Before addressing the question of the usefulness of dry training, let’s define it. If dry training encompasses all training which is performed while out of the water, then the options are numerous. Mental preparation, fitness in general, flexibility and mobility are part of it and, although they can be worked on in the water, there is no real debate, to my knowledge, whether they really work or not. Of course all these training areas are beneficial to freediving.
This question is more directed to breathwork such as tables, based on breath holds to work on high carbon dioxide (therefore urge to breathe) tolerance or low oxygen (Hypoxia) tolerance.
Is This Kind Of Training Efficient?
My opinion is that it can be very beneficial but not essential. It also depends on what you want to achieve and the time you want to dedicate to it. For sure, if you invest some time in practice, you will get results and you can improve greatly on your freediving.
In addition, dry training presents many benefits:
- Most dry training exercises can be performed safely without a buddy, giving you flexibility on when to perform. You can do them when you want and most often where you want.
- For the same kind of breath-hold work, dry training is usually less tiring than in water sessions as you do not lose heat on dry like you would in the water. From my experience, you can combine reasonable depth sessions and dry training on the same day on a regular basis without overtraining. It is harder to achieve with swimming pool sessions.
- The setup is usually much simpler, no need for a boat or a swimming pool and you do not need much equipment either. If you have a busy schedule, it is easier to fit in.
- You can really target specifics and work on them, such as hypercapnia tolerance or hypoxia without having to take care of the other parameters. When you are diving, you need to also take care of technique, equalization in open water, environment etc.
- From my experience, even more than reinforcing specifics, a great benefit of breath-hold tables is that you multiply the breath holds, giving you opportunities to feel what’s happening in your body and in your mind at all the stages of your breath holds. That’s why I like to keep my own breath hold work moderately intense so that I can do it often and take the time to feel and get used to my body and mind reactions.
- The variety of dry exercises that you can do is limitless, so you can always keep it interesting. Just don’t make it too hardcore as you don’t want to get tired of it.
So, Does Dry Training Work?
Yes it does, but it is not magical. You will help develop your diving response but never as much as if you were spending time in the water. As a supplement to your training or to keep progressing on breath holds when you don’t have access to the water, it is a great tool. In addition, training your static on dry is usually less comfortable than in the water where you experience a stronger dive response. So once you get back to performing in the water, you perform even better. I personally used a lot of dry training in the past and it definitely helped my freediving.
