Features
Aegean Breath is a professional breath-hold training app built for freedivers and spearfishers. Here's what's included.
Auto-Generated Tables
CO2, O2, Progressive, and Custom tables auto-generated from your max hold. Pick a difficulty preset or build your own.
Learn more →Training Load & Smart Suggestions
Color-coded badges show your training load per table. The app analyzes your completion rate and effort to tell you when to push harder or ease off.
Learn more →Bluetooth Heart Rate
Connect your HR monitor to see how your body reacts to low oxygen. Visualize your dive reflex in real-time.
Learn more →Eyes-Free Training
Voice cues, beeps, and vibration — fully configurable so you can train eyes-closed. No need to look at your screen.
Learn more →Contraction Tracking
Log when your contractions start. Analyze your tolerance phase and learn to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Learn more →Offline & Private
Your data stays on your device. No accounts, no cloud sync, no internet required. Export and import backups anytime.
Learn more →Getting Started
Welcome to Aegean Breath! When you first launch the app, you'll see a quick onboarding guide. We recommend going through it to understand the basics and review the safety guidelines.
Quick Start Steps
- Find a quiet, comfortable spot - Sit or lie down on a soft surface
- Calibrate the app - Perform a "Max Breath Hold" test to establish your baseline
- Generate your tables - Tap "Guided Tables" to create training tables tailored to you
- Start training - Begin with CO2 Tolerance tables to build a solid foundation
Permissions
To provide the best experience, the app may ask for:
- Bluetooth: Required if you want to connect a heart rate monitor.
- Notifications: Used to show the current phase and time remaining while training.
Training Tables
Tables are the core training method for freediving. You can create several types of tables:
CO2 Tolerance
Your urge to breathe comes from CO2, not low oxygen. These tables train you to tolerate higher CO2 levels.
Rest times decrease, hold times stay fixed.
O2 Adaptation
Train your body to function efficiently with lower oxygen levels (hypoxia).
Hold times increase, rest times stay fixed.
Progressive
Structured 5-round programs with 20 levels from 60s to 10 minutes. Each level gradually increases hold times (50% to 100% of the target) with fixed 2-minute rest periods.
Training load badges and suggestions tell you when to level up or ease off.
Custom
Full manual control. Set rounds, hold times, rest times, and increments exactly how you want.
For experienced practitioners with specific goals.
Auto-Generation
The easiest way to start: Toggle Auto Generate when creating a table. The app uses your Max Breath Hold to calculate personalized training. Adjust the difficulty slider to find the right level.
Note: Record a Max Breath Hold first for auto-generation to work.
Table Preview
Before starting any table, preview exactly what you'll be doing: round-by-round breakdown, total duration, and specific hold/rest times.
Training Sessions
When you start a table, the app guides you through the session with audio cues, visual timers, and haptic feedback.
Session Phases
- Breathe (Prep): Relax and breathe normally. Do NOT hyperventilate.
- Hold: Take a normal breath. Relax every muscle. Close your eyes.
Contraction Tracking
During holds, a "Contraction" button appears. Tap it each time you feel a diaphragm contraction. This helps you analyze your struggle phase and track improvement over time.
Audio & Haptics
Enable voice cues and vibration in Settings for eyes-free training. Just listen for cues or feel vibrations to know when to switch phases.
After a Session
Rate your effort (1-10), add notes, and review the session in your history.
Training Load & Suggestions
Aegean Breath tracks your training patterns and shows a colored badge next to each table to help you understand where you stand.
What the Badges Mean
Easy (Green)
You're consistently completing this table without much difficulty. You may be ready for a bigger challenge.
Optimal (Yellow)
This table is challenging you at the right level. Keep training here to build adaptation.
Hard (Red)
You're struggling with this table. Consider taking it easier or adjusting the table settings.
No Data (Gray)
Not enough sessions yet. Complete a few more to get your first analysis.
