How long can you hold your breath???

Because German free diver Tom Sietas just set a world record for holding his, get this, 22:22. Yep, over 20 minutes. It's not as though I follow this sort of thing, but I literally didn't even know that was possible. Here's the link:

Free Diver

Oh, by the way, I think I could probably make it about 90 seconds (hey, I did ask the question)...

reply to post by BBobb
I've timed myself up to 2 minutes before. Not sure how much more beyond that I COULD go, but not much without a lot of training. Those divers are just nuts, though. In addition to the pure oxygen, lung capacity, and not eating mentioned in the article, don't they also basically hyperventilate first to super-saturate their blood with oxygen?

I think last time I tried was when I was 10 at that was probably like 40s. I will have to try this out again now that it is 12 years later.

reply to post by BBobb


well not to brag,, but i pride myself about my over 3 mins,, holding breath, under water.
.i'm a professional singer..
and also A SMOKER!!


22.22 mins is unbelievable as a free diver.....

I have held my breath for 3:47. I was also in the caribbean at the time and I would free dive on my days off. One of the keys to freediving is hyperventilating before you descend. It loads your bloodstream with oxygen and lets you use that last breath for a little longer. My 3:47 was also doing a deadmans float, so my muscles weren't using any o2. With fins and a mask and kicking like hell for the surface, probably two mins

reply to post by BBobb


Over 20 minutes, is well, almost unbelievable and amazing.

I haven't ever timed myself but I can go a lap, or 2 lengths, of an olympic size pool--so over/back, over/back.

Yet, I kind of cheated by staying close to the pool ground and pushing my feet off of the ground every now and then.

Pretty amazing stuff. I had recently just saw when David Blaine did it

wow 22 minutes is pretty crazy. i can do 3 minutes easy but only because i know the hyperventilation trick.

I Im relaxed on the floor and prepare, close to two minutes,,but if Im surfing, about 15 seconds tops...

Originally posted by juveous
Pretty amazing stuff. I had recently just saw when David Blaine did it

Thanks for sharing this, I enjoyed watching.

I used to be able to hold my breath for one length of a full size college swimming pool swimming under water. I haven't got a clue how long that took to do. That took years of training for me, forty years later I probably could hold my breath for about ten seconds

reply to post by BBobb


The blood and cells can store oxygen and release it when needed. It takes a certain chemical availability and training to utilize this ability. A structured Diet would also be critical in achieving those results. I'm sure that genetics has something to do with it also to achieve that long a time.