1 bites lee 9 BREATH TRAININGABOUT HYDRO MIND HYDRO MIND IS A MULTI FACETED SURF BRAND AIMING TO SPREAD THE LOVE OF SURFING AND THE OCEAN THROUGH INFORMATION PRODUCTS, DIGITAL MEDIA AND CONSERVATION. WE FEATURE ORIGINAL STEP BY STEP GUIDES AND COURSES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE YOUR SURFING AND LIFE SIMULTANEOUSLY. AS WELL AS BLOGS AND EMAIL NEWSLETTERS WITH THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN THE SKILLS, NUTRITION AND CROSS TRAINING, RELEVANT TO AN OPTIMUM SURFING LIFESTYLE .TABLE OF CONTENTS Pv STEP 1: SET A BASE STEP 2: INCREASE LUNG CAPACITY STEP 3: STRENGTHEN YOUR MIND STEP 4: PRE SURF PREPARATION STEP 5: IN WATER ACTION CONCLUSION: fl ) PATIENCE AND DISCIPLINE fSURFING IS A UNIQUE SPORT ALLOWING MAN TO HARNESS THE POWER OF THE OCEAN FOR A FEW BEAUTIFUL MO- MENTS WHILE RIDING A WAVE. HOWEVER, TANGLING WITH NATURE BRINGS MANY UNCON- TROLLABLE VARIABLES MAKING SURFING DANGEROUS FOR THE UNPREPARED. THOUSANDS OF MILES OF COAST LINE WITH VOLATILE WEATHER, CHANGING TIDES AND STRONG CURRENTS CAN OFTEN MAKE SURFING VERY DANGEROUS WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. TO AVOID THESE DANGERS YOU MUST FOCUS ON THE THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL: -PHYSICAL FITNESS -MENTAL TOUGHNESS -EMOTIONAL CONTROLBREATH HOLD IS NOT OFTEN DISCUSSED BY THE CASUAL OR BEGINNER SURFER BUT IS THE MOST VALUABLE SURVIVAL SKILL AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE HARDEST AS IT INVOLVES INTENSE, PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL CONTROL. THE BIGGEST HAZARD TO SURFERS IS DROWNING AND IF YOU AREN'T WORKING TO INCREASE YOUR LUNG CAPACITY YOU'LL BE PUTTING YOURSELF AT RISK. THESE SKILLS WILL GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO CATCH MOREs WAVES THAN YOU EVER HAVE BEFORE. AS WELL AS GIVE YOU THE COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE TO CATCH BIGGER AND BIGGER Me FOLLOWING THE STEPS IN THIS GUIDE WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE YOUR BREATH HOLD TIME MAKING YOU A MUCH SAFER SURFER.STEP 1: SET A BASE BEING WITHOUT OXYGEN EFFECTS THE MIND AND BODY BOTH @UICKLY AND SEVERELY.THERE ARE 2 MAIN MECHANISMS TO THIS; HIGH C02 BUILD UP IN YOUR BLOODSTREAM CAUSING THE URGE TO BREATH AND LOW O2 CAUSING BLACKOUT. FOLLOWING ARE WHAT I HAVE FOUND TO BE THE BEST EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR TOLERANCE TO BOTH HIGH C02 AND LOW O2 AFFLICTIONS.PVA) e) BBs ANU OED Bes) Aaa es) tm OU LONG YOU CAN HOLD YOUR BREATH ON DRY LAND. WHILE IT IS A SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO “WET” WORK IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE DONE WITH A PARTNER. PREP: START IN A COMFORTABLE SITTING OR LYING POSITION. BREATHE CALMLY FOR 2 MINUTES USING NATURAL BREATHES. ACTIVITY OF ANY KIND WILL QUICKLY USE OXYGEN. SO YOUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE ON THE RELAXATION OF YOUR ALL YOUR MUSCLES AND YOUR MIND. BEFORE YOU START, THINK OF SOME- THING THAT