Back into IT

[gman]

I just recently joined the forums officially but have been "lurking" for a while. I used to live in Northern California USA and was in the water three days a week. Abalone season was generously long and then I spearfished the rest of the time. Outside of the seasons I dove for fun. At one time my best hunting depth dive was about 25meters. I could not find any holes deep enough that were accessible from a surface kick/shore entry to test my depth capability. Well, my eldest son is 11 so I have really not been in the water for just over a decade....
My questions regard getting back into the sport. When I dove in the last century:-( , everyone pretty much just went as deep as quickly as they could and stayed down until they could not stand it any longer.
Well now I am older, more mature, much softer, and I would like to think wiser. I have read the sticky on "how to freedive" and love the ideas of the tables. I am going to start doing them in the pool this week.
I have also been intrigued with the Yoga suggestions. I am a workout buff who often times spends more time working out for his sport than acually playing it.

Anyway, can y'all suggest a workout program (cardio/weights/pool/(yoga specific)/other.. that will help an aging, soft, desk jockey, shift working, family guy reach his full potential in apnea?

Thanks in advance.

gary

[sheepeck]

Tables are considered to be done on dry I suppose. But = maybe it won't be any problem to do them in the pool.
As for other activities, I swim and work in gym. Nothing serious - just for my own good feeling.

Petr

[cdavis]

Hi Gary,

Welcome to DB, glad you came out of the closet.

From your post, I'll assume you are in decent aerobic shape. Your chalange will probably be getting used to holding your breath and depth. I quit diving from 40 to 45 and when I started again, 30 feet felt deep. Though I was getting old and just wanted to die, truly depressing. However, that was over 10 years ago and I'm well past 30 meters at present, so it comes back, thank goodness. Don't be surprised if you find something similar. Being able to dive with your kids and seeing their joy as they get deeper and deeper is well worth getting back into it.

In your place, to get back in diving shape, I would find a buddy and start doing some dynamics that look like actual dives. For example, swim some yards , hang out, then swim back, stretch the times and distances as you improve. Gets the body used to what a dive feels like. Tables are another useful, and dry, excercise. Apnea walking is something of a killer, but it is great practice for diving.

Good luck with your training (and diving).

Connor

[Fondueset]

I just started up again 3 years ago. As a kid I never dove all that deep - as far as I know - maybe a couple in the 80 foot range, but mostly under 40. The area I currently dive is only 5 to 12 meters in depth - though I did do some deeper dives in BC recently - after overcoming my tendancy to level out at 10 meters. As long as I wasn't thinking about it - 15 meters seemed about the same - maybe deeper.

Anyway - the thing that has helped my times - and I have not worked on the tables - is deep relaxation on the surface - allowing awareness to equalize with sensation - slowing the breath. My 10meter dives - which are mostly taking photographs - have been 2 minutes or so bottom time with no strain. My goal is to get that at 30 meters but I need a dive buddy and some deeper water. My criteria for when to come up is comfort - though to some extent going for the perfect shot takes precedence. Not much though since I'm usually alone. Pretty sure I did an easy 20 meters or more last winter. Visibility here gets over 100 feet in the winter and I thought I was checking out some kid's toy chair on the bottom. Turns out it was a deck chair Clear water does sort of make stuff look closer, but it's weird because it also looks smaller.

These are pretty easy dives for me - and the trick has been relaxation. The depth thing seemed alot about habit in BC. It was interesting to look at the graphs on Eric Fattah's F1 and see these consistent dives to 10 or 12 meters.

My method has been to make the whole dive as enjoyable as possible and never use force.

My primary surface exercise is Bagua, Taijiquan and some Pranayama. Previously I did Hatha Yoga for about 30 years.

My blood pressure, which has never been high - dropped 20 points the second year I started doing this. Long, slow, breaths seem really key. Learned alot watching Pete, Tyler and Eric in BC and things are changing quickly.

[gman]

Connor and Fondueset,
Thank you very much for the encouraging words. I really appreciate that others have gone through what I am in terms of a layoff and then getting back into the water.
I just got a one year rotation into a desk job, so I think I will have ample opportunity to try out the tables on dry land. I am also going to do some more working out in my little above ground pool. My boys and I get a kick out of tooling around in it, and I can use cleaning it as an excuse to work on apnea.
When I dove in Northern California, most of the abalone were 50' or less if my memory serves me correctly. I had pretty decent bottom time back then; I could occasionally come up with my limit on the first dive. Then I could spend the rest of the day just playing while my dive buddy worked for his snails.
I am really looking foreword to getting back into the swing of this. Based on my previous history, my biggest worry will be to be sure to go slow and not rush.
The idea of staying comfortable is exactly what I want to do and what I needed to hear. I am in no position to "push" myself or hurt. I have learned over the years that things really do come with time. It is too late for me to be a world champion, so I may as well just enjoy myself. Thirty five meters was always a goal that I never attained either due to not having a deep enough hole or not having a buddy at the time who was up to the challenge. I would still like to hit 35, but I will be a happy diver even if I don't.

Thanks again, and if anyone has any more suggestions, please keep them coming.

Gary

[cdavis]

If you are thinking about 30 meters, take a course. PFI should have one somewhere in the Northwest. Look up their website. The course will teach you some invaluable technique, not to mention the safety aspects, which are priceless.

Connor

[gman]

Thanks Connor,
Is it PFI.com? Of course I could have just tried it huh??? Can you all rattle off some names of other courses? I live about three hours from Santa Barbara and there was a guy there who used to be pretty big in apnea I think. I also, occasionally, make it out to places like Florida. I will be there this coming November to go to Disney world with my family. If I accidentally found a one day clinic it would really be icing on the cake for me.

Gary

[industrialwater]

http://www.performancefreediving.com/

[gman]

Thank You Very Much.