Week 21-22 | Summary 1️⃣2️⃣0️⃣m DNF ✌️🎉

The past two weeks have been an exciting deep dive into exploration and experimentation, focusing on areas that could make or break performance underwater. Here’s what I’ve been up to:

Buoyancy Experiments

Buoyancy has been the star of my training recently. I played around with different weights, varying the setup to adapt to conditions like amount of air in my lungs and diving without a wetsuit.

Key findings:

• Diving overweighed by 250g or even 500g felt significantly different compared to neutral buoyancy, which impacted the smoothness and efficiency of my dives.
• Perfect weighting (down to 50g adjustments!) transformed the way I felt the water, glided, and even reduced the number of moves needed. The precision here truly matters!
• This “buoyancy play” turned out to be a fantastic way to tune into my body and improve sensations underwater.

I tested my weighting for three different lung volumes:

1. Full Lungs (FL, 100% capacity)
2. Residual Volume (RV, ~25% capacity)
3. Full Lungs + 25 Packs (FL+25, 100% + packing)

Through trial and error, adjusting in 100–200g increments, I discovered what weights are right for me:

• RV - 197 g
• FL - 5763 g
• FL+25 - 6947 g

Physiological Insights 🩸

I dove into the science of freediving performance, looking at factors like haemoglobin, red blood cells, and iron levels—all crucial for oxygen transport and endurance. (Stay tuned—I’ll share a detailed breakdown of my findings soon!).

This topic is very important for me, as I am frequent blood donor 🩸.

Strength and Flexibility Routine

I also integrated stretching and strength training into my weekly routine. The goal is to build a foundation for better performance, and I’m eager to see how this pays off in the weeks ahead.

Training Highlights

As part of my light training, I tested my buoyancy findings and other factors in action.

Surprise Performance – During one session, I forgot my usual neck weight and improvised with a smaller one. Despite suboptimal weighting, I managed a 106m swim! What stood out? I only took a 5-second breath-up compared to my usual 20 seconds with 20 packs. This unplanned experiment boosted my confidence for a new Personal Best.

New PB Achieved – In another session, I started with no expectations—just focusing on technique and relaxation. I pushed past my last turn and hit 1️⃣2️⃣0️⃣! 🎉✌️ Despite minor hypoxia at the end, I finished with a clean surface protocol. Later, I realised I had been 500g overweighted during this dive—proof that technique and mindset can overcome less-than-perfect setups.

STA Prep

I also dedicated time to O2 tables to prep for an upcoming STA competition. These exercises have been excellent supplements, building mental strength, and low-O2 tolerance—essential tools for my dynamic no fins (DNF) journey.

Trainings summary

These are my trainings - a blend of structured routines and personal adaptations. If you’re curious about the specifics of each drill type and want tips on how to incorporate them into your own practice, stay tuned for my upcoming posts. There’s much more to share!