CALMS YOU LIKE AN IMAGE OF YOUR FA- VOURITE PERSON OR PLACE OR HAVE A MANTRA THAT YOU CAN REPEAT IN YOUR HEAD. THE HOLD: BE SURE TO TIME YOURSELF FOR REFER- ENCE. TAKE IN A FULL BREATH DEEP INTO YOUR DIA- PHRAGM. THEN EXHALE EVERYTHING QUICKLY. DO THIS TWICE, THEN ON THE THIRD INHALE TAKE IN AS MUCH AIR AS POSSIBLE AND HOLD. RESULTS: THE RESULTS OF YOUR FIRST HOLD WILL GIVE YOU A REFERENCE TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS. IF YOUR HOLD WAS UNDER 1 MINUTE, 1 MONTH OF TRAINING SHOULD GET YOU TO 3. IF IT WAS OVER 1 MINUTE YOU COULD SEE UP TO 4 OR 5 MINUTES WITH A MONTH OF DEDICATED TRAINING. REPEAT THIS EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS.STEP 2: INCREASE YOUR LUNG CAPACITY DRY BREATH HOLDS ARE GREAT TRAINING FOR YOUR BODY AS IT GETS YOU USED TO THE SENSATIONS OF LOW O2 AND HIGH CO2. ITS ALSO GREAT FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE AS YOU WATCH YOUR TIMES GROW. NEXT TS TIME FOR MORE SPECIFIC TRAINING ON BOTH ENDS OF THE BREATH HOLD PUZZLE. C02 TOLERANCE AND LOW O2 TOLERANCE. THIS IS STANDARD PRACTICE FOR ALL BIG WAVE SURFERS AND IS THE EQUIVALENT OF LIFTING WEIGHTS FOR YOUR LUNGS AND IS KNOWN AS aN] Sa EXERCISE 1: TABLES TABLES ARE A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF BREATH HOLDS OR REPS WITH SET TIMES FOR HOLD AND RECOVERY. HERE ARE DIFFERENT TABLES FOR C02 AND O2 TRAIN- ING, EACH OF VARYING DEGREES OF DIFFICULTY DE- PENDING ON YOUR ABILITIES. NOTE: TABLES ARE TO BE DONEIN A GOMFORTABLE SITTING OR’ LYING POSITION AND) ALWAYS WITH A BUDDY FOR SAFETY.REST yal) HOLD yal) oP) 2.00 1.30 2.00 1.15 yal} 1.00 2.00 et) 2.00 0.30 2.00 0.15 2.00 C02 TABLES: THIS WILL BE A SERIES OF BREATH HOLDS OF AN EQUAL TIME WITH INCREAS- INGLY LESS RECOVERY TIME. THIS WILL ALLOW C02 TO BUILD IN YOUR BLOOD AND TISSUE, SLOWLY INCREASING YOUR TOLERANCE. PEOPLE WITH A STRONG EARLY DESIRE TO BREATH WHEN DOING A DRY HOLD SHOULD FOCUS HERE. WHEN SETTING YOUR TIMES THE HOLD TIME SHOULD BE NO MORE THAT 50% Sele VA IVLUL PREP 2.00 HOLD 1.30 2.00 oP) 2.00 2.00 2.00 PAE) 2.00 2.30 2.00 2.45 pA) 3.00 2.00 3.15 O2 TABLES: FOR O2 TABLES THE RECOVERY TIME IS FIXED WHILE THE HOLD TIME INCREASES. THIS WILL ALLOW ALL THE C02 TO BE EXPELLED BETWEEN HOLDS AND THE FOCUS CAN BE PUT ON LEARNING TO OPERATE ON LOW O2. BUILDING THIS TOLERANCE WILL INCREASE YOUR ABILITY TO OPERATE YOUR MIND AND BODY WHILE HOLDING YOUR BREATH.THESE TABLES ARE JUST EXAMPLES AND YOU WILL NEED TO CREATE YOUR OWN BASED ON YOUR ABILI- TIES. AGAIN A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS THE BREATH HOLD SHOULD NOT EXCEED 50% YOU MAX DRY HOLD. TABLES ARE NOT MEANT TO PUSH YOUR LIMITS. ONLY DO 1 TABLE PER SESSION. EITHER C02 OR O2 AND AGAIN USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM. NOTE: QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. DO THESE EXER- CISES IN A PLACE WHERE THERE ARE NO DISTRAC- TIONS AND WHEN YOU AREN'T TIRED. IF YOU FORCE YOURSELF TO DO IT OR GET INTERRUPTED YOU WON'T BE RELAXED AND YOU WON'T