The British Freediving Championships in Dynamic and Static Apnea 2007

[BennyB]

I realise some of my post was inflammatory and I apologise.

But Lucia i'm sorry but those reasons don't wash very well, have a read of your own post and see if i'm being too harsh.

Originally Posted by naiad

It was extremely difficult to get to by public transport. I tried to go by train, but the train did not go to Crystal Palace station, and left me several stations away. I had to get a cab. This was not the main reason that I did not enter this year, but it is a valid point.

Crystal Palace is 20 minutes from Clapham Junction station which is fairly easy for everyone to get to. The sports centre is roughly 200m from the station and it is a 4 minute walk from the station to the pool.

Originally Posted by naiad

The main reason I did not enter was that at this time of year, I am ill with colds and flu a lot of the time. Right now I am recovering from flu and a chest infection. It would be impossible to do a decent performance and dangerous to compete in this state.

Lucia if you have been sick then why are you still training most weeks at Richmond and training through winter?

Originally Posted by naiad

Last year's comp was in the summer, when I could be pretty certain of feeling well on the day.

Last year's comp was on November 12, which is far from Summer.

Originally Posted by naiad

I enjoy competing for its own sake, and entered last year's competition knowing that I was unlikely to win anything.

Originally Posted by naiad

Now I think there are many freedivers in the UK who are much better than me, and who train much harder than me. This has put me off competitive freediving, because I feel that unless everyone else decides to give up early, or a miracle happens and my performance suddenly improves for no reason, I will be nowhere near the other competitors.

I'm sorry I don't understand, you seem to be contradicting yourself.

I understand the concept of competing to win, but I can say 100% that I am a FAR better freediver because I attend competitions not to win, but to learn and gain experience by hanging around my peers. People that have trained around the world, picked up different training tips & techniques and those that have dived thousands of times more than me, deeper than me, further than me and much longer than me. It's only recently i've had a couple of podium finishes and even then, it's mainly because there hasn't been that many people competing. I still (mostly) compete against myself, because I believe that self improvement is more inportant than anything else. And besides, you don't know 100% why another freediver is better than you. In other sports like weightlifting and boxing you have different classes to match up competitors in similar abilities, you don't get that in freediving.

And on the subject of winning anything - this year the organisers had managed to get 500 euro worth of prizes, of which a proportion was going to the best newbie.

Originally Posted by naiad

I did not want to pay for the medical certificate and entry fee when there is a high risk of having to cancel on the day, due to illness or being unable to find a cab to take me there.

You can get a medical certificate for as little as 70 pounds and it is valid for a year. Do you require one with your PADI course? And as far as maybe cancelling on the day.... well we have to take a risk sometimes don't we? Not a very big risk in my mind.

Originally Posted by naiad

I am very sorry that the comp did not go ahead.

I'm know you're sorry, but i'm afraid it's those sorts of attitudes that end up shutting down competitions.

Please understand Lucia i'm not having a dig at you specifically, I just think that there is some misguided attitudes amongst new freedivers thinking of competing. Whether it's our fault for not selling the sport well or their fault for being apathetic I do not know. I do know that JM and Matt K put in a huge amount of work into this, they did research how many people they expected to compete by asking around and getting ideas off people about their intentions to compete, but in the end less than half actually committed.

Every week we trudge to the pool for what we call training. What exactly are we training for?

Ben

[alix.leclerc]

I got my fit to dive medial formed signed and apporved by my doctor for only £10...

[jayhem]

Thanks Ben for your useful comments, and thanks Lucia for your feedback and link to the "competitor decline" thread.

Why not see a comp like this one just as a super-training-session where you can meet new people, see how they do their breathup etc.... a day where you can focus totally on doing a pb, and in the end, whatever your result you will even get an official AIDA Ranking! (unless you BO of course)

We also promised a prize to the best newcomer, no need to do a 200m dynamic for that ! ;-)

I don't understand this problem about medicals, many people manage to get one for FREE from their GP if they just ask him to sign their medical certificate. However, if there is the slightest doubt about your fitness to dive, paying 70 quid seems a good investment for someone who trains regularly.

