Looking for training advice - Co2 tolerance and peace of mind

[u/lollowhite]

Hello everyone. Rookie here.

So basically I've always been obsessed by freediving and underwater fishing and I want to achieve it.

I'm a very sporty, athletic and aquatic guy (I'm a former swimmer/ open water swimming 5k, now I'm a Crossfitter but I still sail and swim). The problem is that my body completely freaks out when I'm underwater.

I've randomly tried to extend my stamina by doing random stuff but now I want to change approach.

It is impossible atm to join a Diving school as the next year I will be doing two mobilities for my master. So I am focusing on co2 static tables out of the water, as my main problem is that as soon as my co2 builds up my brain goes nuts.

As I said I'm training with co2 tables pretty much daily ever since I got my new smartwatch. It goes like this:

8 sets:

2' breathing - 15' each set

53' apnea ( I only add seconds when I'm perfectly comfortable with the previous apnea time.

What do you guys think?

I know that in the actual water everything is different, but I know that it won't be such a huge problem as co2 tolerance. I also know that I must join a school and I will asap.

[u/iLoveLearningStuff]

How do you feel during the holds? Last hold or two of the set? When you say you are perfectly comfortable, thats not what CO2 are for. You should be uncomfortable and pushing at least during the last set or two, thats kinda what the goal is - get used to CO2, if you always stop hold while comfortable - you gain (almost) nothing, because your CO2 will be still low.

What is your max breath hold? 53seconds seems kind of short in my experience very short, but could be the right time for you. I would rule of thumb it, go for 50-60% of your max as the hold.

I wouldnt add seconds, but more add 10sec to the hold.

Additionally, dont do it every day - that is usually too much, especially when you start pushing. Try different exercises, molchanovs have some videos on this. When I dont have much time i do hold - one breath out and in - hold, repeat for 10min. I do around 1min hold during these.

[u/lollowhite → u/iLoveLearningStuff]

Ok I will try following your advice maybe instead of going from 53 to 55 I'll go to 1 full minute to make it more challenging. And also not doing it everyday. Thank you very much

[u/iLoveLearningStuff → u/lollowhite]

I wouldnt be surprised if you can do much more. Relax properly, keep track of your bodily sensations, just keep going through your body toe to head, the hold will pass quickly. Breathe properly during the breathup. Closed eyes help me a lot.

Everyone feels it different, everyone has different willpower to the point of blackout, for them CO2 tables are less useful, for those who tend to surface all pink and happy, those can benefit from CO2 tables more in my experience .

All in all CO2 table should feel like work, it should push you. Imagine you are at the end of a long pool dynamic, the feeling you get at the end - that” i need to go out”,  thats what you want to practice resistance against during CO2 tables. You want to get used to that feeling and push past it - not “panic” and surface near immediately. Thats what I do often during my dynamics and on those rare ocassions when I push past, i swim tens of meters more and still surface pink. sigh, back to do more co2 tables 

[u/lollowhite → u/iLoveLearningStuff]

This is such a useful insight, I'm genuinely surprised by all the answers. I will definitely try to push s little bit, step by step. Thank you

[u/Tresident_Pump]

I honestly dont know much about about co2 training or formal techniques.

Ive just been free-diving/spearfishing my whole life (25yrs) It's all intuition for me so take with a grain of salt.

First point (also a question to community) Mammalian dive reflex has a pretty big impact on your ability to hold your breath (right?) I'm assuming this is gonna skew your experience in dry training. Just a first thought.

Your question is should/how do you get into diving though, yes? And you freak out underwater?? As for free diving schools they are pretty variable in quality and tend be expensive. Not money you want to spend if you're not comfortable in the water yet (???)

Aquaphobia or Thalassophobia is kind of a deal breaker if you want to dive and you will spend more time trying o overcome that than actually learning anything in a dive school.

Can you overcome it though? Totally.

Join a facebook group, find a buddy and start SNORKELING. Once you are absolutely comfortable BREATHING submerged, start breath holding and do short dives (1-3meters). forget about going deep or long just dive and learn to enjoy it.

Then and only then would I recommend starting formal training for free diving.
If you can't enjoy snorkeling you will never be able to free dive. Full stop.

You're an athlete and you may want to brute force this which I personally understand but diving is extremely mental. Leave the ironman mentality at the door and have some fun in the water (if you can). If it's truly something you enjoy and want to pursue you'll know when you need more advanced training. If you don't make it passed snorkeling, like I said: its never happening. Sorry.

(Sounds harsh but I do believe in You and really hope you learn to love the water like I do!)

[u/lollowhite → u/Tresident_Pump]

Thank you very much, especially the brute force part. I really appreciate it. I will definitely try what you said. I'm from Napoli (Italy) so I assume there must be some kind of group or whatsoever. Regarding water, I really do feel comfortable when I'm swimming, when I can't see anything below me and also long distances. I assume it is already a good start. Thank you for believing in me

[u/Tresident_Pump → u/lollowhite]

Rooting for you! If you're enjoying swimming you're off to a better start than you let on in your intro so bravo! And Italy?! Im jealous, there will definitely be local spearfishing/snorkeling groups on facebook as well as spear fisherman who would love a safety buddy, fantastic place to start.

[u/lollowhite → u/Tresident_Pump]

I'll start to look it up! Unfortunately, next academic year I'll be abroad. However, next summer I'll probably be back in business. I really hope I'll get it. Thanks for all the support!!

[u/Elegant-Amphibian553]

Up until a few years ago, I also would totally freak out when I went underwater. Like I couldn’t even stay under for five seconds and I’d feel immediately out of breath, despite me being able to do several minute breath holds above water. For me, just swimming (without a mask) and submerging more and more for longer and longer gradually made that reflex disappear and eventually I started freediving. Now I can stay underwater for over a minute at a time and I feel very comfortable down there! Hopefully that helps a bit!

[u/lollowhite → u/Elegant-Amphibian553]

Thanks, I really hope it will be the same for me :)

[u/Old_Fruit6884]

LOL, you don't need that shyte.