How fit are people out there

[Jimi]

In regards to the poll at the moment, a lot of people saying they can hold there breath for <30sec, meaning you can hold your breath for up to 30 seconds while getting worked over by a wave?

sit down, count to 20 or 30 while holding your breath, then think of doing that while getting worked.

Ive had some pretty bad hold-downs by some big sets, the type when u think one more second will be the end of you, then you surface just in time, spew up some water etc, and I think none of them would have been even 10 sec hold downs. So for 20 or 30 seconds of that, if u can handle it I take my hat off to you, but to be honest I think only a fraction of the people on the poll could really hold it for that long.

Whats your longest hold-down do u think? how big was the wave/s?

[yanks r us]

yeh i know thats bullsh**. if the stats are right then why rnt the beaches packed, if you can hold your breathe for 30seconds you can go nething thats provided on the nb's..

[Dingus]

It's good to hear things like this. I've always considered my lung capacity to be utter utter crap, but seems I'm fairly normal considering your post Jimi. It doesn't matter how fit I can make myself, I still get a bit of puff walking uphill.

Not only is it a perverse pleasure to watch people get worked, I always watch for changes in their position and time under, and it always seems bugger all, even this weekend. The more I watch the more I realise the bulk of any wipeout is purely mental, daredevils aside.

So much to learn still, so much to experience, I love it

[Shaunm]

I put 5 secs due to meds.
30 secs I was able to do before, but that's bailing or diving over the back. But when getting unexpectedly hammered over 15 secs would be hard work IMO.

[Colonel Fiction]

I would call myself "unfit", but not the most unfit guy in the water.

Sitting here on my arse in my comfy home office I can hold my breath for around 16 or 17 seconds before the panic slowly begins to rise, so I answered < 20 secs in the poll.

I'm sure you're right that the panic would begin earlier if I was getting pummelled underwater. I can'd say for sure, since in those circumstances I tend not to do my "one murrumbidgees" because I have other things on my mind, such as not dying.

[Beaver]

Dude are you joking?.....
Are you all smokers....
Sitting at my desk then i did 2min15sec and im not particularly stressed...
But ive never really counted in big hold downs.. but yeh... you cant hold your breath for nearly as long in the surf...

[rae]

Its all in your head. Lying on a bed i've managed 2 mins (timed it last time this topic came up), you just have to supress your desire to breathe in. it's a mind game. Tht said, i HATE holding my breath for more than 30 secs and in a hold down anything more than a few secs is horrible..

[dammit__01]

Wow im unfit

Today i was all out of air paddling out

Got worked by a set (then hit by some fucks board while still under) and was down for about 15 secs. Was out of breathe at the end.

Although i think holdimg my breathe im ok, just paddling fitness

[robzig]

[Mrs Kreepy]

yeh i know what you mean robpig. i've surfed some fairly big swell (nothing over about 8 foot) and had some serious drilling's and i'd have to say that although it seems like an eternity underwater, as you're thinking how close you must be getting to the rocks, i don't think i would have been held under for any longer than 10-15 seconds. and the only time i've ever really freaked out in this situation was when a thick ass lip caught me unexpectably in the back of the head and i didn't breathe in.


i've never seen anyone in video's, internet etc get held under for 2 mins and come up concious.

[Stokie]

I hate holding my breath, never can be bothered pushing myslef to see how long i could hold it.

I consider myself quite fit, but anything over 10seconds for a hold down is enough to send me in to catch my breath. Especially considering a wave big enough to hold you for 10 seconds is probably going to blast the air out of your lungs anyway.

[dammit__01]

i think your right SSR, thinking back now i reackon i was prob only udner for 5-10 seconds ... yet it felt like alot more

none the less im pretty happy with my breathe holding, my worry is my paddling fitness

[Nick Carroll]

Almost anyone here who reckons they've been under longer than 15 secs in a surf situation is suffering a bit of a time-expansion delusion thingy.

Just count the swell interval. Then call how many waves you were underwater. Aust east coast is gonna be 11 or 12-sec interval on a big swell (ie today), but mostly a fair bit less. Therefore, if you weren't under for two waves, you were under for less than 12 seconds.

There be a colossal difference between choosing to hold your breath in a non exercise situation and being forced to hold your breath while fighting a solid underwater thrashing.

It's not a question of machismo. It also has nothing to do with fitness. Plenty of supposedly fit people would struggle to control their breathing reflex during a 10 second thrashing under a good wave.

A 30 second hold down is more or less impossible to achieve in Aust east coast conditions. You'll get that in big Hawaiian or northern Californian surf. Anyone who's been down that long will have a lifetime memory of the experience, it'll have taken them close to unconsciousness or death.

[Dingus]

Almost anyone here who reckons they've been under longer than 15 secs in a surf situation is suffering a bit of a time-expansion delusion thingy.

Just count the swell interval. Then call how many waves you were underwater. Aust east coast is gonna be 11 or 12-sec interval on a big swell (ie today), but mostly a fair bit less. Therefore, if you weren't under for two waves, you were under for less than 12 seconds.

There be a colossal difference between choosing to hold your breath in a non exercise situation and being forced to hold your breath while fighting a solid underwater thrashing.

It's not a question of machismo. It also has nothing to do with fitness. Plenty of supposedly fit people would struggle to control their breathing reflex during a 10 second thrashing under a good wave.

A 30 second hold down is more or less impossible to achieve in Aust east coast conditions. You'll get that in big Hawaiian or northern Californian surf. Anyone who's been down that long will have a lifetime memory of the experience, it'll have taken them close to unconsciousness or death.

Out of curiosity, any idea on the holddown time at, say, Jaws in the massive stuff? I'm guessing in those situations, distance dragged far outweighs time under.

[bc]

Years ago on wide world of sports, they showed a hold down at pipe (?) which was for 27 seconds. considering it was deemed spectacular enough to merit a special segment on the show. Stuck in my mind. I count the seconds in my mind when i have a big hold down, never got past about 8. I have a phobia one day its going to be like that kid in the poltergeist counting the lightning tho.

[smackthatlip]

I find I'm shockingly bad with hold-downs after a spell out of the water ie like we had just recently. First couple of wipeouts even on a 4ft day I come up and shake my head and wonder why I struggled so much. Worst smashing I've had was a 6ft day last winter. Had a too big steamer on and it ripped open and filled with water while getting tumbled. Was struggling to get to surface but never made it before the next one hit. Was f@#$en freaking and seeing stars but obviously made it up. Luckily only had 3 two wave holdowns in 20 yrs surfing. ps I'm of average fitness.

[Wielly]

Yeh i agree with the swell interval thing,
having have what i felt to be a massive hold down at rather large nias years ago, thinking i was just about pass out, came up to get the second wave on the head. So maybe 12 secs or so. Thats from a spear fisherman, and pretty used to taking the breath holding to the edge also and pretty fit at the time, so gotta agree with NC on that one.

[Johnno]

Almost anyone here who reckons they've been under longer than 15 secs in a surf situation is suffering a bit of a time-expansion delusion thingy.

Well some times a leg rope can get wrapped around a rock. Or you can be in a rip that does not allow you to be pushed in with the swell so you may be held down for more than 2 waves in the impact zone.

It's not a question of machismo. It also has nothing to do with fitness. Plenty of supposedly fit people would struggle to control their breathing reflex during a 10 second thrashing under a good wave.

Has a lot to do with what sort of conditioning you had when you are growing up e.g. while the body in still developing in your youth.

As a kid right through to my adult years did a lot of snorkeling, swimming training along with doing swimming laps ( yeah more than one) under water. Which did help develop cardio vascular system.