Crystal Palace is so easy to get to! There are trains getting there from everywhere and about 25 different busses as well... my bus from Clapham used to take me there in 30 minutes. Last year we had up to 3 training sessions every week in that pool with lots of people turning up. Of course there can be delays and cancellations, it's a risk to take. People still fly to their holiday destinations even if some time they might have been delayed or lost their luggage...

cheers,
JM

[alix.leclerc]

Yes CP is really easy to get to. I'd never been in that area before and managed to find it without too much mishap.
I did apreciate even the IDEA of this competition, it's been getting me into the gym and the pool reguarily. Hopefully I can keep that up even without the comp, but training for that one great personal best was a real motivation.

[naiad]

Originally Posted by BennyB

Crystal Palace is 20 minutes from Clapham Junction station which is fairly easy for everyone to get to. The sports centre is roughly 200m from the station and it is a 4 minute walk from the station to the pool.

I didn't know that. Crystal Palace is the station which is closed at weekends, I didn't know it was possible to go from Clapham Junction.

Originally Posted by BennyB

Lucia if you have been sick then why are you still training most weeks at Richmond and training through winter?

I did not train last week because I had flu. Also, when I do train, I hardly ever do a decent performance now. Apart from one or two sessions when I did a 50-60m dynamic, when have I done anything near a respectable performance in the last few months?

Originally Posted by BennyB

Last year's comp was on November 12, which is far from Summer.

I thought it was in Summer. If it was in November, I would already have had the flu vaccine, which reduces the risk. This year it is still not available.

Originally Posted by BennyB

I understand the concept of competing to win, but I can say 100% that I am a FAR better freediver because I attend competitions not to win, but to learn and gain experience by hanging around my peers. People that have trained around the world, picked up different training tips & techniques and those that have dived thousands of times more than me, deeper than me, further than me and much longer than me. It's only recently i've had a couple of podium finishes and even then, it's mainly because there hasn't been that many people competing. I still (mostly) compete against myself, because I believe that self improvement is more inportant than anything else.

And on the subject of winning anything - this year the organisers had managed to get 500 euro worth of prizes, of which a proportion was going to the best newbie.

I also didn't know that. I thought the prizes were going to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd men and the 1st woman only, as happened last year.

Originally Posted by BennyB

You can get a medical certificate for as little as 70 pounds and it is valid for a year. Do you require one with your PADI course? And as far as maybe cancelling on the day.... well we have to take a risk sometimes don't we? Not a very big risk in my mind.

70 pounds is a lot for me, and I did not need one for my PADI course.

Originally Posted by BennyB

Please understand Lucia i'm not having a dig at you specifically, I just think that there is some misguided attitudes amongst new freedivers thinking of competing. Whether it's our fault for not selling the sport well or their fault for being apathetic I do not know. I do know that JM and Matt K put in a huge amount of work into this, they did research how many people they expected to compete by asking around and getting ideas off people about their intentions to compete, but in the end less than half actually committed.

I thought it was directed at me because of my post on the BFA forum. I tried to help by explaining why I did not enter. I am very sorry to all those who put a lot of work into it. I don't think it is fair to blame me at all for my decision not to compete.

Originally Posted by BennyB

Every week we trudge to the pool for what we call training. What exactly are we training for?

I don't take training seriously at the moment. The last few weeks I have just been doing single-length dynamics, 3:30-4:00 statics and recreational stuff. I will probably do some serious training again at some point, but right now I am having a break. I did put some really hard work in, but it did not pay off.

[naiad]

Originally Posted by jayhem

Why not see a comp like this one just as a super-training-session where you can meet new people, see how they do their breathup etc.... a day where you can focus totally on doing a pb, and in the end, whatever your result you will even get an official AIDA Ranking! (unless you BO of course)

I guess so... Maybe I will give it another go.

Originally Posted by jayhem

We also promised a prize to the best newcomer, no need to do a 200m dynamic for that ! ;-)

I didn't know that. Not a newcomer myself, but good to know that the prizes would be shared among more competitors.

[BennyB]

Like I said Lucia it wasn't aimed at you, it's just that some of your comments were the same as comments we'd heard from other people. I wrote my post before seeing your BFA post.

[atomichaggis]

Can't believed that Nobody noticed that Freediving in the UK just ain't sexy. just like olympic walking ain't sexy.
Freedivers are *relatively* few in the UK so events are bound to be a headache... plus the moneys non existant... again cos it just ain't sexy.

