Big Wave Hold-Down... You Got This! (Maybe)

I collected marine tropical fish on the reefs off south FL during summer break in college to sell to pet stores. Grew up on a lake during my teens and we played water tag were you would go under to get away. We also would see who could hold their breath the longest. We could go 2 minutes. Once I was free diving with a mask snorkel and fins trying to net small fish that had no intention of letting me I found I could stay under longer and longer to make a catch.

@jester42 said:
Rookie stated,
If you’re in fairly good health, you should be able to hold your breath for FIVE minutes."
Please cite the source of that statement.
I don’t believe any scientific study will confirm that statement.
A pearl diver, or a free diver might do that long, or even longer.
Normal person; no way! More likely to be able to do under two minutes.

BOB

It’s stated in the link sing posted:

Mind Over Matter…
“The mental aspect of this – especially for the average surfer reading this – is way more of a factor than stretching your lungs and working out,” says Healey. “If you’re in fairly good health, you should be able to hold your breath for five minutes – the ingredients are there, it’s just whether you can get your mind to get your body to do that. A big part of that is believing you can do that. And a big part of believing you can do that is experiencing some wins in a controlled environment.”

The average person is not a surfer.
An average person can not hold their breath for 5 minutes.
The average surfer can not hold their breath for 5 minutes; although they may be capable of holding their breath longer than an average person.
Surfing is not a controlled environment.

If you think you can hold your breath for 5 minutes; totally submerge yourself under water (in controlled environment), while holding your breath. Have a spotter standing by to pull you out of the water if/when you pass out.
Ideally, your spotter will be very experienced in CPR, and able to immediately contact 911.
Make an effort to find out how long it takes for your brain to be damaged from lack of oxygen; prior to your attempt.

BOB

@jester42

No one here has been advocating breath holding for five minutes. Just quoting the guy who claims it can be done. If you read the article, you’ll note he has stern warnings about proper and safe training. Quoting him again:

“I make them promise me that they’ll never do any exercises without someone watching them with complete attention. I don’t care if you’re doing it at home, sitting at a table with a bowl of water – you can die. For sure. As soon as you lose consciousness or loss of motor functions, you’re fcked. It doesn’t matter who you are. Some of the best freedivers in the world have died in swimming pools. You can’t fck around with that, unless you have someone with you that is trained in rescue and knows the signs to look for.”

Judging by his photo, he works on training.

I need a cigarette

@Paatit said:
I need a cigarette

Ain’t that one of Derek Hutchinson’s “eskimo roll” tricks…?

sing

Nothing like the next breath… The alternative would be a bummer.

@sing said:

@Paatit said:
I need a cigarette

Ain’t that one of Derek Hutchinson’s “eskimo roll” tricks…?

sing

Also a beer roll?

@sing said:
@Paatit said:
I need a cigarette

Ain’t that one of Derek Hutchinson’s “eskimo roll” tricks…?

You had me chuckling for a while with this one.

@Johnnysmoke said:

@sing said:

@Paatit said:
I need a cigarette

Ain’t that one of Derek Hutchinson’s “eskimo roll” tricks…?

sing

Also a beer roll?

I’m afraid the ‘cigarette roll’ has gone ‘non-PC’ these days, replaced by a variety of others (beer, etc)

Maybe, in the states that it’s now legal, how about a ‘weed roll’ or the ‘roll a doobie’ trick

That 5 minute breath hold guy likely is the same guy that gives xrays

@raisins said:

@Johnnysmoke said:

@sing said:

@Paatit said:
I need a cigarette

Ain’t that one of Derek Hutchinson’s “eskimo roll” tricks…?

sing

Also a beer roll?

I’m afraid the ‘cigarette roll’ has gone ‘non-PC’ these days, replaced by a variety of others (beer, etc)

Maybe, in the states that it’s now legal, how about a ‘weed roll’ or the ‘roll a doobie’ trick

In MA a very viable option. Have also seen the dry hat roll, more suitable for a pg rating.

No vape roll? They don’t melt.

When I was a teen I would practice holding my breath sitting still at the bottom of our pool. I forget what I worked up to but it wasn’t near five minutes.
Now I realize just how dangerous that was when no one was around.

Smoke on the Water …

Maybe, in the states that it’s now legal, how about a ‘weed roll’ or the ‘roll a doobie’ trick

Central California Surf Kayakers used to sponsor an “Expression Session” every year in December at a notorious big wave beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base … the first year I attended there were indeed doobies in the line up.

Cheri Perry shared a story about a an Inuit GL qajaqer that could paddle capsized down over something like 100m. He smoked three packs a day. Greg S might know that gentlemen.

@Paatit said:
Cheri Perry shared a story about a an Inuit GL qajaqer that could paddle capsized down over something like 100m. He smoked three packs a day. Greg S might know that gentlemen.

Used to try some on that – probably an influence of the “Pond Scum” that used to congregate at Walden (of which turner wilson was an exponent). I couldn’t paddle straight at all. But, that was not really the point (for me) as much was practicing calm and holding one’s while trying to move.

sing

@sing said:

@Paatit said:
Cheri Perry shared a story about a an Inuit GL qajaqer that could paddle capsized down over something like 100m. He smoked three packs a day. Greg S might know that gentlemen.

Used to try some on that – probably an influence of the “Pond Scum” that used to congregate at Walden (of which turner wilson was an exponent). I couldn’t paddle straight at all. But, that was not really the point (for me) as much was practicing calm and holding one’s while trying to move.

sing

Calm and holding my breath I felt/feel pretty good with, but my qajaq had to be skin tight low free narrow to get my arms around. I was never able to paddle upside down with any movement in my Arctic Hawk S&G for example/ photo if it links
qajaqusagallery.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=319722

I cheated in the upside down race at TC the one year. I just took off like a booh and stayed ahead of the leader and capsized as he was coming up for air. Crowd hated me there, I was banished.

@Paatit said:

Calm and holding my breath I felt/feel pretty good with, but my qajaq had to be skin tight low free narrow to get my arms around. I was never able to paddle upside down with any movement in my Arctic Hawk S&G for example/ photo if it links
qajaqusagallery.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=319722

I cheated in the upside down race at TC the one year. I just took off like a booh and stayed ahead of the leader and capsized as he was coming up for air. Crowd hated me there, I was banished.

Yeah, I tried only that with my first SOF, the Ronin, which was 17’x18", with a depth of about 8" at the back of the coaming. My second SOF, the Kaze, was built with the intention of being more a wave play boat. It had a wider beam at 18", a flatter (planing) bottom in the mid-section, more volume and a rocker that was two inches more on either end compared to the Ronin. While the frame is finished and sits on my backyard. I never skinned it as I had moved to another house, and got more into wavesking over “seakayaking”. So my intended “play” design has never been tested. Kaze’s bones sit sin the backyard and gets an oil coating twice a year. It is a source of wonderment for guests and friends who come over for cookouts. :slight_smile:

sing

an ‘older’ thread, but it is the time of year of cold water, etc.
Good article:

Can you survive if you run out of air?
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190423-the-man-who-ran-out-of-air-at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean

my summary from the article on how to survive a long time underwater:
be a small person, relax, and be in cold water

How BIG pf waves are you talking about. For me 10 foot is my max. I have never stayed under water even close to a minute. Are you paddling in 30 footers? Even then I cant see staying under water longer than a minute. A minute is a LONG time to keep a kayak under water. I never come out of my best flotation device the boat, . that’s just silly stupid. PS: White water is different story as a hole can hold you under. I don’t do white water like that. I let the white water guys talk about that. .