GET AS MUCH OUT OF IT. APPS TO HELP YOU CREATE TABLES CAN BE FOUND AT THE APP STORE ON IPHONE IF YOU SEARCH APNEA TRAINER.EXERCISE 2: ANAEROBIC TRAINING THE SECOND TRAINING METHOD IS ANAEROBIC MEAN- ING "WITHOUT AIR". THERE ARE SEVERAL VERSIONS OF THIS BUT ALL WITH THE SAME PURPOSE, TO ENGAGE IN A PHYSICAL ACTIV- ITY WHILE HOLDING YOUR BREATH TO IMPROVE HIGH C02 TOLERANCE AND LOW O2 TOLERANCE SIMULTANE- olUNA Named NCH 1. START IN A SEATED POSITION TAKING SLOW DEEP BREATHS. 2. LIKE A DRY HOLD, TAKE A 75% BREATH THEN 2 100% BREATHS AND HOLD THE SECOND. 3. HOLD FOR 10-30 SECONDS (START SMALL). 4. STAND UP AND START WALKING ON LEVEL GROUND. 5. PUSH YOURSELF WITHOUT RISKING BLACKOUT. 6. COUNT YOUR STEPS OR USE LANDMARKS FOR PROGRESS REFERENCE. 7. WHEN FINISHED TAKE SLOW DEEP RECOVERY BREATHS FOCUSING ON DEEP INHALES. IMPROVEMENT WILL BE MADE IN SMALL STEADY IN- CREMENTS. CONSISTENCY IS KEY. REMEMBER TO PUSH YOURSELF BUT NOT TO THE POINT OF BLACKOUT AS YOU WILL RISK INJURY AND PROGRESS WILL BE LOST. NOTE: WALKING CAN BE SUBSTITUTED FOR A STA- TIONARY BIKE OR ELLIPTICAL MACHINE BUT AGAIN USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM.STEP 3: STRENGTHEN YOUR MIND INCREASING YOUR LUNG CAPACITY IS THE MOST EF- FECTIVE STEP YOU CAN TAKE TO INCREASING YOUR BREATH CONTROL. HOWEVER, WHEN YOU ARE IN- VOLVED IN A REAL SITUATION IF YOU CAN'T STAY CALM ALL THE LUNG CAPACITY IN THE WORLD WON'T HELP YOU. PANIC IS THE NUMBER 1 CAUSE OF DROWNING AS IT TENSES YOUR MUSCLES, ELEVATES YOUR HEART RATE AND FILLS YOU WITH ADRENALINE. ALL OF WHICH BURN OXYGEN, FAST! SO THIS GUIDE WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A CHAPTER DEDICATED TO MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL CONTROL. YOUR FIRST WEAPON AGAINST PANIC IS THE KNOWL- EDGE OF WHATS HAPPENING TO YOU BODY DURING LOW O2 AND HIGH CO2 AND KNOWING HOW FAR YOU CAN PUSH IT. TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS WE USE THE RULE OF aa Biss BREAKING DOWN THE STAGES OF A BREATH HOLD INTO 3 SECTIONS WILL ALLOW YOU TO GAUGE WHERE YOU ARE AND HOW MUCH LONGER YOU HAVE BASED ON YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL SIGNALS.Sr \cl -NO IMMEDIATE URGE TO BREATH -GENERALLY COMFORTABLE -CALM MIND 2ND STAGE: -FEELING OF CO2 BUILDING, (FEELS LIKE A TUGGING IN YOUR CHEST) -GENERAL URGE TO BREATH -PERIPHERAL VASOCONSTRICTIONS (NARROWING OF BLOOD VESSELS RESTRICTING BLOOD FLOW TO THE LIMBS) FEELS LIKE CONTRACTED MUSCLES 3RD STAGE: -STRONG URGE TO BREATH -ABDOMINAL CONSTRICTIONS, FEELS LIKE PULSING OF ain) seamen ts) -LOW O2, FEELS LIKE MENTAL FOGGINESS THE FREEFIVING RULE OF THIRDS Rant) Da andrN NOTE: INEXPERIENCE WILL OFTEN CAUSE PANIC DURING THE FIRST URGES TO BREATH IN STAGE 2. THIS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING WILL CUT SHORT YOUR BREATH HOLD TIME BY UP TO 2 THIRDS. PANIC AT THIS STAGE CAN COST YOU MIN- UTES. ADDITIONALLY STOPING AT THE FIRST CON- TRACTION CAN ROB YOU OF AN ENTIRE THIRD. KNOWING THE RULE OF THIRDS AND PRACTICING DRY HOLDS WILL GET YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE SENSATIONS AND KEEP YOU CALM AND SAFE DURING LONG HOLD DOWNS.