Freediving gear disussion continued...

MysteryDiveBuddy · Aug 18, 2006

SNIP

5ata Congrats on the PB.

When doing statics, it takes quite a bit of self discipline to let time be just what it is. Doing static tolerence tables works on that. When doing dry statics, I use my headphones with my computer and use an application that is web based to control how long the session will last - sorta like a personalized cybertrainer I'm not very good at statics, but decided to start doing the tables twice a week in conjunction with my pool sessions. It is making a difference.

As much as most divers poo poo any sort of yoga, doing pranayama yoga on a consistent basis does help with removing the awareness of time ticking by. I have read a book called "The Power Of Now" and it really delves into the psychological aspects of being what the author terms as The Now. No regretting the past, nor dreading the future. Being Present. Having an awareness of that takes some practice, but it does more or less equate to what Umberto's Freediving Manual discusses. When I eventually go for a personal best, I will probably do it dry static with a breathe up. You will find that you hit a sweet spot on the statics before they become more difficult.

As far as gear goes - yeah - get freedive specific gear - it will make all the difference. Some here have stated that freediving fins aren't efficient.. blah blah blah. Well, I know for a fact that freediving isn't scuba and vice-versa. The techniques involved are different and call for different, although similar looking, equipment. The entry fee for gear is minimal compared to scuba so look into that if you can. Gear anxiety is a contributing factor to people not enjoying the past time.

HTH,

08-16-2006 11:43 PM
5ata If it works for ya, cool!

I prefer to use gear that is designed for a given activity - I equate it to using downhill skis to try and cross country ski - you can do it, but not near as well as with actual skinny skis...
08-16-2006 10:32 PM
dumpsterDiver Quote:
Originally Posted by 5ata
Congrats on the PB.
Well, I know for a fact that freediving isn't scuba and vice-versa. The techniques involved are different and call for different, although similar looking, equipment.
HTH,

Oh really? Let's see... I often use the same wetsuit, socks, hood, gloves, weightbelt, knife, mask, fins, snorkel, light and speargun for both SCUBA and freediving. Why would you think they need to be different?
08-15-2006 10:18 AM

holdingmybreath yup.. here, here, 5ata.. I agree. I know what I want on my face and feet at 100'. although it may not be necessary to have the freediving specific gear to freedive with (shoot, I've no finned it to near that depth but don't think I could get there with my good vis, high volume mask) your comparison of freediving/scuba gear to that of cross country vs. downhill is right on.

SNIP

*Reincarnation**poof**genie noises*

Ok here I am again. I haven't tried stretching my limits since the 25'. This is a good discussion that I find particularly interesting because I do kind of a hybrid thing. I usually freedive when I don't want to SCUBA for whatever reason. Additionally where I am living right now has both coldwater and warmwater environments PLUS sometimes I freediver for the challenge of "hold long and deep can I go?" and sometimes I want to look at stuff or get close to fish without nasty loud bubbles. I'm also trying to get into spearing starting with gigging flounder witha pole spear and working my way up from there. I intend to spear freediving and probably on air too since it is legal here.
ANYWAY I looked at A LOT of low volume masks last weekend. The lady at my LDS got some out for me to look at and she informed me that I need a mask that is small both horizontally and vertically but my face is too big for a youth mask. I also found one pair of freediving fins over in a shop in AL but they were massively way too big. I wear a men's six US. What's up with "freediving wetsuits"? Are they compressed neoprene like the hybrid drysuits? I get cold alarmingly easy so I wear a 7mm or drysuit in any water temp under 70F, sometimes under 75F. I think I will stick with my current suits: 3/2mm full, 5/3mm hood, 7mm full, and dry but I could stand some different fins and a mask although I suspect they don't make a mask any lower volume than my Seta that 1. fits me 2. provides sufficient range of vision for when I am just messing around looking at stuff or spearing. I guess I mean I don't freedive seriously so I don't need a specialized mask and the fit issue is prohibitive. Hmmmmmmmm

holdingmybreath · Aug 18, 2006

and on and on it goes... where it stops, no one knows..
freediving specific wetsuits.. no zippers, incorporated hood, smooth outside (no nylon or other material covering the neoprene) goes like grease through the water. So little if any water exchange that you can usually drop 2mils off the thickness compared to a scuba wetsuit. No comparison. the pro suits I have are in all sorts of neoprene densities (compression factors) and stretchability, but soft and stretchy is the key for a good unrestricted inhale.

masks.. yup, I have way too many... but I have my favorites too. forget the kids mask. I either go with super low volume cressi minima for deep stuff or the sporasub samurai elite (looks real cool, but not as lv as cressi) and then for the shallower sight seeing stuff or spearfishing I pull out the cressi big eyes.. or my wifes new aquatics atomic single glass sweet! sweet! view and glass like no other mask I've seen but kinda limits my comfortable diving to almost 1/2 the depth of my deeper diving. You're right.. until you push that 25' deeper your mask will be fine..and the wide view is nice. I moved to a lv mask when I started hitting the 50' or so mark.. but oh what a difference it made in getting even to that depth. night and day. nice to keep the air in the lungs instead of pushing the mask away from the face with it.

5ata · Aug 26, 2006

I'm with holdingmybreath - I use a Cressi minima exclusively now and love it. VERY low volume. Freedive wetsuits are like being reborn (to use a religious analogy) I recently dove in a lake where the water temps were 6C (around 40 F) in temps - I dove my 5mm freedive wetsuit with an extra 3mm freedive vest underneath and the only part of me that got cold was my hands due to cheap scuba gloves. I have since moved to freedive gloves and they fit like a second skin and will be giving them their maiden dive on monday.

Remember that it's not so much how deep you go, it's why you are freediving in the first place - I am training a student right now and he has a similar outlook on freediving that I try to teach - freedive for the sake of freediving - get rid of the ego. Enjoy it for what it is - not matter if it is 3 meters or 30 meters.

I posted in the freedive forums a link to a video I shot of our trip there - it will encourage you to see why we choose to freedive.

stefusa · Oct 6, 2006

i use a sporasub samourai (low volume good vis)
I am in SoCal and use a 7mm jacket 5 mm pants sticky inside
As fins I use custommade french freediving fins in fiberglass (BREIER)

hope that help

Freediving gear disussion continued...

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