Does it count if I breath out at points?
No. You're not getting oxygen, so it doesn't count as breathing.. really. I only do it when I feel I'm at the very end, then hold my breath again. It's basically fake releif.
I've also just tested my breathing again. I used to dive, then I started smoking tobacco, then I stopped smoking tobacco recently. I'm down to 1:45 when out of water. :(
(I haven't been diving in a long time.)