Please take a seat. I’m going to prepare you for freediving.
Concentrate on your heart rate, listening carefully to your breathing (you want to hear it), and get your breathing cycles in sync.
Start with slow inhales… even slower concentrated exhales. Try filling your belly with your inhales, not your chest, keeping your shoulders low. Relax your neck, legs, arms, back and the rest of your body.
Once your breathing feels relaxed and in sync, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Do four breathing cycles as explained above before slowly opening your eyes.
Once you have opened your eyes, keep up the relaxed breathing, it should be easier to have your cycles in sync now.
Now I’m going to show you a simple cycle for a longer breath hold. See if you can hold your breath for the rest of the article after you combine what you have focused on from above with the next breathing cycle below; it should feel more natural to you by now.
Are You Ready?
If you’re not feeling comfortable, don’t worry. That is normal. See how long you can last, but don’t push it. If at any time you start feel uncomfortable or are just ready to breathe, do it!
Follow This Cycle:
Inhale… Slow Exhale… Inhale… Slow Exhale… Inhale… Slight Hold… Exhale… Inhale… Hold… Read!
Slowly roll and break below the ocean’s surface, with wide leg kicks bringing you down to the sea floor. As you descend, you can feel your body compress as the ocean hugs you in. You gently land on the bottom, concealing yourself behind a sea fan. Your wetsuit acts as camouflage, blending in with the surroundings.
Grabbing onto rocks, you slowly pull yourself across the bottom next to corals teeming with life. As you approach the ledge, you spot a sleeping sea turtle on the edge of the reef, its arms folded in and its eyes resting. When you get closer, you see how detailed its ornate shell is. You lie in the sand a few feet from your new friend. As you stare in awe, it begins to feel your presence. Opening its eyes slowly, it looks you right in the soul and gives a slight roll, as to say, “Good morning pal, what the heck are you doing here?” Then it slips away from the reef as it carves effortlessly into the sea.
You realize the moment is fading, and you must return to the surface.
Inhale… Slight Hold… Exhale… Inhale… Slight Hold… Exhale… Inhale… Relax.
High fives to your freediving buddy, who was close by watching your dive. What an epic experience! And that was only the first dive of the day!
Sean Hascup is a spearfishing and travel guide at Hascup Hunts International. See his advantures online at www.SpearfishingGuides.com, Facebook.com/HascupHuntsInternational and Instagram.com/Blood_Sweat_And_Spears. Email him at HascupHunts@Gmail.com.