How NOT to hold your breath longer: Hyperventilation | ADRENO

Spearfishing 101 Series Part 5; How NOT to hold your breath longer: Hyperventilation.
One important safety point that beginner spearos need to learn in spearfishing is hyperventilation. Hyperventilating is taking more air than your body is currently using. It’s that feeling when you can't get enough air (air hunger) or need to sit up to breathe. It causes a decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood and can make you feel light-headed, feel short of breath, and have a rapid heartbeat. So how do you avoid hyperventilating? Here’s a common myth about hyperventilating and what you should do instead:
Myth: You should hyperventilate before you dive
One of the incorrect systems you must avoid in diving is taking multiple breaths before you dive. This is because in two or three breaths you take, you already have a 100% oxygen saturation in your body. So what happens after this is that you are getting rid of carbon dioxide. As you take in more and more oxygen, your carbon dioxide level drops. Remember that carbon dioxide is responsible for your urge to breathe. So when you drop the CO2 out, your urge to breathe is not going to be there as quickly.
Now, where hyperventilation often gets people in trouble is when they hyperventilate and dive down underneath the water for a long period of time. Soon, the next thing they’ll know is that they start feeling the urge to breathe but they’re already down 15 meters. That's about a 15-second return to the surface and they haven't left enough oxygen because their safety systems have been destroyed. Their CO2 is so low. The urge to breath didn't kick in until the oxygen was also too low. And then they come up, they hit that top 10 meters and they blackout. This is where hyperventilation can get you into trouble.
Fact: Hyperventilation doesn't make a longer dive
Freedivers and their quest for the longest swims have proven hyperventilation actually doesn't make a longer dive, no matter how comfortable it is. In fact, the top divers get in the pool and they do tidal breathing or normal breathing. They take one deep breath and can go underwater for a long period of time. But it doesn’t mean they’re comfortable underwater. However, part of the fortitude of a freediver is to be able to overcome the discomfort from the urge to breathe that happens very quickly because there's plenty of carbon dioxide in their system. So don’t hyperventilate when you dive, just take three or four slow, deep breaths is the most you should do. Learning the right techniques on how to hold your breath longer could also help you.
Shop Online
spearfishing.com.au/
adreno.com.au/
Follow Our Socials
/ adrenospearfishing
/ adreno.spearfish

[@chrisnurczyk8239]

Finally! Someone who makes sense and understands science (based on real data) and can communicate it - Thank you! As an old geezer recent retiree who's been away from snorkeling a long time and is going back to it, I see that I have not only a lot to learn & re-learn, there's a fair amount of stuff to unlearn before I get serious again and start to teach my grandaughter to snorkel. Now I know why I 'saw stars' a few times on 'the long trek up' when I was younger though I hyperventilated. You can't beat physiology & physics. Going to watch your series & read as much as I can first (and have another talk w/my doctor to make sure). A smart diver is usually a safe one - thank you for this public service in making us all smarter. Thanks for the eye-openers!

[@23max232323232323]

I'm interested, 'Now I know why I 'saw stars' a few times on 'the long trek up' when I was younger though I hyperventilated.' Was it blackout? Normally a black out has no warnings and you lose consciousness all of a sudden (I've never had one but this is what people say, and I've never heard of stars or warnings, that's why it's dangerous). If your feeling was being 'lightheaded' that's a different phenomenon caused by hyperventilation, basically too much oxygen can lead to an impaired flow of oxygen to the brain (there's an explanation for this, you can look it up if you're interested). I don't know if you've ever been to a doctor, but when they tell you take deep breaths and feel your chest with a stethoscope, they do warn you 'tell me if you feel dizzy or lightheaded'. Just to understand whether you fell and lost consciousness all of a sudden, or it was more like being very dizzy.

[@t3wl488]

Thanks Wayne. It's really helpful. Hopefully more to follow.

[@electricdeckhead3083]

such great info. and great explanation too. thankyou for taking the time.

[@OmniAtlantic]

I always stretch before I dive and then do tidal breathing .Before I dive stick to 8 to 10 meters. Rule number 1 safety first.

[@mrplow3874]

Thanks bud. I couldn’t understand the difference between a breath up and hyperventilation. Now I know, no difference.

[@gunzz5102]

Another informative video..Thank you

[@PotatoeJoe69]

Hyperventilating doesn't increase oxygen saturation, at all. What it does is purge more CO2 out of your blood than is usual; and your body uses CO2 too tell you too inhale or exhale; so by rapidly decreasing your CO2 levels by hyperventilating, your body won't send out that urgent signal of "BREATHE NOW!" as soon as it otherwise would.

[@hest9750]

Yes, he mentions all of that very clearly too that's what the video was about. Just that I don't know why did he say that oxygen part in the beginning, maybe he intended to address the misconception.

[@SpearoWannabe]

nice. thanks for sharing about hyperventilation.

