Surfing requires the respiratory capacity to hold your breath during unexpected hold-downs while maintaining calm composure — because panic accelerates oxygen consumption and turns a manageable 15-second hold-down into a dangerous 15-second hold-down. The difference between a scary wipeout and a dangerous one often comes down to respiratory preparation and underwater composure.
Breath-hold training protocol (dry land): (1) CO2 tolerance tables — exhale, hold breath, recover for a fixed 2 minutes, hold again. Each hold increases duration. (2) O2 depletion tables — exhale, hold to the same target duration, but reduce recovery time each round. (3) Static apnea practice — in a pool (never alone), practice maximum breath-holds in a relaxed floating position. Progress gradually. Most surfers can double their comfortable hold-down time within 6 weeks of structured practice.
Before paddling out: 3 minutes of box breathing to set a calm baseline. Between waves: nasal breathing to maintain CO2 tolerance. When caught inside: take 3 deep diaphragmatic breaths before the set arrives, and use the physiological sigh underwater (partial exhale, brief inhale of the remaining air pocket) to extend hold-down tolerance. Post-session: 5 minutes of extended exhale breathing to fully recover. Big-wave surfers treat breath-hold training with the same seriousness as physical conditioning — because when you're held under by a 20-foot wave, your lungs are your most important muscle.