Static apnea

[lewis82]

Does anyone here enjoy static apnea as a sport?

I have never taken any lessons, and I practice very unfrequently (only when I remember about it, which means once a month). Today I have bested my record at 3'46", dry apnea, without hyperventilating. Can anyone beat that?

I'm pretty sure some freedivers will appear and have scores in the high 5 minutes. I'd like to hear some tips from you, in particular how to exercise. Right now I'm focusing on willpower as I have yet to come close to running out of oxygen (after a breathhold I am not out of breath and am able to talk without gasping for air). However, I'm sure there are ways to build CO2 tolerance.

Also, I always last longer on my second breathhold (2'30" average for first, 3'15" for second). Why is that?

 

[mobilehaathi]

I'm quite amused that you characterize it as a sport!

 

[lewis82]

I'm quite amused that you characterize it as a sport!

ESPN broadcasts Poker games

 

[mobilehaathi]

Quite true

 

[juanm]

I used to do quite a bit of freediving. Although I never really got into competitions (only once), I've met and worked with some famous names (Pelizzari, Nitsch, Trubridge, Leferme...)

My personal best was 6'00, and I could consistently get to 5'30+ (dry). I stopped because I simply lost interest, but on any given day, after some warming up, I can still reach 3'30.

Your body takes some time to enter in "apnea mode" and adjust its heart rate accordingly, that's why your second time is better than your first. Before a deep/long dive, you have to do some warm up dives, like 1', 1'30.

 

[lewis82]

I used to do quite a bit of freediving. Although I never really got into competitions (only once), I've met and worked with some famous names (Pelizzari, Nitsch, Trubridge, Leferme...)

My personal best was 6'00, and I could consistently get to 5'30+ (dry). I stopped because I simply lost interest, but on any given day, after some warming up, I can still reach 3'30.

Your body takes some time to enter in "apnea mode" and adjust its heart rate accordingly, that's why your second time is better than your first. Before a deep/long dive, you have to do some warm up dives, like 1', 1'30.

When you trained, did you always go for the longest dives possible, or did some series of shorter dives?

 

[juanm]

It depended. If I was tired, I knew I wouldn't break any PB, so I would just stop at four minutes or so, but do it several times, instead of going for one very long static.

Keep in mind I did it not do it for the time itself (okay, at times, I did! ), but in order to improve my freediving (being able to stay longer underwater, and see more stuff).

Also, do it before you eat. Digestion takes up a lot of blood and energy, so it's better to have an empty stomach (eat only some nuts, an energy bar, if you're hungry)

About training, focus on cardio, and consider taking a course.

 

[jeremy h]

Does anyone here enjoy static apnea as a sport?

I have never taken any lessons, and I practice very unfrequently (only when I remember about it, which means once a month). Today I have bested my record at 3'46", dry apnea, without hyperventilating. Can anyone beat that?

I'm pretty sure some freedivers will appear and have scores in the high 5 minutes. I'd like to hear some tips from you, in particular how to exercise. Right now I'm focusing on willpower as I have yet to come close to running out of oxygen (after a breathhold I am not out of breath and am able to talk without gasping for air). However, I'm sure there are ways to build CO2 tolerance.

Also, I always last longer on my second breathhold (2'30" average for first, 3'15" for second). Why is that?

Wow, that's really impressive. Do a course though... they do teach you a fair bit - the questions you ask would get answered. For example there's mammalian diving reflex which is probably being brought into play here. (Putting your face in cold water is another trigger.)

It's weird who's good at it though. I suspect that we've all got differing CO2 tolerances. (The rebreather bods are all conducting a big (possibly unwitting and unplanned) experiment with themselves as the guinea pigs at the moment )

 

[lewis82]

It depended. If I was tired, I knew I wouldn't break any PB, so I would just stop at four minutes or so, but do it several times, instead of going for one very long static.

Keep in mind I did it not do it for the time itself (okay, at times, I did! ), but in order to improve my freediving (being able to stay longer underwater, and see more stuff).

Also, do it before you eat. Digestion takes up a lot of blood and energy, so it's better to have an empty stomach (eat only some nuts, an energy bar, if you're hungry)

About training, focus on cardio, and consider taking a course.

Wow, that's really impressive. Do a course though... they do teach you a fair bit - the questions you ask would get answered. For example there's mammalian diving reflex which is probably being brought into play here. (Putting your face in cold water is another trigger.)

It's weird who's good at it though. I suspect that we've all got differing CO2 tolerances. (The rebreather bods are all conducting a big (possibly unwitting and unplanned) experiment with themselves as the guinea pigs at the moment )

I would definitely love to take a freediving course. Right now I'm taking rock climbing courses but I will consider freediving lessons in the future (there isn't a freediving association yet where I live, but one is in the making and should have its debut courses next year).