By Sean Hascup • Spearfishing & Travel Guide at Hascup Hunts International
Please take a seat if you haven’t already. I’m going to prepare you for a Freedive.
I want you to 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 your neck, your legs, your arms, your 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.
Close Your Eyes: Once you have opened your eyes keep up the relaxed breathing, it should be easier and easier to have your cycles in sync.
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 your not feeling comfortable don’t worry that is normal. See how long you can last, but don’t push it, if at anytime you start feel uncomfortable or are just ready to breath do it! This is all about fun!
Follow This Simple Cycle:
Inhale…Slow Exhale…
Inhale…Slow Exhale…
Inhale..Slight Hold…
Exhale…Inhale…..
Hold….Read!
Slowly roll and break below the oceans surface, with wide leg kicks bringing you down in a perfect line to the sea floor. As you descend, the slower and less powerfully you need to kick, you can feel your body compress as the ocean hugs you in her arms. You gently land on the bottom concealing yourself behind a sea fan. Your wetsuit acts as camouflage blending you in with the surrounding. Grabbing onto rocks you slowly pull yourself across the bottom, next to colorful corals teeming with life.
As you approach the ledge you spot a sleeping sea turtle on the edge of the reef, it’s arms folded in and its eyes resting. When you get closer, you see how detailed and almost like a painting it’s ornate armored shell is. You gracefully lay in the sand a few feet from your new friend.
As you stare in awe at its beauty 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 takes its time to slip away from the reef across white sands as it carves effortlessly into the never ending sea.
You realize the moment is fading and you must return to the surface. You too slowly slip away from the reef losing sight of the smaller fish as you ascend. You can feel the warmth of the day light on your shoulders and the release of pressure on your body as you reach the surface.
Inhale…Slight Hold…
Exhale…Inhale..
Slight Hold…Exhale…
Inhale…Relax
High Five’s to your Freedive buddy who was close by watching your whole dive and saw your experience. What an epic experience to share with your friends! And that was only the first dive of the day!!
Now it is your turn to keep an eye on your buddy for their turn to take a drop into this incredible world, while you catch your breath. Always Freedive with a buddy and always watch each other’s back!
For More: Experiences, Adventures, Gear Selection, Safety, Travel Insight, Freedive & Spearfishing Instruction, International & Local Spearfishing Trips, Pro Tips and So Much More Stick Around! I can’t wait to show what I have in store for y’all! And to bring more light into this beautiful sport!
I look forward to guiding you to your freedive and or spearfishing dreams!!
For more info visit Hascup Hunts International at SpearfishingGuides.com or email HascupHunts@Gmail.com