How long can you go - challenge extended!

King Damager · 21 Oct 2012 at 00:55

Ok. So, as many of you know, I quite like to swim from time to time. Anyway, one of the things I've always worked on is turns, and being the competitive type, part of training for that for me, was always seeing who could go furthest underwater in a pool. My current best was about a length and a quarter but I want to get into the local pool at Olympic opening times soon to see what I can do.... XD

Now part of my training always includes doing a couple of lengths underwater (normally breathe every length), but another thing I do every couple of weeks is see how long I can hold my breath for lying down, relatively relaxed.

So, I just set what I believe is a new personal best for me. 2 minutes 33. Obviously moving very little at the time helps, but I'm curious, how long can the members of OcUK hold their breath for?

(Poll would be cool)

kd

Sui · 21 Oct 2012 at 00:59

I struggle at 45 seconds

Fenris · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:00

Can do ~2 minutes whilst sitting still.

Shayper · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:02

I can swim a length underwater

Surveyor · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:09

King Damager said:
(Poll would be cool)

What options would you like if there was a poll?

arc@css · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:13

I get most of my enjoyment from swimming underwater, though atm I don't think I can beat that time. I can nearly swim a whole length underwater, though.

PermaBanned · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:17

This seems extremely dangerous without supervision and training from an experienced diving instructor. I would not recommend that you do this for the sake of posting it on the forum.

olivier renault · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:17

can do about a length before drowning.

Angilion · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:21

I just tried. 1 min 49s while sitting down. Maybe I could do a bit more if I was lying down. I don't think I could beat 2m 33s though.

I've heard that the "rule of 3" is a good rule of thumb for maximum survival times - 3 minutes without oxygen, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food.

EDIT: Bloody hell, I've just found the record for it. 11m35s without pre-breathing oxygen.

Surveyor · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:22

PermaBanned said:
This seems extremely dangerous without supervision and training from an experienced diving instructor. I would not recommend that you do this for the sake of posting it on the forum.

I think the OP's question is about holding your breath in general not specifically while swimming underwater.

He's not asking people to risk drowning themselves for the sake of posting it on the forum.

Castiel · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:23

Holding your breath underwater (the colder the better) is easier than holding your breath above water......we used to do loads of hypoxic training (including underwater swimming) to increase lung capacity in the marines....the OP's 2 minutes 33 is pretty good and for anyone untrained or unpractised anything over 1min 30 is pretty good for above water.

jcb33 · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:27

2:07 just now sitting still, and the only reason I stopped is because my face was going a funny shade.

Jcb33.

Ephemera · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:29

^ Castiel speaks sense. I could do around 1m 30 above water but underwater maybe 10 seconds without drowning.
I hate water

PermaBanned · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:30

Surveyor said:
I think the OP's question is about holding your breath in general not specifically while swimming underwater.

He's not asking people to risk drowning themselves for the sake of posting it on the forum.

It's not about drowning. It's about potentially fainting or becoming unconscious, which can be dangerous, especially if you fall. This used to be a 'craze' a few years below me in high school, until one of the participants passed out and couldn't be woken up, they had to leave in an ambulance.

Castiel · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:46

PermaBanned said:
It's not about drowning. It's about potentially fainting or becoming unconscious, which can be dangerous, especially if you fall. This used to be a 'craze' a few years below me in high school, until one of the participants passed out and couldn't be woken up, they had to leave in an ambulance.

That is pretty rare and the vast majority of people are not that stupid.

Ephemera · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:49

Castiel said:
That is pretty rare and the vast majority of people are not that stupid.

I hate to disagree but I knew plenty of stupid people in my year at school who suffered the same fate.

Castiel · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:55

Ephemera said:
I hate to disagree but I knew plenty of stupid people in my year at school who suffered the same fate.

Well, I doubt very much whether there are hordes of daft schoolchildren reading this thread putting themselves into hypoxia at 2am in morning trying to break breath-holding records.

EdGey · 21 Oct 2012 at 01:57

1 length quite easily.

I find it difficult to turn around at the other side without surfacing because it's so shallow...

Ephemera · 21 Oct 2012 at 02:05

Castiel said:
Well, I doubt very much whether there are hordes of daft schoolchildren reading this thread putting themselves into hypoxia at 2am in morning trying to break breath-holding records.

Yep I think I was in an especially dumb class at school.
Actually I remember my P.E teacher getting pretty furious with me when I explained I couln't swim. He honestly thought I was making it up.. until I tried to swim a width in the local rec. centre.

EdGey · 21 Oct 2012 at 02:06

Just done a 2:44, happy with that for now...

I used to keep a record of them a while back but I can't remember what my best was.