I swim laps about three mornings a week just to try and stay in shape but I was wondering if anyone knows of any tips/tricks/exercises to help improve my bottom time? Thanks

PJ

Freediving or scuba?

This is the freedive section.

Freediving or scuba?


Being he posted in the freediving area I'm guessing freedive;)


But if you have any pool training tips to impove my bottom time on scuba lets here them.:D

first off, unless you have a spotter I would not try any breath holds dynamic or static!!!

This is the freedive section.

Deeerrrrr, aaaahhhhhh. Please continue without my interuption!:o

I swim laps about three mornings a week just to try and stay in shape but I was wondering if anyone knows of any tips/tricks/exercises to help improve my bottom time? Thanks

PJ

Both Statics and Dynamics in the pool and outside the pool (Apnea Walking "Thanks Kris" just started trying this) will improve your breathhold. Doing 02 and Co2 tolerance tables while sitting in bed. When I had time to train in a 15 Foot pool I would do the following.

Dive to the bottom practicing proper entry, then when getting to the bottom head down, outstretched arms, legs up, I would do kick cycles simulating that I was descending to approx 50Ft, when I was done I would lay on the bottom motionless (First time for 15 Sec, then 30 then Max) I also found that getting to the bottom and then resting for a little actually improved my bottome time, rather than getting to the bottom and trying to hunt right away, after above interval then try to swim along bottom for 25M or so, this helped me inmensely improve bottom times. Of course proper breath up and intervals are important to avoid SWB. And of course NEVER NEVER NEVER do this without a spotter.

Also negative pressure dives, exhaling all oxygen, then descending, equalizing at bottom 15(ft) for about 10 Sec's, repeating about 5 times with increased exhalation and negative packs.

If you dont have a deep pool, Statics and Straight line dynamics will go along way in training your body to work without breathing.

I fell that elasticity of your diaphrahm and strength is also important for improving bottom time, both for taking a full breath as well as being used to those FALSE contractions telling you need air when you really dont, there are stretches you can do to help this, but again the statics and dynamics will go a long way also.

Just a few ideas but what do i know :toast:

I got to do some decent pool time today for the first time. the pool is not deep but it is long. From corner to corner it takes me 45sec along the bottom (with freedive fins, not trying to blast through the water), but what is killing me is the turn to go back!! I am so limp from one end to the other, and as soon as I curl up to make the turn what could have been at least 20sec more of bottom time turns into like 5!! Because I do not have a spotter I am not staying under till I start to get serious contractions. So then I do not even know if I am getting in a good workout if I am not "really" pushing the limits? How are you guys making the turn without wasting oxygen?

Dive more!The more you ass gets wet the better you will get.(poet and didn't know it):beer:

Well... you are correct but I was looking for tips on form.

How long is the pool & how deep ?

I've been reading up on this as well, just about anything you do that trains your body to work under conditions of low oxygen will help you out towards your goal. I do three things.

1. Apnea walking.
2. Swimming laps while cutting down on your breathing cycles
3. The third thing I do is I put a treadmill on the highest possible incline, I then do 2 minute sprints at the highest speed I could possibly tolerate, in my case its 8.5, I'm sure some of you taller guys could do much more than that. This was recommended to be by an ex NFL athletic trainer that works with me, basically you're putting your body through the same stress on land that you'd put it in under water. Quick bursts for 2 minutes on the tallest incline gets your heart rate incredibly high and tires you out, drop the speed and incline, to a brisk walk, settle down, and repeat.

Proper Form in my experience has also helped me with my bottom time. I'm still working on form and will continue to do so for a very long time, but it helped me to be more efficient by allowing me to relax on the descent so that I could have more air at the bottom. In the past, I would kick almost all the way down, now I give a few kicks at the surface, become negative and glide down, with random kicks inbetween to get me to the bottom.

This is just what has helped me. Best of luck in what you're looking for.


I fell that elasticity of your diaphrahm and strength is also important for improving bottom time, both for taking a full breath as well as being used to those FALSE contractions telling you need air when you really dont, there are stretches you can do to help this, but again the statics and dynamics will go a long way also.

Just a few ideas but what do i know :toast:
How do you work on the diaphragm? This is something I never understood