A few tips

So i am entering my third year of diving and have been having a blast.  I am way more comfortable in the water and hope that I will continue to feel at home, however I am looking for some exercises to increase my breath hold.  Obviously I lungs are genetic and not every one can hold there breath as long as fuzz or rick but i would be happy with 15 or 20 extra seconds.  I have killed my fair amount of shit but I would like to start killing bigger shit.  I have a kayak and dive trip planned to the channel islands at the end of april, san diego in the summer along with all the normal dive trips and would like to make this the summer that I push myself.  any and all advice is welcome.  see you all on the water

hotplate

Dan Sylvaria has A class on breatholds, if your serious you should take the class, I didnt dont want to spend three hundred bucks on it, all I need is twenty seconds.

I seen a tool on eBay that's surpose to help with longer breathe holds but I never used it.it's called expand a lung item #390397530453 maybe you can do some research on it.it looks like it could work.I've been wanting to try it but for now I don't go that deep.yet hope this is of any help

I have found that I can hold my breath considerably longer by not taking such a deep breath that I am fighting to hold it in . Practicing holding your breath will also increase your down time , I used to practice on my commute to work .

Dude! Learn to take it down a few notches! Go from that 10.0 to a nice and relaxed 6.2! I know you can't help being an amped up death dealing machine, it's just the nature of your beast. FSU!

Im no expert but I believe Cardio always helps. Particularly the kind where you push your self to your aerobic limit.

It will help expand your lungs a little bit, and it will reduce your recovery time between dives.

45 seconds seems enough time to get er done. 

so i got the expand a lung, having been using it for three days now.  it seems like it will work in theory but who knows what the actual pay off will be.  cardio is huge and I have been trying to take that to the next level.  running biking, swimming.  I have also been working on swimming strictly under water(laps).  I will let you all know how the expand a lung works in due time.  happy hunting..

hotplate

Try yoga or any relaxation meditation techniques.

so i got the expand a lung, having been using it for three days now.  it seems like it will work in theory but who knows what the actual pay off will be.  cardio is huge and I have been trying to take that to the next level.  running biking, swimming.  I have also been working on swimming strictly under water(laps).  I will let you all know how the expand a lung works in due time.  happy hunting..

hotplate

The expand-a-lung most likely won't help you with freediving. It's designed to strengthen and build your intercostal muscles and diaphragm, which would help you take in a lot of breaths in a short period of time, but everything I've read about it says that it won't give you a better lung capacity or make you more flexible. Better alternatives, would include static tables, cardio, yoga (or at least stretching your intercostals, and other abdominal muscles daily), and ultimately, just becoming more relaxed in the water. The best training for diving is diving.

Also, be careful when swimming underwater laps without a spotter. Most pool drownings are directly related to breath-holding activities, and I often read about freedivers who die in pool training.

What Rick refers to is "shallow water blackout"

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shallow_water_blackout

I always have a spotter in the pool with me.  If I go to yoga is it acceptable to where short shorts with tube socks and converse, tank top and yellow head band that holds my permed mullet in place?????

I always have a spotter in the pool with me.  If I go to yoga is it acceptable to where short shorts with tube socks and converse, tank top and yellow head band that holds my permed mullet in place?????

You can do it at home naked if you want to    There're tons of video on YouTube.

I always have a spotter in the pool with me.  If I go to yoga is it acceptable to where short shorts with tube socks and converse, tank top and yellow head band that holds my permed mullet in place?????