This past summer I got really into scuba diving and free diving/ spear fishing. I love it and got all sorts of gear and I cant wait for it to get warmer again so I can go. But I have a problem of holding my breath for a long period of time. Anybody have anyways of making it so I can hold my breath longer? Any tips, or good ways to practice?

I have been swimming every day for about two weeks trying to hold my breath longer and I cant tell if its working.

Thanks!

D

 

In before NCSU

 

lol mission accomplished!

 

Haha. I'm NAUI qual'd, but I haven't dove in years. Can't even remember much it has been so long. I do swim though. Just laps in the pool. But after I swim, I do underwater stuff to help me hold my breath longer. I just grab a 45lb plate. Take a deep breath, and run the width of the pool. It is a pretty wide pool, so it is tough. I start out with just one width, then once I am warmed up, I can go 2 widths on one breath. There are people there though, that can run the whole 50 meters on one breath. I am not that good yet, but I am working up to that.

 

wow that's intense. I will try that. Not to sure if i can use a weight in the pool tho.

 

I've been swimming competetively for about 10 years now. The best way to increase your endurance on little or no air is to swim intervals with decreasing breath cycles. In lamens: swim 5 50's on an inteval like 1 min (you want your interval to be where you get 5-10 sec of rest between each 50). On your first 50, breathe every 3rd stroke. On your second, breath every 5th. On your third, breath every 7th. On your fourth, breath every 9th. On your fifth, breath every 11th. Go through this set 3 or 4 times for the best effect, with a minute or two of rest between each set.

Another good workout is to swim a 25 underwater (1 breath), sprint a 25 taking a breath every 5 stokes, then continue to do a 50 at about 70% breathing every 3rd stroke. This should be a complete 100 without stopping.

The only way to get better is to train your body to work with little oxygen. When I was at the peak of my swimming career, I could dolphin kick a 75 underwater on only one breath.

 

If they won't let you use a weight, see if you can get a weighted vest. You just need something to hold you down, so you can run on the bottom. I do it in the shallow end, so all I have to do is stand up if I need air.

 

thats impressive dude! Thanks for the advice!

 

IIRC, Buckdropper was a swimmer. He might have some, er, rather unconventional techniques.

Edit: It was Marc Carpenter. I don't know if he's still around.