>How deep do you go on inhale, and where are you neutral?
With all safety consideration intact, normally on full inhale, with the old wetsuit not the new one I'm using now, I was going 10m and I was still positively bouyant. A week or so ago with only the new wetsuit I was still positive on full inhale at 25 feet still with the five pounds on that I have been wearing. The problem I've had is I'm not using the best of wetsuits for going below thermocline which around here in mid summer is around 40 feet. Like I said in my initial question normally I don't even start diving until late August when the water temperature is already starting to cool down. This year has been a VERY strange difference from the norm. I figured I was going to be spending a lot time in the water this year, but not doing much freediving. So far it's all been freediving.
Due to boat traffic on most of the lakes I dive I also don't go very far from shore. Normally it takes me four to five minutes to go from shore out to where I dive. I don't wear fins and my dive line is nothing more than an inflatable arm band kids would use to stay afloat. I cut it in half and one half is used for the self equalizing googles, and the other half has nylon cord wrapped around marked every foot apart with a piece of threaded rod attached to act like a lightweight sinker that drops to the bottom of the lake. I normally swim out to the dive spot using breaststroke leg kicks with my arms out in front of me holding onto the dive line.
There is, at least here in the states, the usual no wake zones. I will swim out to the edge of the no wake zone, around 25 feet deep and dive there. Generally, not until after most of the boat traffic has left for the summer will I venture any further out into the lake and that is generally only another couple hundred of meters or so from shore. It normally 30-35 foot deep water I dive in then. I just don't feel comfortable diving with the boat traffic. My philosophy is simple. Boaters are drunk and I don't trust them to see anything other than what they want to see. I generally dive, time of day, when I least expect to see much in the way of boat traffic.
With the lack of good equipment tossed on top of the boat traffic it pretty much keeps in shallower water out of force, not because of ability. Since I'm above thermocline and don't feel comfortable getting away from the diving line I pretty much usually end up going down and coming straight back up and don't even try to spend any time down at the bottom. I have yet to see any fish while diving other than at shoreline. That could change my attitude towards bottom time but it hasn't had the opportunity yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill
These are all signs of a lung or trachea squeeze. When you hacked up a 'good' one did it look like a fried egg with the yolk in the centre and the white (froth) around it?
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Actually it looked more like a broken yet, like you was going to make an omelet, rather than a sunny side up egg. At least the one where I actually took a look at it in my hand instead of it ending up on the ground where I couldn't get a decent look at it.
Also my descent rate once I start dropping has been constant. I pretty much always set myself up and watch the dive line as I descend to try and get and idea of where I might be neutral at. Once I get below neutral the descent has been quite constant. It's the simple fact of descending and its not using my power that is causing the head games I'm going through right now.
Around where I live I have two dive shops within 35 minutes of my house. I've been in both of them and no one knows of anybody that does any freediving. Pretty much I have two options, dive solo or don't dive. I have a car with almost 300,000 miles on it and with gas at $4/gallon I'm not going to head for the RI coast to dive with the guys down there. I'm not into spearfishing like they are to start with. I dive locally so I pretty much have one choice, dive solo. I have gotten used over the years to doing things by myself and watching out for myself. I only press my limits as far as I feel comfortable pressing them. On full inhale I could spend a lot more bottom time without even thinking about but I won't let myself.
Ryan
