this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2025
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LUNGS WERE A MISTAKE (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 1 day ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 74 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (7 children)

I grew up on the ocean and one of the most comforting "at home" feelings is being out past the breakers, disconnect my board leash, and just dive deep down, exhale enough air out my lungs to stop floating, and just sit on the ocean floor for a few seconds in beautiful silence.

And then stupid lungs run out of air and I have to resurface.

Edit: And I'm sure that sounds scary to some, but trust me, the water, ocean, and surf are like a best friend that's not scary at all once you get to know it. Quite the opposite.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 12 hours ago

I have to imagine that but I've done the same thing in a river too muddy to see one foot in front of you. It always feels wonderful. Somewhere in that back brain of ours is a genetic memory of peace and happiness.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

I wish the sea was a bit clearer where I live. But I'm summer I often go to the beach for a swim in my lunch breaks.

It's interesting reading how terrified some people can be of the sea, and others are fine with swimming in it. Wouldn't mind doing some shallow freediving but there isn't much to see around here.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 12 hours ago

Last time I went to a beach, it was during southern winter (tropical climate, so temps never dropped under 20ºC). The only thing that kept me from going further out swimming was the amount of jellyfish being carried by the current.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago

It's not really about what you can see and clarity, but it's true that clearer water is much more psychologically inviting.

We'll bring a smooth granite pebble out with us, while waiting for the swell, drop it down and take turns bringing it back up. We've had dolphins join us in the game once before.

But definitely I don't feel the appeal of diving down and doing that when the sky or water is dark and unclear. It's less inviting.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 hours ago

Also grew up on the ocean and in the water, and I love floating with my ears underwater to block out the surface world and tune in to the water. I could fall asleep like that if I wasn't always hyperaware of other people and worried they'll fuck with me lmao

[–] [email protected] 5 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

I used to do that in the swimming pool (I have always lived far inland) it's often called dangerous on the mistaken belief that it's like shallow water drowning where someone hyperventilates to swim underwater longer; since those people have blown off so much CO2 they don't get a signal to breathe and suffocate.

Our method doesn't involve hyperventilation, and wow does the need to breathe get strong

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

In my younger years I was blessed with the ability to hold my breath for nearly five minutes. I used to stay down so long people would get worried. I never did anything other than take a full breath. Hyperventilating always shortened my dive times.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago

Haha, I just responded to another comment of having to pull myself up from shallow drowning. It's for real, but I think it's specific to people with good long capacities—doing a lot longer than the average. I can easily hold my breath for 60s, but 90% of people can't. Shallow drowning is not a situation 90% of people could find themselves facing.

I always remember brain damage can start occuring after 180s, so start questioning at 120. Nothing wrong with coming up for a couple mins of good fresh air before going down again.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

exhale enough air out my lungs to stop floating

Get yourself a weight belt for scuba diving and you can expand your ground time a bit. Get a full set of scuba equipment and you can sit there for hours (depending on depth, size of your tanks and how relaxed you are). :)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (1 children)

I've never SCUBAd haha. I don't know why, it makes sense, but I've never been drawn to it and I can't really explain why. I love the freedom of movement and not having to think about other things.

Feediving I can't get enough of. But my record swimming underwater is around 2:10 and I enjoyed every second of it—relaxed, efficient, flowing—but I had to stop because it felt like I could do it forever. And that's the paradox of shallow drowning. When the euphoria of the ocean gets inexplicably more euphoric, the Sirens calling, it's time to surface. I guess like a diver checking their gauges.

I should try SCUBA, though. I'd love to go deeper. I'd love to find a spot and just hang there for a long time and take it all in.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 12 hours ago

Not to mention if you’re out on a surfboard you probably don’t want to be wearing a weight belt :)

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I grok.

I've lived on the shore my entire life, and there's nothing quite like being in the ocean.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Grok? All I see is it an AI chatbot. Contextually, I doubt that's what you're referring to lol. Is it a diving form?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 13 hours ago

Possibly the most heinous thing the Muskrat has done is to STEAL a word coined by R.A.Heinlein to name his shitty LLM.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 15 hours ago

To grok something is to understand it. You grok?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

that sounds beautiful