How far can you swim under water with one breathe?

If Hollywood disaster movies are anything to go by, the average person can swim about 200yds underwater and stay underwater around three to five minutes.

I used to be able to do a full length. Aslo did 3 widths which is harder with the turns using energy

The key is staying relaxed and go slower as speed rapidly uses up the air in you

Former Ken Buchannen used to do underwater swimming and thought it managed to help him win his first title in stifling heat. Get his book it is one of the best ever sports autobiography written and gives some good tips on running as well

I used to do circuit training with this coach Harry Kelly and he loved all that stuff. We would do sprinting on soft mats on the spot holding our breaths. Sounds crazy but it did help you in a race at the end when you are out of oxygen

I've never actually tried, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't make it more than 25 yards (1 length of the pool.) I'm a girl, but really, I swim 8000-10000 yards a week and can't hold my breath for very long...

Back in the Day wrote:

Damn right. It's crap like "risk management" that is what's wrong with America today!

No, it's not. it's crap like merit-less lawsuits that is what's wrong with America today!

RunninWithTheGiants wrote:

I've never actually tried, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't make it more than 25 yards (1 length of the pool.) I'm a girl, but really, I swim 8000-10000 yards a week and can't hold my breath for very long...

You might be surprised. Swimming 8000-10000 yards a week should make you pretty comfortable in the pool. Just take a deep breath, plunge, start taking breast strokes under water and look at the line. By the time you hurt enough to look up that wall will be closer than you think.

I swam 70 yards underwater at age 20. As far as I recall, no one else was around except a lifeguard at the other end of the pool. I had done it a few times and didn't even consider blacking out, so it was probably not a good idea.

I also sat on the bottom of the pool for 1:43 when a friend was there. It helps a lot to practice holding your breath.

Now I'm not used to swimming and probably couldn't even dive to the bottom and back up.

island man wrote:

Me: 46.7 yards (140ft.) I'm afraid to push it harder without anyone there to save me if I blacked out.

HBU?

Until shallow water blackout creeps in....

You do realize shallow water blackout has less to do with holding breath too long, and more to do with how you do it. It is when people try hyperventilation to reduce the amount of CO2 in their blood to hold their breath longer and the amount of C02 falls too low and you do not even realize you need to breath when free diving. ie. Normal people know they need to come up for air. Someone in shallow water blackout thinks they are fine, then just blacks out.

Rbyrne wrote:

island man wrote:

Me: 46.7 yards (140ft.) I'm afraid to push it harder without anyone there to save me if I blacked out.

HBU?

Until shallow water blackout creeps in....

Anisotropic Al wrote:

100 meters - dolphin kicking the whole way.

^ this

60m in my swimming days, think I was 15 at the time. The better older guys could go 75m, but the turns are really the killer.

Went back to the pool this summer and did 50m with no problem, so I'm curious how far I could get with some training.

25 meters. It's quite a feat for me as I can swim/thrash for a max of 50m without a break.

Scubaguy wrote:

You do realize shallow water blackout has less to do with holding breath too long, and more to do with how you do it. It is when people try hyperventilation to reduce the amount of CO2 in their blood to hold their breath longer and the amount of C02 falls too low and you do not even realize you need to breath when free diving.

I was probably fine then as I always needed to breathe! I practiced holding my breath a lot, and prepared for that by relaxing, breathing calmly, not ever overbreathing.

Most people that will test themselves to see how far they can swim underwater do what first?? They force air in and out of their lungs rapidly as to think they are creating more room for oxygen before taking one last deep breath--before they embark on their underwater swim..never realizing they did themselves a disservice by lowering their CO2 in their blood stream--the all to important gas that forces swimmers to come up for air before passing out...

It is sad because so many people die in swimming pools each year simply by doing this...

I can do 50 meters at my younger days.

now, i can push it to 40 meters with couple try out first.

I believed if I really really push it hard, 50 meters still can be done.

I think...................

I can swim all day, but I hate underwater. Never been over 25yds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b614bld3V78

Back in the Day wrote:

Keith Stone wrote:

In college (in the 70's) someone would pass out doing underwaters about once a week. It was a right of passage. Distance guys could regularly get around 75, pass out pushing off going for 125. Us sprinters could make it 50, I passed out going for 75.

No questions, no Weingarten hearings, no nothing. When someone stopped moving we just dove in and pulled them out.

Damn right. It's crap like "risk management" that is what's wrong with America today!

At BUD/S we do a 50m under water swim in First Phase. Starting from the pool deck, step off into the drink, under water you do a front somersault then swim 25M to the far side wall then back. I did not think it was a huge challenge but I did feel it at around 35 meters.

I did 3 lengths of a 33 m pool when I was swimming 10,000 yards a week

I was virtually finished after 75 meters underwater but just kept going

Its not a good idea really, I would say 50 meters is ok for a bit of fun but any more is dangerous

0 I can't swim

When I was younger I could do the length of my friends pool and back. It wasn't a big pool, I want to say 10 yards long or so, so thats... 20 yards lol. I think I was just too slow under the water or something. I always tried to breaststroke below the surface but my friend would do kind of a mermaid motion or something and just whip dart across in not time, I never quite figured that technique out.