to pick people's brains about this stuff. I have learned a ton from the Left Coasters like Bill Muir.

[Rolo]

Well this may raise a few eyebrows, but in essense it's basically mental visualization. NLP = Neuro Linguistic Programming. I'm a big advocate of this or what's also called Psycho-Cybernetics (Maxwell Maltz). This stuff works! You can apply it to just about everything that's worth accomplishing. I used it alot in baseball at both the high-school and collegiate levels.

Freediving is mostly mental. NLP allows you to picture yourself at 90' in a stalking mode...aiming and firing your gun right through the gill plate. It works. If you're interested in additional info, just let me know and I'll post-mail you some good articles and give you references to several books that are out there on the subject.

[Chad Carney]

Rabideath,

Packing is something I learned in the Performance Freediving Class. It's a way to expand your lung capacity on every dive, without artificial means. (unlike scuba on ascent.)

Briefly described it's like imitating a gold fish sucking air with it's cheeks at the surface. Closing off at the throat and pumping the cheeks will add a very small amount of air, kind of like your own natural pump if you will, to the end of your inhalation. Only do a few of these.

It's possible to overdo this too, but because you have personal control and are only doing it at the surface, and only getting a small amount more it's less likely. Simply stop before it gets uncomfortable.

The PFD class was loaded with amazing information.

I agree with the visualization techniques too. It was part of the PFD course also.

Chad

[JCACTION]

Hey good subject. I had a bleeding lung from pendulum diving and am now scuba only but I can tell you that the above comments are not only true but they work very very well. Actually, the main and one single factor to better depth is the actual slwoing of the heart rate. Visualization, viofeedback and yoga are incredibly helpful to break the 100ft barrier. it is a mental barrier for most as most that can do 70-80 can do 100 but its the mental aspect that keeps many good spearos from getting past that 100 foot barrier. Pepin Ferraras has stated that his mental training is the key to his success. Terry Maas has stated that his heart rate is the key to his success. Put these two concepts together and you come up with the above comments. I think you guys have it right on this topic!

[Rolo]

JC- "Pendulum diving", Are you hanging out with Alberto March again?:D

Heart Rate is so important and without a doubt my biggest drawback. Maybe it's my latin fervor, but I need to improve it. I do cardio exercise and anaerobic training, but I just get to "jumpy" when I'm out there and it limits my performance.

Dive Safe,