<> ee Oe VISUALIZATION: NEXT IS PREPARING YOUR MIND FOR THE WORST CASE SCENARIO THROUGH VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES. VI- SUALIZATION IS LIKE A MENTAL REHEARSAL OF EVENTS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN. IN REAL SITUATIONS EMOTIONS LIKE FEAR AND PANIC CAN COME ON WITHOUT WARN- ING IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. SO WHEN DOING THIS EXERCISE ITS IMPORTANT TO BE AS DE- TAILED AND INTENSE AS POSSIBLE SO YOU CAN BE PREPARED FOR ANY SCENARIO.START THIS EXERCISE IN A COMFORTABLE SEATED OR LYING POSITION. 1, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND BREATH CALMLY 2. BEGIN TO PICTURE A DETAILED SCENE (THE SOUND OF WAVES CRASHING, THE SMELL OF THE OCEAN, THE WIND ON YOUR FACE. BE AS DETAILED AS POSSIBLE. RECREATE YOUR FAVOURITE SURF SPOT.) 3. PICTURE PADDLING FOR THE BIGGEST WAVE OF YOUR LIFE AND HAVING A MASSIVE WIPEOUT. 4. YOU'RE BEING HELD DOWN, THE WATER IS COLD, THRASHING YOU AROUND VIOLENTLY WITH NO IDEA WHICH WAY IS UP, YOU'RE IN COMPLETE DARKNESS. 5. FEAR STRIKES BUT YOU DON'T REACT. 6. STAY CALM, RELAXED. KEEP YOUR HEART RATE DOWN. 7. TIME TICKS AWAY AND YOUR STILL HELD UNDER, VI- OLENTLY BEING TOSSED. 8. YOU'RE BEING PUSHED TO YOUR LIMITS AND YOU BEGIN TO CONVULSE. 9. TRUST YOUR TRAINING. 10. YOU HANG ON REMAINING CALM AS THE WAVE FI- NALLY RELEASES YOU AND YOU POP UP. 11. YOU GASP THAT FIRST BREATH, THEN BEGIN TAKING DEEP CONTROLLED RECOVERY BREATHS.NOTE: THIS IS JUST A BRIEF EXAMPLE, COME UP WITH YOUR OWN AND BE CREATIVE. WHAT SCARES YOU? WHAT WILL HELP PUSH YOU PAST THIS? REMEMBER THE MORE DETAILED THE BETTER. GET YOUR HEART POUNDING AND LEARN TO CONTROL IT. THIS EXERCISE CAN BE DONE EVERYDAY. BONUS: TRY COMBINING VISUALIZATION WITH A DRY BREATH HOLD FOR BEST RESULTS. ALWAYS WITH A SPOTTER.STEP 4: PRE SURF PREPARATIONS THERE ARE A FEW KEY THINGS TO CONSIDERING BEFORE YOU ENTER THE WATER THAT CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON YOUR PERFORMANCE. WHEN IT COMES TO BREATH HOLD, EVERY SECOND MATTERS SO ITS THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE EDGE. 1. DON'T EAT AT LEAST 1 HOUR BEFORE SURFING. THIS MAY SOUND FAMILIAR AND THERE'S GOOD REASON. YOUR DIGESTION SYSTEM USES OXYGEN TO BREAK DOWN FOOD AND DELIVER NUTRIENTS TO YOUR BODY. THIS IS A COMPLICATED PROCESS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS GUIDE BUT TO SIMPLIFY, IT TAKES LOTS OF ENERGY AND OXYGEN TO DIGEST FOOD. 2. HAVE A STRETCHING ROUTINE. A GOOD TOTAL BODY STRETCHING ROUTINE LASTING 10-15 MINUTES IS IDEAL TO GET YOUR BLOOD CIRCULATING PRE SURF. THIS WILL AID IN GETTING OXYGEN FLOWING THROUGH YOUR BODY WHICH COMES INTO PLAY DURING YOUR BREATH HOLD. 3. MENTAL PREP. DO A BRIEF RECAP OF YOUR VISUAL- IZATION. PICTURE THE WORST CASE SCENARIO AND HAVE A PLAN. THIS CANNOT BE OVER STATED, IF YOU PANIC YOU'RE IN DANGER. TRUST YOUR TRAINING.~ )