What the App Considers
- How often you complete all rounds
- How hard the sessions feel to you (perceived effort rating)
- Whether your performance is improving, stable, or declining over time
- How recently and consistently you've been practicing
Getting Better Suggestions
- Rate your perceived effort after each session — this is the single most valuable input for accurate analysis
- Train consistently — the app needs at least 3 recent sessions per table to generate suggestions
- After 6 or more sessions, the app can detect trends in your performance
What the Suggestions Mean
- Progressive tables: the app may suggest moving up or down a level
- CO2 tables: suggestions focus on rest intervals — whether to shorten or lengthen them
- O2 tables: suggestions focus on hold targets — whether to increase or reduce them
- Custom tables: you'll get general guidance on adjusting difficulty
Tap any badge to see detailed stats and the full suggestion for that table.
Max Breath Hold
This is a simple stopwatch to test your maximum breath-hold duration. It's the foundation for all auto-generated tables.
Recording an Attempt
- Go to the Max Breath Hold card on the home screen
- Tap New Attempt
- Tap anywhere to start the timer
- Tap again to stop when you need to breathe
- Save if you beat your previous best
When to Retest
- Every 1-2 weeks during active training
- After a training break to recalibrate
- When tables feel too easy
Heart Rate Monitor
Aegean Breath supports standard Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) heart rate monitors. Connecting one gives you insight into your Mammalian Dive Reflex.
Why Monitor Heart Rate?
During breath holds, your body triggers bradycardia (heart rate drop). Watching this happen helps you understand your body's response and track improvements.
Connecting Your Device
- Put on your heart rate monitor and ensure it's active
- Go to Settings
- Scroll to "Heart Rate Monitor" and tap Scan
- Select your device from the list
Once connected, your heart rate appears on the home screen and during training sessions. Session history includes heart rate charts with min/max/average stats.
History & Progress
Every completed session is saved to your history. View your logs in a list or on a calendar.
Session Details
Tap any session to see comprehensive stats:
- Date, time, duration, and completion status
- Effort rating and notes you added
- Contraction timeline with per-round breakdown
- Heart rate chart (if monitor was connected)
Signs of Improvement
- Completing tables that were once difficult
- Contractions starting later in holds
- Lower heart rates during holds
- Lower effort ratings for the same difficulty
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I feel contractions during holds?
Contractions are your diaphragm's response to rising CO2. They're completely normal and safe. Learning to stay calm through them is part of training.
Can I train every day?
You can, but rest days are vital for adaptation. Most practitioners benefit from 1-3 sessions per week. Listen to your body.
What if I can't finish a table?
Stop. It might be too hard for today. Recalibrate your max hold, lower the difficulty, or take a rest day.
Where is my data stored?
All data is stored locally on your device. Nothing is uploaded to external servers. You have complete control.
What heart rate monitors work with the app?
Any standard BLE heart rate monitor: chest straps (Polar, Garmin, Wahoo), arm bands, and some fitness watches with HR broadcast mode.
What do the colored badges mean?
Green = Easy (ready for a bigger challenge), Yellow = Optimal (right level, keep training), Red = Hard (consider easing off), Gray = Not enough data yet. Badges appear on all table types. The app analyzes your completion rate, perceived effort, performance trends, and training consistency. Tap any badge to see detailed stats and suggestions.
Safety Guidelines
NEVER practice breath holding:
- In water (even shallow water - blackout can be fatal)
- While driving or using machinery
- While standing up
ALWAYS practice:
- Lying down on a soft surface (bed, sofa, mat)
- With normal breathing before holds (no hyperventilation)
- Listening to your body - stop if something feels wrong
Aegean Breath is designed for dry training only. If you faint during dry training, you fall safely onto a soft surface and your body resumes breathing naturally.
Consult your doctor before breath-hold training if you have heart conditions, lung conditions, blood pressure issues, or any condition affecting consciousness.