Surfing Waves

I was wondering how do you guys hold your breath under those huge waves which pound you? I just watched that last post "Ouch, Mavericks Wipeouts 2006" and those are some crazy wipeouts. I'm not sure how those people endure the beating of thrown around and having enough air to stay down there. I know I wouldn't last more then 10 seconds of that beating and thats why I need some help on increasing my lung capacity.

I heard about people carrying rocks and running at the bottom but does that actually work? I want to increase my breath holding since if I go over the falls on a pretty decent sized wave it feels like forever.

well people die at mavericks, even in that clip one of the guys talks about getting light headed from lack of oxygen during a hold-down. Most surfers dont surf waves capable of holding you down that long so breath holding exercises arent really needed. I know Laird does the running-weighed-down-underwater thing, but i dunno if that helps or if its just because he's nuts. That girl who holds the world free-diving record practices laying dace down in a swimming pool, I think its easier with your head underwater than just holding your breath. But really, i wouldnt bother, even though it can seem like ages when you get held down its not likely to be anywhere near long enough to make you dead.

i still have a breath holding sesh as soon as i get in a pool ... try swimming the whole length of a full size pool under water ! .. not only does it annoy the super ripped pretty boy pool guards that cant do it but also increases your lung capacity ..not that ive ever been held under for any great length of time but its nice knowing i wont panic as much if it does ever happen .
My worst to date was being held under upside down feeling my head drag the sand and not being able to get back upright for a few secons ..scary but hell of a rush .. yeeeharr

yeah, I can get the pool without breaths. (25 meters)

But I always come up lightheaded and with splotchy eyes.

i used to be able to when i was about 12. not sure if i can even swim anymore!

holding your breath while running under water with a rock is practice for holding you breath when held under. your heart and lungs work together, the faster your heart beats the sooner you will run out of breath, the gas exchange happens faster getting the oxygen into your blood steam and the carbo dioxide into your lungs to be exhaled at an increased rate. when you get held down the best thing is to try and keep calm to preserve your oxygen supply in you lungs for as long as possible. swiming laps under water is another good way of doing this since your heart rate will increase, each time you want to try to reach the other end of the pool. i'm not sure what the lenght of my pool is but i can do two lenghts of it with one breath, been doing it for a while now.

I hate my cousin (not really) cause he can swim a length and a half under water!

me and my cousins have tried tha weighted rock thing in a pond before and we walked across it but never tried it while surfing

Never tried it.....I can just tell that I will still manage to drop the rock on my foot for a stupid reason

So is there a way to increase your breath? Should I just swim laps under water and maybe try that face down trick under water and hopefully lifeguards wont think I'm dead .

Start practicing out of the water, with a stopwatch. And here's the technique I used to use.
* Hyperventilate for about 30 seconds.
* Breathe all the way out.
* Breathe all the way in.
* Now *swallow* a few more mouthfuls. Not into your stomach, but into your lungs.
* Hold as long as you can and release.
Wait to recover :D And repeat.

Once you can hit three minutes start thinking about doing it in calm water. It's the same process, but you duck under water after the last swallow.

I don't practice as much as I probably should now, but I did three minutes twenty seconds the other week. A carton of beer was at stake!

That's basically how free divers practice. And some of those guys go six minutes plus!

Once you are comfortable doing it under water you can start moving around under water, carrying rocks and such.

Makes you a better waterman.waterwoman I think.

-doug

it all comes down to cardiovascular fitness the fitter you are the longer you will be able to hold your breath

That sounds like what happens when you surf and kain off anyway.

Just surf more dude.

It doesn't happen overnight.. but it does happen... ok apologise for that... kiwis will get it...