Author Topic: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?  (Read 8164 times)

Boludo

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Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« on: February 21, 2010, 02:10:32 PM »
Well we've been hit with some pretty good winter swells for southern california and there have been a few waves that have taken me down under water for longer periods time than I'm used to.  I know to just relax, not fight it, and wait till the wave is pretty much gone then come up for air.  I figure there has got to be some good exercises for staying under water for longer periods of time.  I know the big wave surfers have got to be done for long periods of time.  So what's the secret?

PonoBill

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2010, 07:16:03 PM »
Article here. I'm up to three minutes on the couch, two while driving--and you thought cell phones were dangerous:

http://www.kenalu.com/2008/03/22/learning-to-not-breathe/

And the last paragraph of this:

http://www.kenalu.com/2009/02/12/sams-magic-handle/#comments

Apparently I never wrote an article on the breath-holding technique I briefly explained here. I'll have to fix that. It's pretty good. I suspect I wound up writing it here on the zone and never redid it.

Here's one zone thread--mostly about holding breath while driving. http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=5007.0

And another: http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=2982.0

The last one has a pretty good explanation of my 'Houdini" technique. I call it that because I'm approaching Houdini's record


« Last Edit: February 21, 2010, 07:31:09 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Rockbottom

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2010, 04:13:15 AM »
how about wearing a pfd?  Apparantly most SUPers are against them, but in surf that big when being pushed past your breath holding comfort level, it does beg the question.
It's no guarantee, and there are arguments for and against them, but it's hard to imagine either being held down, or just separated from your board and wanting less floatation.
Flame on!

Gordon

JC50

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2010, 07:58:13 AM »
No secret, just training.

Relaxation is key. Holding breath for long periods mainly desensitizes the CO2 chemoreceptors that trigger the urgency/desire to breath. Training to be relaxed in "turbulent" situations pays better dividends. There is a real danger in breathhold training in water without assistance; Shallow Water Blackout. SWB kills, so if your serious about training, ensure you fully understand SWB and find somebody to train with - always. Plenty of resources on SWB without repeating here.

I'm not much of a fan of static breathhold training, since when you need it you are never in a static environment. However, it is a start to building confidence so it isn't useless and a good adjunct to relaxation training. Plus, if you pass out you just fall down and don't drown. ;D

Join a freediving club or underwater hockey, or underwater rugby. All sports that require timing, finesse,  and efficiency underwater while holding breath. And, they're fun to do.

And though obvious, cardiovascular training increases efficiency significantly too while achieving other benefits.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2010, 08:17:45 AM by JC50 »

PonoBill

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2010, 09:08:35 AM »
Good response JC. Learning to do a deep clearing breath instead of a shallow one isn't quite the same as hypoxic training, but it's all a bit dangerous.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Takeo

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2010, 11:54:12 AM »
Great advice JB.  I've been an avid spearfisherman and have seen too many divers in the last few years die from SWB.   Like PonoBill, I use to practice breath hold while lying on my bed.  Although it doesn't mimic being held under by a wave, it did help me increase my breath hold times.  What really helps is being comfortable in the ocean.  The more relaxed I am, the better I am able to hold my breath underwater.  I also found that doing a few breath holds before entering the ocean, stretched out my lungs for a better and longer breath hold. 

Boludo

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2010, 03:01:42 PM »
Hey guys.  This is great info!!!  Thanks a bunch for taking the time to respond.  I'm going to take all this in (while holding my breath ;D).


