Surfing Waves

Posted: **Sat Oct 27, 2007 4:17 am**

I was wondering how long everyone can hold their breath for?

I've been trying to increase my physical fitness and lung capacity so that I can hold my breath for longer periods of time. I can barely hold it for 25 seconds right now, and I've been running and swimming, although probably not as much as I should.

Do you guys have any breathing exercises you do to increase your lung capacity? Or do you have any tips besides the obvious of increasing your fitness?

Posted: **Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:23 am**

3 minutes and ive never done any breathing excersize. in my opinion, anyone can hit around 2 minutes, it just takes concentration and self control. i freedive a lot so it came easily, but for others, simply practicing in the pool will help a lot. keep in mind that static breathold is WAY different than what your breathhold would be while surfing. all those running and excersizes will only help u reach 5minute breathholds and beyond. for a decent ammount, it just takes practice

Posted: **Sat Oct 27, 2007 7:53 am**

if youre concerned about surfing, dont struggle when getting knocked around in the wite wash. if you just relax and wait til it lets you go you lose much less oxegen. if i struggle, 5 seconds and i feel like drowning. relaxed, up to 20 seconds

Posted: **Sat Oct 27, 2007 10:12 am**

yea when you try to surface quickly you start to panic and burn oxygen but if you relax and let the wave release you then you can hold your breath a lot longer. also, normally you don't get held under for long unless you surf big waves or more powerful waves

Posted: **Sat Oct 27, 2007 2:02 pm**

getting wiped out is the only unintentional training i do. As others say if in relation to getting wiped out, just go kinda loose in the water and stay calm as you wait for the movement to finish.

Posted: **Sat Oct 27, 2007 11:23 pm**

well, i've never been held down long enough to the point where i panic. i don't really need advice on what to do when getting wiped out. i eventually want to ride bigger waves and i know a lot of big wave riders do breathing exercises to stretch their lungs.

does anyone have any tips on that?

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2007 11:56 am**

Try snorkelling.

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:43 pm**

Three minutes natural. A bit under 3:30 with hyperventilation and breath swallowing.

Could probably train for more.

-doug

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:03 am**

thought yuh get brain damage after 3 minuets due to lack of oxygen flow... C02 is poisonous yuh nuh

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:13 am**

oh btw i just thought id try it now, as i havent recorded a breath holding time i did 2 minuets. i do no training or free diving/swimming... but i had to focus and tell myself i can keep going.
Long deep breaths and relaxation before hand is the trink. the idea is to get your heart rate as low as possible. thats why in th water you holding time is different. however when i got to 1 45 i struggled so i got up n strted jumping around which suprisingly helped lol

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:17 am**

I swim every other day and can go 40 metres underwater ! :lol:

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:41 pm**

Reverend wrote:I swim every other day and can go 40 metres underwater !

i can do 2 lengths of a 25m pool underwater..... :wink:

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 3:18 pm**

long_man wrote:
Reverend wrote:I swim every other day and can go 40 metres underwater !

i can do 2 lengths of a 25m pool underwater.....

Thats good going !! I will build up to a longer distance soon !

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:37 pm**

I've only ever held my breath for as long as possible in the pub with my mates for a competition.

Holding your breath to improve your surfing!?!
What craziness will you people think up next!

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:22 pm**

pezzo wrote:thought yuh get brain damage after 3 minuets due to lack of oxygen flow... C02 is poisonous yuh nuh

Nah. That's how long it takes for zero oxygen to cause cellular (and thus brain cell) degradation.

The reality is that a slowed heart beat and full lungs let you go well past that.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freediving - current record is eight minutes.

FWIW my "three minutes narural" is sitting down, inactive. I can swim underwater, without surfacing, for a bit over two minutes. I need a waterproof watch to know exactly how long

-doug
Compsand.com - The Composite Surfboard Cooperative!

Posted: **Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:18 pm**

swimming underwater around 2 minutes - in a pool that is, more exercion required in ocean so i dunno probably less.

sitting around close to four minutes - (dont count inactivity, movement uses a lot of oxygen)

Oh and i smoke so i would probably do much better without that :wink:

Posted: **Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:48 pm**

Real Pol wrote:I've only ever held my breath for as long as possible in the pub with my mates for a competition.

Holding your breath to improve your surfing!?!
What craziness will you people think up next!

practice lying down, so you can thet get good at that whilst surfing.....

Posted: **Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:40 pm**

long_man wrote:practice lying down, so you can thet get good at that whilst surfing.....

Too right!!!!

The only exercise and practice I do for surfing is surfing!

Posted: **Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:04 pm**

Real Pol wrote:
long_man wrote:practice lying down, so you can thet get good at that whilst surfing.....

Too right!!!!

The only exercise and practice I do for surfing is surfing!

how often do you surf :?:

Posted: **Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:47 pm**

long_man wrote:how often do you surf

2+ times a week roughly outside of summer and when the waves are there. More on good weeks, less on bad.