Dry static apnea can be a useful and convenient element of a freediver’s training program, enhancing lung capacity and building physical and mental resilience to apnea conditions. It is however, no substitute for freediving practice itself. Wet and dry, static and dynamic, a range of apnea exercises should be practiced for greatest physical and mental benefit, and best freediving performance.
Apnea is the term which describes breath-holding in freediving and other underwater activities. To freedive safely and competently, apnea training and practice are essential. Static and dynamic apnea exercises can boost lung capacity, accustom divers to movement under low-oxygen conditions, and open the door to longer, safer dives. Performed on land in any safe location, dry static apnea exercises should fit simply into any freediving training program.
The True Story Book of Freediving Champion Audrey Mestre and the Story of Her Death
View on Amazon: The Last Attempt (Opens new tab)
Top rated read
Whether you’re a beginner freediver or simply someone who wants to know more about dry static apnea training for freediving, then carry on reading. Our article tells you how more about dry static apnea including how apnea training works, how to practice static apnea, and the risks and benefits of apnea training.
What is dry static apnea?
Apnea exercises are practice in resisting the body’s automatic urge to breath for as long as possible. When these exercises are practiced on land, and without movement, they are termed dry static apnea practice. Dry static apnea may be the first apnea training learned by beginner freedivers.
Dry static apnea exercises allow the body to become accustomed to functioning during a breath-hold, becoming more efficient in using oxygen and tolerating high carbon dioxide. Dry static apnea practice can also boost psychological resilience and calmness in the water by creating familiarity with apnea conditions and the sense of struggle that breath-holding underwater may create.
How does apnea training work?
Breath-holding is a crucial part of being able to dive deeper, for longer, in safety. Apnea training is important both for competitive and recreational freedivers. Without this training, beginner freedivers may not be able to progress beyond shorter, shallower dives and may be putting themselves at risk in the water. Incorrect breathing techniques can also lead to serious injury, especially during deeper or repeated dives
Learning dry static apnea technique and regularly practicing apnea exercises in a safe place on land, accustoms freedivers physically and mentally to functioning with low levels of oxygen, high levels of carbon dioxide and and low blood pH levels. These are the conditions that freedivers will experience underwater and building familiarity on land can make for calmer, safer diving.
How do you train for static apnea?
Dry static apnea exercises are physically and mentally challenging, requiring a clear structure and preparaion.
1. Obtain carbon dioxide and oxygen breath-hold training tables for freediving
Freediving training tables systematically set out how timings for breath-holding and intervals between breath-holds. You should choose a suitable starting point in the tables for your level of experience and apnea capability.
2. Choose a safe space
Before you begin a session of dry static apnea exercises, choose a safe surface (e.g. bed, couch, yoga mat) for your practice in case you become dizzy or black out while breath-holding.
3. Do a freediving breath-up
A ‘breathe-up’ is the term used to describe how freedivers use a form of very deliberate breathing to prepare their bodies immediately before they dive. The standard approach is to breath-up for about two minutes, keeping the breaths calm and full, with exhalations double the length of inhalations.
4. Completely exhale
When you’ve finished breathing up, empty your lungs with a complete exhale before inhaling fully. Freedivers use the technique of segmented breathing to fill each part of the lungs from the bottom upwards. Breathing from the lower chest and diaphragm as well as the upper chest, should increase lung capacity and efficiency.
5. Begin apnea exercises
As you complete your full inhale, start your timer and begin breath-holding, using the values in your training tables to guide the length of time you hold your breath, and how long you wait between breath-holds.
For even more tips and advice, check out our full article on apnea exercises for freediving (opens new tab).
Is apnea training bad for you?
With good training and proper practice, apnea training is probably not bad for you and can carry some significant benefits. While there is a danger of blacking out due to lowered oxygen, risks of harm can be mitigated by laying on a bed to practice dry static apnea, or following safety rules and practicing wet apnea exercises only with your freediving buddy.
Dry static apnea should not cause brain damage. Even when blackout occurs, there are physiological mechanisms which kick in to protect the brain and restore breathing function long before any damage could occur.
Dry static apnea training should be done in a safe place where you won’t fall and injure yourself if you black out. It should not be done while driving, operating machinery, or performing other tasks where full consciousness and concentration are vital.
Pros and cons of dry static apnea training
Pros of dry static apnea training include:
– Improved lung capacity. A group of elite athletes who completed freediving breath training, reportedly increased their lung capacity by 10%. Boosting lung function and capacity can build capability for longer, deeper dives.
- Familiarity with apnea conditions. Dry static apnea allows the body and mind to become accustomed to apnea conditions and to operate more calmly and efficiently under apnea conditions when in the water.
- Convenience. Dry static apnea can be done by yourself at home. It is therefore often easier to fit into a schedule than wet static apnea (which requires a pool or body of water) or dry dynamic apnea (which requires a buddy in case of blackout while you’re on your feet or lifting weights).
Cons of dry static apnea include:
– Inability to replicate the freediving experience. Dry static apnea can never replace the experience of apnea while in the water and under high water pressure. Wet apnea and freediving experience are crucial if you want to increase ability to freedive more deeply and for longer periods.
– Greater challenge than wet static apnea. When diving underwater, freedivers have the benefit of the Mammalian Dive Reflex (MDR) being activated. Dry static apnea does not trigger the MDR and therefore requires more effort, leading to lower breath-hold times for dry static apnea training than for wet apnea.
References
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/is-it-safe-to-hold-your-breath
https://williams.eeb.ucsc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/1-s2.0-S1095643304001515-main.pdf