Children and breath hold

    I'm the father of a 3 year old girl. While I'm hesitant to introduce her to the ocean I'm definitely interested in her developing breath hold ability. We've all seen footage of less than two year old babies underwater. I'm nowhere near that ambitious and I do not push a child that way.



    I also recognize that some individuals have a built in cautiousness when it comes to water, everyone develops at a different pace. My daughter for example was fully toilet trained by a year and a couple of months. This is something that amazes most Americans, I'm sure you've all seen the diaper commercials featuring 3 year old children.


    Anyways, I have no point of comparison but I've felt for a while that my daughter is one of those individuals that may have trouble with water, her mother does. I got this idea because of her resistance to put her face under the stream of water coming from the shower. I noticed it early on at about 2 years of age and since let her have her way and not put her face under the water. She is now 3 years and 4 months. About a month ago I said enough is enough and put some pressure on her to expose her face to the water when in the shower. In the beginning there was protest and I let her know that this is the way it's going to be. Over this month things got gradually easier but she'd still hide her face with her hands and try to avoid the stream as much as she could. At times she'd swallow a little water and cough.


    I expected a very slow progression but out of the blue she surprised me today. All of a sudden for the first time she fully exposed her face to water and actually let the stream fill her mouth. She would then play and spit out the water making that sound. From zero to hero in the course of one day! Letting your mouth fill with water is something we all take for granted but it is a definite indication of breath holding ability. I stood there watching and let her continue this for 5 minutes, she was enjoying it and I was encouraging her. Maybe we'll have some fun at the beach this summer :)

    Thats pretty cool. Ever since I could walk I have been falling into pools and lakes. As a child I nearly drowned on more than 5 occasions and I didn't develop a fear of the water. I did learn to swim by age 3 though and I do remember pushing myself to dog paddle across a deep pool without anyone telling me too. Since all I ever did was shallow stuff the need to do a long breath old never occurred to me until I started spearfishing. I would've never thought there was a reef out here in ft lauderdale until I saw it. I used to think it was all sand therefore there was no need to explore any deeper.


    I believe by snorkeling in deeper water (20-30 ft) you can induce a child to breath hold without actually telling them to, just out of curiosity they would want to go down and see.

    Davie Peguero

    Dan that is awesome. But like you say it takes time. My daughter is 2 and about 7months now the first day we took her to salt water, she got scared and i tought there it goes my chances of a spearo partner when i'm older, she inherit Moms fear to the sea:(. She was 1year and maybe like 5 months old a tthat time. this was in Puerto Rico. But as soon as i went back to Germany(ARMY), just like 2 months before she turned 2 she started to jump in the tub and getting herself underwater on her own. I was so happy i call her mom. And her first impression was.OHHH NOOOOO:D and i was like Oh hell yeahz. Since my daughter Is been going to pools with daddy and if iget into waters deep like 6 feet. she dont hesitate to come to the border and jump in my hands. I let her sink like 1 foot . She might get a drink of water. but no crying and complaints.:thumbsup2:. Just the sight of releive a spearo dad can wish for:D. I guess when the summer fully shows up here inGeorgia. I will go to the pool here and continue the practices she learned on the tub;)
    So proud of my little Angel :innocent1:

    Already exposing her to future victims:D. You know baby absorb more info when little. So The acuarium show her future targets:laughing3:

    Good stuff core. Reminds me of a similar experience with mine. The local Bass Pro shops has a big aquarium. She was fine with it until one of the catfish slowly came right up to the glass and it looked like it was watching her. When it got so close she got scared and after that didn't want to go near the aquarium any more. It will go away with time. But I noticed that she has a natural aversion to cockroaches etc. I guess it's built into us because so many insects can inflict pain. She's not worried about dogs though, they're just furniture to her since I always had big dogs around.

    To clarify; when I said that I didn't mean she sits on the dog etc. I meant that she ignores it completely which is how I like it. There were times when she'd get wild and try to hit it, I corrected her when this happened. Now she just ignores the dog.

    mines are to hard to ignore. I got a 8 month old Beagle and a yorkshire terrier. 2 Electric mofos. that run allover the house sometimes bumping her to the floor. So she get mad and get a little roll of paper we use to play fetch with the dogs. and go hit the dogs. You can imagine how hard she swing at 2 years old. The beagle sits on the floor to take the beating kind of with this face of pleasure. hit me higher or lower type of massage thing. he is a personality:D
    My little demons:D
    spearfishing.world/forum/attachment/506/
    spearfishing.world/forum/attachment/507/

    I found my son when he was 5 holding his breath underwater in the tub. I freaked, thought he had drowned. He's 10 now and still does it. Pretty good breath hold.
    Dan,
    my son hates snowboarding, the snow, and the cold. He loves the ocean and everything that has to do with it. My daughter is like mom, hates the ocean, loves the snow and mountains. We all have things we do well and love.
    Seaweed,
    I don't remember ever "learning" to swim. I remember not being able to swim on top of water and going under to get there faster. I do remember almost drowning once at " El Farito" Cape Florida but that's it. I also never became afraid of water. I was able to swim pretty far underwater at a very early age.

    Quote from Toledo970

    I don't remember ever "learning" to swim. I remember not being able to swim on top of water and going under to get there faster. I do remember almost drowning once at " El Farito" Cape Florida but that's it. I also never became afraid of water. I was able to swim pretty far underwater at a very early age.

    Stranger things have happened.



    Cullen Jones - Olympic Swimmer

    I would love to have the same opportunity to take my son out with me, but I can't even take myself out right now.
    Anthony,
    si le gusta, adelante entonces. Cuando pasen los anos tendran tremendas memorias, y muchos videos/fotos:D

    Quote from Toledo970

    I would love to have the same opportunity to take my son out with me, but I can't even take myself out right now.
    Anthony,
    si le gusta, adelante entonces. Cuando pasen los anos tendran tremendas memorias, y muchos videos/fotos:D


    :agree1:
    Nada como ver tus propios hijos compartir con papa lo que papa le encanta hacer. Las memorias duraran una eternidad.:thumbsup2:

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