[@23max232323232323]

Thank you for explaining something important very effectively. I want to add that a blackout doesn't only happen when you dive up, hyperventilating too much or taking 30 odd forceful deep breaths might make you not feel the urge to breath at all. So it could potentially be dangerous in any situation you try a prolonged breath hold after hyperventilating. Technically you do get more oxygen by hyperventilating, but it simply doesn't go where it needs to, it can impair the flow of oxygen to your brain (that's why some people might feel light headed after hyperventilation) and obviously as you said it starts lowering your CO2, so the more you hyperventilate, the higher the risk. That's why people work on CO2 tolerance. I don't go free diving, but I swim holding my breath 25m and 50m. Even though a blackout is very unlikely for the lengths I do and there's always someone around. I don't want to take any risks. Blackouts happen for multiple reasons, but hyperventilation gives you that false sense of comfort zone, that's why it should never be practiced, particularly underwater. If you read this and you're not convinced, try it, do it on a couch where you can't fall and can't hurt yourself and better if someone's with you, then hold your breath as much as you can and if you black out you'll safe. After that blackout, you realise you don't want that to happen under water without warning.

[@k-tongstv2287]

I love that camo suit. Have a good day Mr. Wayne Judge.

[@Beyond-Poker369]

Amazing video thank you!

[@mauriziogiasan4411]

thanks I am following with great interest. Greetings from Italy

[@alextumasovs5175]

Another great video again 🤙🏾

[@ADRENO]

Cheers Alex!

[@396Studio]

Thank you. Keep it up

[@AdamBoltGoldCoast]

Great info

[@davidkoba]

co2 actually helps with oxygen utilization. low levels of co2 will cause you to black out faster.

[@londonkeith4804]

I guess Im pretty randomly asking but does anybody know a good website to stream new movies online?

[@londonkeith4804]

@Watson Zaire thank you, signed up and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :D Appreciate it !

[@watsonzaire9081]

@London Keith Glad I could help :D

[@Epiphalactic]

@@londonkeith4804 99.9%. Chance you were both people in that Convo, or it was staged.

[@joachimklawe8639]

Thanks to Wayne Judge! I swear, I will get rid of that bad habit!

[@redpandajwredpandajw3087]

I did this and I was able to hold my breath for a minute

[@happyman3220]

I just hyperventilated and held my breath I’m my dark room and I work up and my body was tingling and I think I hit my head, I was watching tv on my iPad while doing it to and it was only a few seconds, but when I woke up it also like I was crying uncontrollably but no tears were coming out and I wasn’t scared.

[@eskimoassasin6764]

Coward

[@NinjaDuck1e]

Bruh

[@happyman3220]

@@eskimoassasin6764 cause i make my self pass out?

[@bentodor6683]

A reading of 100% o2 saturation is impossible in our atmosphere. If your ever at 100% it’s because of poisoning, like CO poisoning.

[@deathsoulger1]

If two breaths can get o2 to 100% then how is the blood in my feet get to 100% ? What is your reference?

[@blocki_super5304]

why are some of the people in the vid fishing in a reflective suit and a bright red speargun? I know, that some fish might be interested and go check it out, but the ones, that are a little smarter are just gonna hide.

[@eh5665]

I can hold my breath above 4 minutes when I hyperventilate and basically feel like a predator in the sea. Fuck it, I will keep using hyperventilation technique.

[@royaldecreeforthechurchofm8409]

Do a lot of spear fishers get eaten by sharks?

[@marcellus7215]

yes 100% of spear fishes get violently attacked by sharks and die

[@royaldecreeforthechurchofm8409]

@@marcellus7215 why you alive then

[@timquain5341]

yeah increased CO2 above 45mmHg will drop your pH to an acidotic level. Not fun. I've put a sats monitor on my finger and done breath holds. My SpO2 stayed at 98-100% even though I was in a world of pain. That's the CO2. That's the body responding to an acidotic environment. Many people do live with chronic hypercapnia (elevated CO2 levels). These people have COPD. There respiratory drive is controlled by hypoxia unlike those without COPD who rely on increased CO2 levels. This is why you don't give someone with COPD >3L/min O2. Yup, they'll stop breathing. Anyway, I digress. Yeah, I wish I could dive longer. lol.

[@hongchang9370]

Sorry folks,I do not agree on your Shark , diagonis of not being a big threat to humans, you chose all your words carefully, especially the Bull sharks, I read an article on a bull, it ate a car tire. Explain that lol.

[@darrynjones6911]

why do you pause for an eternity between points. its annoying

[@waynejudge5991]

I apologise for the annoying pauses. I do these clips off the cuff. I work full time and coach Freediving in the evenings. It doesn’t give me a chance to write my dialogue or practice. Im just hoping that with my time doing this coaching that I get my point across. 😁

[@SamBroer]

@@waynejudge5991 you are a legend for making these videos. Clearly you are a gentleman for even replying to that twat.