We were goofing around after practice the other day and decided to see who could swim the farthest underwater. We both went well over 50 meters (the underwater turn was a killer). I opted for dolphin kicking a ways and then switched to the underwater breastroke. I’m not sure which technique is better for distance as opposed to speed. Anyone out there ever make a full 100m underwater? Oh yeah, this can be dangerous because a lot of people pass out. So if you make an attempt, be sure someone is on deck watching you. Perhaps some of you dorks could even put on your competitions suits and monofins and see if it improves your performance. You guys kill me with all your equipment.
I will go a 50m free no breathe at least once a week. This is more of a moderate speed drill than a see how far I can go. I use these to work on efficient strokes and focusing on not over-exhaling on the flip turn. It's not something I'm interested in doing to see how far as I don't think it proves much.
Paul
Whatever you decide, just do not hyperventilate prior to starting this madness... it's dangerous enough as it is.
A certain level of CO2 is necessary in the lungs to ensure your natural instinct to breath is maintained, if you hyper before you start, you could well pass out, sink to the bottom, and then unconsciously start "breathing" water when the CO2 levels reach their trigger point in your lungs. That would make rescue even more difficult on the poor lifeguard.
I did it back in my youth. I doubt I could do it now. I did long and steady breastroke pulldowns/kicks. The trick was to say calm and smooth (once you go into panic, you're toast). I'm a breaststroker with a relatively strong kick so I'm sure that helped a ton. Also, I just HAD to beat that girl who kept with me for the first 85 meters or so!
Back in the day, we had no idea how dangerous this could be. Fortunately, nobody passed out when we did it (it was at an aquatic "field day" sort of thing held at our summer pool club).
I'll still do 50's underwater in the yards pool I swim in. I don't go crazy with hyperventilating or anything and I always do it with other people watching.
Our Y has signs posted about not holding your breath. So when I suggest we do breath control sets, I always caution my fellow anaerobic bacteria to surface when they start to see a swarm of black dots overtaking their visual field.
When i was a lifeguard almost 30 years ago, I swam underwater the length of a 50 m pool, made the turn, and swam maybe 10 or 15 meters more.
Now, the most I usually try is 2 lengths of a 25 yard pool underwater, which I tend to do twice or at most three times in the course of a relay "game" we occasionally play.
I don't think breathholding says much about the kind of shape you are in, because the fastest guy on our team needs all kinds of air, and I, apparently, do not.
As ABCs suggestion itself may imply, perhaps those who need the least air have the fewest extant brain cells left to call out for more oxygen! (Or less buid up of CO2, more accurately.)
PS some guys who goaded their friend into jumping off a bridge here were brought up on manslaughter charges when the guy died. Something to consider.
Freedivers describe
"How far can you swim underwater with one breath?" as
"Dynamic Apnea without Fins"
Dynamic Apnea = Maximum distance covered horizontally under water
Current Freediving World Records
www.impulseadventure.com/.../world-record.html
Wow. The world records for holding ones breath are over nine minutes for men and exactly eight minutes for women. That's hard core!
I'm not sure why the turn is a killer. We do this probably 3-6 times a week at practice, with 1-2 of them with zoomers. I think the worst part is feeling like you can go farther, but not wanting to pass out in the water. I do 25 easy, and I've done 50s, but I've never tried anything farther than that. I don't think there's any point to it, and it's not worth getting hurt or dying.
The turns get you out of your groove and expend more oxygen... Then again, they break up the swim and give you a better sense of progress...
in the summer of 93 it was a big thing for us swimming life guards to try to swim underwater. almost everyone I swam with could do 50m. so when word started to spread that someone made it 75m I tried it. took me 3-4 attempts to get the exhaling right. and in the last attempt I wound up drinking water the last 10m or so, since my body wanted to breath, by drinking I was able to trick my body into not breathe.
I did breaststroke with dolpin kicks inbetween my pulldowns.
I can easily do 25m now, have to work for 50m, but wouldn't imagine being able to do 75m.
I'm not sure why being underwater makes the turn any different
Turns underwater are way more difficult. For one thing your body wants to bob up to the surface, for another water is 1000 times denser than air, so reversing your direction takes a lot of energy.
Yes.... I have been 100 meters and 100 yards. Yards is difficult cuz of the turns, but meters was really tough. Best way to do it was look at the bottom and stay relaxed, don't think about how far you have to go. I did big breaststroke pullouts with a slow dolphin glide... then repeat.
Was way more purple after the 100 meters.
Can still go 75 yards under water. Will not try to ever go further, due to the "blue" factor..... scary.
On my daughters Age Group Swim team, this was a drill. Until one girl passed out trying to go furthur (for the first time I saw a guard go after someone at SWIM practice)....dont do it anymore. VERY dangerous
