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Breathing Exercises for Freediving

In freediving, breathing is the sport. Relaxation before the dive decides how long you can stay down, and tolerance to rising carbon dioxide decides how comfortable that time feels. Both are trained on land, long before you are in the water.

Safety first

Never freedive alone: always dive with a trained buddy who watches you surface, and do these drills on dry land or in a supervised pool. Hyperventilating before a breath-hold hides the warning signs of blackout.

How to use them

Use CO2 Tolerance Hold tables and the Hypoxic Swim Ladder to get used to the urge to breathe without fighting it. The Freedive Prep Breathe-Up is a slow, relaxed breathe-up for the minutes before a dive, not hyperventilation. The 30-breath rapid round in this list is for dry-land energy only — never before going under.

New to this? Start with CO2 Tolerance Hold: Extend breath-hold for swimming, freediving and combat sport.

Every day: build the base

Train daily, away from the action.

• CO2 Tolerance Hold — Extend breath-hold for swimming, freediving and combat sport.
• Wim Hof Style Breathing — 30 deep breaths followed by a retention. Energising and resilient.
• Hypoxic Swim Ladder — Stroke-timed holds that train relaxed swimming on less air.

Game day: before and between efforts

Before and between efforts.

• Freedive Prep Breathe-Up — Slow, long exhales to prepare for a single deep breath-hold.

Get the app

dubchi is free in the browser at dubchi.com (it installs as an app and works offline) and on Android, on Google Play. No account is needed to practise.

Other sports

Breathing Exercises for Swimming · Breathing Exercises for Surfing · Breathing Exercises for Running · Breathing Exercises for Trail Running · Breathing Exercises for Cycling · Breathing Exercises for Triathlon · Breathing Exercises for Rowing · Breathing Exercises for Weightlifting · all sports

General information about breathing practices, not medical or coaching advice.