Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » The Baujau can hold their breath underwater for 5 minutes or longer. How long can you hold yours?

The Baujau can hold their breath underwater for 5 minutes or longer. How long can you hold yours?

They virtually live at sea in small boats  and dive off the coasts of the islands of Indonesia. They are also called sea nomads or sea gypsies. The Sama-Bajau. There are many names they are known by . It seems physically impossible.

Posted - April 20, 2018

Responses


  • 5354
    I once clocked in at 3 minutes and a few seconds, but that was back in windsurfing days, I dont think I can do that now.
      April 20, 2018 8:25 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Did you have to work up to that JakobA? That seems really a long time I guess it has to do with lung capacity. What else I wonder? Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday! :)
      April 21, 2018 2:06 AM MDT
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  • 5354
    Mostly i think it has to do with what you do while under the surface. If you swim like mad your oxygen runs out much faster than if you just drift along with the currents.
      April 21, 2018 5:22 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Oh. I see Of course that makes a lot of sense. Breathe shallowly not deeply. Go with the flow. Float. . But the Bajau dive down a few hundred feet and get their food from the ocean.  Something I read subsequently after I posted the question indicates they can stay down much longer than 5 minutes. Somewhere , sometime, some place they were denied the ability to make a home on the land so their only alternative was to make their home on/in the sea and they did. They adapted to the circumstances of their environment. How long that took I don't know. There are so many curiosities in the world that often go unknown/unreported.  "Full many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste its sweetness on the desert air". Sadly. Thank you for your reply JakobA! "_
      April 21, 2018 5:42 AM MDT
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  • 44797
    As a young sailor in Guam, I did some snorkleing and could get to abut three minutes.
      April 20, 2018 7:09 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Were you able to do that right off the bat Ele or did you work up to it  over time? That seems quite long to me. Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday! :)
      April 21, 2018 2:07 AM MDT
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  • 44797
    It took a few months. I would hyperventilate first.
      April 21, 2018 6:57 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    That doesn't sound too pleasant Ele. Thank you for the additional info! :)
      April 21, 2018 7:18 AM MDT
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  • 44797
    Not unpleasant at all. Just take numerous VERY deep breaths. It puts extra Oxygen in the blood, slows down heart rate and lowers BP. It's good for you and very relaxing. I do it often.
      April 21, 2018 7:23 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Huh. Really? I associate hyperventilating with a panic attack. Ever had one? Not fun. Thank you for the additional info. I guess that is a prime example of context Ele. If you are toning up for underwater swimming or experiencing a panic attack. Context matters!  :)
      April 21, 2018 7:28 AM MDT
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  • 6988
    There was this kid in high school I knew.  He graduated and was presented with an award for NOT MISSING A DAY OF SCHOOL IN 12 years.  That summer, he went out and tried to see how long he could stay submerged in the river.  We never heard how long, he drowned.
      April 20, 2018 8:06 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    That is very sad. Did he go alone or with a buddy? A boy I went to high school with whose name was Lee was a very strong swimmer. I heard he drowned at Laguna Beach I think.. His younger sister and my younger sister were good friends. I think the riptides were particularly bad that day. He was alone so we never found out exactly what happened. SIGH. Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday. :)
      April 21, 2018 2:12 AM MDT
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  • 6988
    He had a friend who witnessed the drowning. He tried to find the victim but had to call the authorities. 
      April 21, 2018 7:11 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    That's way worse. He saw his friend die and then tried to find the body? How do you EVER forget something like that? I mean Lee's death stays with me and we were not best friends in school but we were friendly acquaintances. Just hearing about it caused me great sadness and that was a lot of decades ago. I don't forget it. Seeing it happen? I can't begin to imagine how terrible that would be. Thank you for fleshing it out bh. Lotsa sad memories for lotsa folks it seems. :(
      April 21, 2018 7:21 AM MDT
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  • 10880
    When I was very young, the Red Cross timed me at 5 minutes during swimming lessons. 
      April 20, 2018 10:33 PM MDT
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  • 113301
     Your lung capacity must be enormously good Shuhak. Did you work up to that length of time by holding your breath longer and longer? Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday! :)
      April 21, 2018 2:13 AM MDT
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  • 10880
    No.  I just did it.  I took a deep breath, stuck my head underwater and the instructor timed me.
    But that was then.  Now I have asthma.
      April 21, 2018 9:13 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Wow! You were a natural! Condolences about the asthma. I had a slight bout with it brought on by my stupid dumb. I ate peanuts in the shell every day for months in great quantity and at one point I overdid it and became allergic. I had to sleep sitting up for 3 months! I avoided anything peanutty (butter/oil/whatever). After awhile things settled back to normal and now I can eat peanuts but I do so very sparingly. I did not know one could make oneself  allergic to something simply by excess. I do now. I had to use an inhaler and never quite got the rhythm of it. In fact I despised it. Condolences. I hope you don't despise yours!  :)
      April 21, 2018 11:01 AM MDT
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  • 10880
    I hate my inhaler, but it's a lifesaver.  My last job gave me my asthma.
      April 21, 2018 9:17 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    There was a certain rhythm to it that I never quite mastered. Coordination between using it and breathing in. Fortunately I figured out what brought it on and try to very careful. My son's ex-wife had asthma and more than once he had to rush her to an Emergency Room. Anything could bring on an attack. A change in the weather! It was scary. Not being able to breathe is scarier! I hope you and your inhaler are on friendly terms m'dear. Hope it never lets you down. My son has anaphylaxsis (walnuts/pecans and the oils) so he always carries an Epi-pen with him as well as antihistimines. As you may know anaphylaxsis can kill you so it's a serious thing. Do you have such a thing that would absolutely help in an emergency? Sorry to be so inquisitive but there are many people who get asthma including lots of children and just have to learn to live with it. It's like living on the edge of a precipice all the time. Thank you for your reply Shuhak and Happy  Sunday! :)
      April 22, 2018 3:19 AM MDT
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  • 10880
    It took a bit, but I "mastered" the rhythm.  My biggest trigger is stress (of any kind) although pollen is right up there.  Not being able to breathe is terrifying enough, but waking up in the middle of the night with an attack is even worse!!  All I have are my inhalers and I'm learning to live with it.  I learned techniques on calming myself down during an attack so I wont get a panic attack as well.
      April 22, 2018 9:32 AM MDT
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