packing and safe techniques

hi everyone have recently started freediving and spearfishing and read some articles and dont know what to do

first off all, what is lung packing, i take about 3 or 4 deep breaths before i go down, is that packing

and second lung squeeze, what is it, how do you get it, how do you avoid it

this is how i dive could you tell me if its safe

i first normally just take 3 or 4 deep breaths, i then descend a moderate to fast speed, i equilise using valsava a couple times throughout the dive, and bolt like hell up to the surface

 i have just been in some deeper areas at around 8 metres max compare to my averge 1-3 metres and only been on about 6 six dives, is this to much of a gap


scotto's picture

Posts: 2469

Date Joined: 21/04/08

nah mate keep going.

Sun, 2010-02-07 17:32

lung packing is after you have taken a deep, full breath, gulping a few extra mouthfulls of air and "swallowing" them into your lungs, effectively "packing your lungs FULL of air. its really only used by those mad bastards that do like 100m freedives. not sure what lung squeeze is though.

what you're doing is a form of hyperventilation, and although i was told it is not excessively good for you, i (and everyone else) do it nearly every deep dive. it is enriching your final dive breath with oxygen, and is relatively safe as long as you only take 2 or 3 big breaths before you go for the big breath hold. too many times will make your head spin, and is dangerous if at depth. it also increases your chance of shallow water blackout though, and probably not the best to do when you're a beginner.

just try control your heart rate, and the rest will come with practise.