linter

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2010, 01:54:53 AM »
Speaking of being more relaxed in the ocean -- specifically in turbulence and white water -- how does one going about doing that?  I still tense up and freak out in any type of rag doll situation.  I believe it's some sort of residual psychological whimwham from when I nearly drowned while surfing as a kid some 40 years ago.  Stupid but true.  Hey -- I'm sensitive like that!   :P  :P Suggestions?  (And SUPer Dave if you don't have nothing nice to say don't say nothing t'all!  :D :D :D)
« Last Edit: February 23, 2010, 01:56:40 AM by linter »

log man

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2010, 02:42:05 AM »
Ah Mr. Linter, come in and take a seat , I don't think it's Psychological WhimWham at all,  and I don't think it's the early childhood near drowning incident. in my professional opinion I think the cause of all this unpleasantness stems from your difficult forceps delivery. Now tell me about your relationship with your...............................That will be $300 thank you ;D

linter

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2010, 03:30:52 AM »
ah ha, that explains those marks all over my head since birth.  :o freaking doctors!!  but thanks for the revelation.  'splains lotz!

SUPer Dave

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2010, 03:55:21 AM »
Shit shit shit..Eric...
Im reading your post and about to jump all over you with a  good sarcastic joke....But you stoped me in my tracks....DAMN...
All i think about are the guys in really big wave places really gettin pounded...its all about relaxin...and practice..and repetition...
believe me youll get better at taking a beating...

JC50

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2010, 06:43:44 AM »
Speaking of being more relaxed in the ocean -- specifically in turbulence and white water -- how does one going about doing that?  I still tense up and freak out in any type of rag doll situation.

Start out small and work up slowly.

Actual rag-doll situations are rare and limited to waves well over 10'. If you really have that fear then don't worry your body will never let you get within sight of waves like that for now. Big waves have a way of cutting through to your core and triggering an extreme reluctance to go near that shit.

IMO, great way to train for comfort in waves is to spend time in them. Maybe take up body surfing or boogie boarding. This will get you used to being in the soup without concern of a big board or paddle, plus it's great exercise and a cool way to understand waves better. For wipeouts get into reaction-habit of curling into fetal position, covering up head with hands, relaxing, and riding it out. After some time, practice, and repetition wipouts even become fun!  What other activity can you get tossed in turbulence and come up unscathed and laughing?

As kids we used to hit the local laundromat and see who would last the longest in the big dryer.... that shit was stupid and dangerous; wiping out in waves is fun and relatively safe!

The best rides are usually result of dropping late and making the critical drops. To get there, the take-off's are often a make it or crash situation. Only way to be on that lineup is to not be concerned with crashing. So comfort with wipeouts will open many doors and increase your fun surfing.

Good luck, start small, work up. By hurricane season you'll be ready to take on some size!

Takeo

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2010, 10:17:45 AM »
When I'm out diving and have to come in through some surf, I just look at it as more fun!! As the wave crashes on me and throws me around, I relax, hold my speargun infront of my face, and go for the ride, cheeehoooo!  Staying as relaxed as possible helps me have well enough air, of course these aren't 20 foot sets. I find that times where my friends have gotten into trouble was when they panicked, or was very apprehensive. 

Know your limits and what you are comfortable with.  Respect the ocean, but at the same time, get to know her and you'll have a blast!

Boludo

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2010, 02:07:15 PM »
Thanks again for the comments on this thread.  I was out a few times while the surf was around 7 feet which I didn't think was too bad but when I got taken down by a wave, it seemed that I was being pulled by a powered boat underwater.  I wasn't too worried because I knew that the wave would eventually let up but caught me by surprise a bit.  With 5 footers, it was nothing but that extra couple feet in wave size, made a big difference in power (I can't imagine you guys hitting these 10-20 footers).  One thing I have always been very good about is just relaxing as the wave takes me for a ride.  I think I just need to work on holding my breath for longer periods of time.  Right now I only can hold my breath for about 1 min. 15 sec. to 1 min 30 sec. and that's sitting on a chair doing nothing.  I understand my weekness and am gonna work on it a bit. 

Piros

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Re: Holding breath for longer period of time..techniques?
« Reply #14 on: February 23, 2010, 03:39:18 PM »
Article here. I'm up to three minutes on the couch, two while driving--and you thought cell phones were dangerous:


Great thread with some excellent feed back , thanks for the info.

Rob

P.S Pretty funny Bill :D
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