Navy Seal -- Got what it takes? (Page 2)

The secret is hyperventilating first.  

And or Stealth? Just another guess.

I thought it was doing a lot of hypoxic sets. 

Well, sure, you've got to train a little. But by hyperventilating immediately before the effort, you increase your oxygen-carrying capacity. Of course, you also increase your risk for passing out mid-swim, but that's what lifeguards are for. DON'T TRY THIS ALONE!!!

We used to do underwater swims for distance in swim practice when I was a kid, and I could never get to 50 yards until someone showed me the how to hyperventilate. Immediately, I could go a good 2o yards father. I think my furthest ever was about 70 yards (5 yards short of 3 laps in a 25 yard pool).

Yeah, I know you were, but I like telling stories. It's funny, we used to do tons of hypoxic sets at swim practice, but they've fallen out of favor recently. I guess some studies have been shown that you don't improve your long-term O2 capacity by doing them.

But for specific breath-holding events, they've got to help you deal with hypoxia, at least from a psychological standpoint.

A good friend of ours is a Seal.  He just told me about drownproofing last week.  It is the thing where they tie your arms and legs behind you and you have to swim around like that.  He is training an attorney from my husband's office and he made him do this in one of the local Country Club pools!  Can you imagine a bunch of Boca ladies coming out for their morning swim to find an attorney tied up and flailing around their pool?

Oh - and according to our friend this method came about in Vietnam.  An American had been captured and was being transported on the back of a boat.  He had his hands and feet tied but decided he'd rather drown than be captured, so he threw himself off the boat.  They looked for him but he stayed under so long they assumed he was dead.  When he popped up he had to figure out a way to swim to safety without using his arms or legs!  Now the Seals learn how to do the same thing.