I used to do a lot of underwater swimming (though never for anywhere near that distance). What I found was that I could cover the most distance on one breath by swimming slowly. This was contrary to my instincts, which told me that the faster I swam, the less time I'd have to go without air, and therefore the better off I'd be. But what I found was that swimming faster reduced the amount of time I could go without air by more than it increased my speed.
It is a balance between how far, how fast, and how long you will last with the oxygen you have in your lungs. The faster you go, the less time you will last. To do a 25 meter pool, or even there and back, you got to dose your underwater swimming. To snorkel and then dive deep is also an art that requires just the right amount of efffort to get the job done and yet have enough time to spend underwater. This is better felt in scuba diving where beginners and/or "heavier" divers use up their air in about 30 minutes versus the 40 to 45 minutes the same amount of air lasts for the better divers.
Darn! I was writing this while downloading the video. I just saw it. The guy is incredible. I thought it was one of the Pippin type records, the 180 meter depth record, one of those. Sh...t....I've done a pool and a half, in my younger days, I can still do the complete 25 meters and comeback partially to around 5 or 10, but the 166 meters is truly awesome. I wonder how far Pippin and his predecessor (the guy of the "Deep Blue" movie ) would have gone in their prime. billy fanstone.
Originally posted by jswim
I couldn't get the link, but 166 meters is outstanding! wow!!.. and yes, George, 125 yds is great!
I couldn't get the link so I went to the site
http://www.planetfreedive.dk
and navigated to the video. It's not in English but look for the 166m.
Originally posted by fatboy
I couldn't get the link so I went to the site
http://www.planetfreedive.dk
and navigated to the video. It's not in English but look for the 166m.
Thanks for the link it worked on that one, and HOLY CRAP! hearing about it is one thing, watching it happen is quite another!
Very impressive!
When I do underwater no breathers it seems like as soon as I start exhaling it's just about game over. Not sure exactly why, but that's the way it feels. I always thought a 50 meter long course underwater was a pretty good challenge. Not sure I could do it now. The 125 yards George did is amazing. I could never do more than 75.
I have to admit it is truly amazing to watch this but SO WHAT. I don't get the point at all of this sport. There doesn't appear to be anything safe about it. I watched a documentary on it and half the people that came up from an ocean dive were unconscious and one person (a lady maybe) actually died.
I did attempt my own manly feat of strength one day by trying to swim a 50 underwater. Unfortunately, I pushed off too low on the wall and cut my knee. I didn't get any sypathy from the fairer sex for my endeavor. Come to think of it, beer was involved as well.
Wow. The guy sure looks efficient in his stroke. And 5 stroke cycles per 25m length (plus push off wall.) I'll have to count how many I do per 25yd...
I have never been able to master a graceful turn, though. Man, he makes it look so easy! Maybe just seeing that video will give me the confidence to make a successful turn that doesn't consume the rest of my air...