The English are not a great sporting nation, they invent silly games like cricket then spend most of their summers getting their arses kicked at it.
The Welsh like choirs and sheep.
Northern Ireland is great if you like politics and guns.
Us Scots... well historically we just went around stabbing each other, waiting for someone to invent heroin.
So Benny, if You wanted enthusiasm and passion for fringe sports mate... You overshot it and wound up in the wrong place.

[island_sands]

Originally Posted by atomichaggis

Can't believed that Nobody noticed that Freediving in the UK just ain't sexy. just like olympic walking ain't sexy.
Freedivers are *relatively* few in the UK so events are bound to be a headache... plus the moneys non existant... again cos it just ain't sexy.

The English are not a great sporting nation, they invent silly games like cricket then spend most of their summers getting their arses kicked at it.
The Welsh like choirs and sheep.
Northern Ireland is great if you like politics and guns.
Us Scots... well historically we just went around stabbing each other, waiting for someone to invent heroin.
So Benny, if You wanted enthusiasm and passion for fringe sports mate... You overshot it and wound up in the wrong place.

Whoah just a minute young man

England has got some very sexy freedivers - Sara Campbell, Emma Farrell, Sam Still (phroar) and others... The English are a sporting nation, they had strong rugby players for years, and just like South Africa, anyone can go through a bad patch.

As for the Scots... didn't they behave similar to your compatriots up in Norway? I never saw a sheep in a Welsh choir Pastor?

[Spaniard]

Ooooooh Sands, Pastor can make those sheep sing alright!!!!!!

Back in the days of Freediver magazine it seemed that UK comps were held regularly and well attended??? I used to go to Richmond Pool years ago when Steve Gardener was running training sessions there, used to be a decent turn-out.

[atomichaggis]

I'm not criticising the English freediving talent. It's just the image of the sport, it doesn't promote itself very well.

Crap colonial games like cricket and rugby are proof that you don't even need something good to be popular... when everyone is bored of England getting beaten up by the South Africans, Kiwis, Pakis, Indians and Ozzies in the stuffy old cream tea olympics You just make a new faster version with colourful jerseys and market it as if it was good.

Freediving needs to get the talent showcased... Sara Campbell, Emma Farrell, Sam Still etc. in bikinis, selling beer.
AIDA needs a dictator and some direction... proper rules... Disciplines probably need shaking up... perhaps some leagues and regional, continental and world championships in the traditional sporting formats that most people around the world can relate to? What use is sexy if you ain't selling it?

Oh i didn't say the English weren't a sporting nation... just that they aren't a Great sporting nation fair play to them... they turn up after all.
I wouldn't compare Us Scots to Norwegians... Norwegians are really quite civilised lol.

[island_sands]

Originally Posted by Spaniard

Ooooooh Sands, Pastor can make those sheep sing alright!!!!!!

Back in the days of Freediver magazine it seemed that UK comps were held regularly and well attended??? I used to go to Richmond Pool years ago when Steve Gardener was running training sessions there, used to be a decent turn-out.

can he now??? he was saying that's what a good pair of wellies were for

I might come for the one next year, and see what it's all about .

[alix.leclerc]

I'd like to say that there are plenty of freedivers in the UK...
...and at least we can get in the water as opposed to trying to dive into rock hard ice which more of the Norwegans seems to find fun.
Maybe that's why you've forgotten how great we are here back in the uk, you've had too much concussion.
And at least cricket's got 'balls'!

[Pastor]

Originally Posted by island_sands

can he now??? he was saying that's what a good pair of wellies were for

Like this?

[azapa]

Originally Posted by atomichaggis

Can't believed that Nobody noticed that Freediving in the UK just ain't sexy.

great post Davie askin' for trouble!

Who am I to comment though, a Brit. on the other side of the world!

There is some joy to be had participating in a minority sport. The friendships are stronger, and the waters uncrowded. I started snowboarding 22 years ago and it was the same, a happy, disorganized, small club, with open pistes. Is it better now? Comps every weekend and millions of fools falling over themselves on the pistes? I think I have answered that question already.

Now, as long as no one brings rugby into things right now, I think we might all finish this thread as buddies