JBL Shark Workshop Bahamas 2018: Day 4 – Holding Our Breath

Today the second team is taking the boat out and me and the first team are starting the apnea training course with Chris. Chris holds more than 10 world records and he can hold his breath for 7.5 minutes. That would have killed me, but he guarantees that we will be able to double our breath holding time in this course. Everyone, except Colin from Scotland who has been training secretly and can already hold his breath for over 4 minutes. How is this possible?

We learn some breathing exercises, a short intake of breath and then an exhalation twice as long. This reduces the heart beat and calms us down. This is also better than counting sheep when you can’t get to sleep. Staying calm is the first rule of free-diving. No sudden movements and get your breathing right – before you dive. Then we record who can hold their breath how long before practising. Our times are between one and two minutes. My boss Roland Böhme had already participated in a course and started with three minutes. Thanks to exercises and explanations we are all able to increase our times.

It’s amazing how we can out trick our own minds, when we think it’s time to come up for air. It’s not true - we still have enough air, despite what we think! After today I now know there is no hurry when I think “I have to come up now because I have no air anymore,” and that I can stay at least ONE minute more before I get into difficulties. Can’t wait to see what’s next on this course, but I have the feeling it’s the next best thing to having gills!

Abends gibt es einen 2-Std Vortrag von Erich Ritter zum Thema Körpersprache der Haie. Wir haben nun schon viele Haie gesehen, aber erst der Vortrag öffnet uns die Augen, worauf wir hätten achten sollen und wie wir mit den Tieren interagieren können. Wenn wir z. B. Blickkontakt zum Hai halten und uns beim Vorbeischwimmen des Hais langsam mitdrehen, wird auch er seine Schwimmbahn anpassen und mitdrehen. Drehen wir ihm den Rücken zu, wird er wesentlich dichter vorbeischwimmen, als beim Anschwimmen mit Blickkontakt. Ein senkrecht stellen einer Flosse zeigt an, in welche Richtung er abdrehen wird. Ein leicht geöffnetes Maul bedeutet „entspannter Hai“, während das geschlossene Maul auf einen gewissen Stress schließen lässt. Unglaublich: Niemand von uns hat auf diese Dinge geachtet und hat beim nächsten Tauchgang viel zu tun! Schade, dass Erichs Vorträge nur 2 h dauern…

© 01.07.2018
Heiko Blessin
Heiko Blessin
Dipl.-Biologe

Tauchen, Fotografie, Aquaristik, Haie, Motorrad

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