Training for water time ( the beginning)

     Underwater photography can be done two ways: technical, with various systems of underwater breathing apparatuses, or through mental and physical stamina of a breath hold. I choose the latter.
    I believe that diving below the surface on a breath hold allows me a different type of interaction with the marine environment then those of scuba. However, my life depends on my physical fitness. Since I moved back to Hawaii to be a professional underwater photographer, I figured I better start training like one.

     Along with the usual push ups, sit ups and running, I have been focusing on Hill sprints, and Breath hold tables.  

  I started off with a simple O2 table. 

While a three minute hold is well within my ability, I still found this table to be extremely uncomfortable.  Contracts where painful, most likely due to the lack of flexibility in my chest. 

      

           added some diaphragm stretches to my weekly routine ( see my tutorial on youtube )

My next table was a co2 table 

I found this session to be extremely easy. I didn't get contractions until my 6th hold and they were very light. 

 On an interesting note, Brittany was counting my heart rate and around the 5th hold and on, she had difficulty finding a radial pulse, a good indication that I was shunting blood.