STATIC gets more points! Good or bad?

[cebaztian]

AIDA has voted (21 votes to 2) to give more points to STATIC in future competitions. Previously 10 points per minute. Now 12 points per minute.

Reasons: Constant weight records seems to be ahead of static records (?).
Its easier to count with a system based on 12 (?)

DO YOU APPROVE?

Do you get more points in constant in comparison to static (answer the poll please)

Sebastian /Sweden

[cebaztian]

My own personal bests are today quite even.

In the beginning I did much better in static but only due to lack of training options in Constant weight.

I find static being a boring and unathletic discipline. Looks boring for spectators. But of course I aknowledge it for beeing easy to organize and you do have to train for it and its quite a mental challenge.

Sebastian /Sweden

PS. Thanks to the new system I will get more points in static than in constant

[mikey_dolphin]

Yes it's a good idea.
--
Also what about giving points for announced times?

Theses points are for you risk of getting a penalty by been short.
Especially damaging in team event to your teams final points.


eg. If diver X announces 5:00 and does 5:12

versus diver Z announcing low risk 2:00 and doing 5:14


maybe 0.1 of a point per 1 minute of announcement.
so an announcement of 5:00 = 0.5 is added to the final points.

(An announcement of 2:40 would add 0.24 to final points)

[glennv]

I don't think announcements should be awarded points.
Because the guy that announces 5 and does 5:14 has to fight the obvious stress of reaching the high set goal and the risk of deduction, but on the other side , the guy that puts in 2 and does 5:14 has to deal with beeing tapped to death every 15 seconds for minutes. So who has to have the stronger mind in this case. Not clear i think.

p.s. I am happy with the extra points for static. Especialy in pool competitions

[Walrus]

I don't like the new rule. It will really change the ranking of atheletes. It is good for people that are better at statics, but for the deeper divers it will bring their points down relative to other divers.

Under the old rules a diver who did 6min and 70m would be equal with a diver who did 7min and 60m. That sounds fair to me. Now it would be 7min(84points)+60m = 6min(72points)+72m.
So it will be a huge advantage for people with better statics then depth diving abillity.

I personally don't think a 7min static should be worth the same as a 84m dive!
So yes it means statics are now worth much more then depth, like a 60/40 split rather then 50/50. I always valued constant ballast as the real part of the sport, it's also the part that is worth watching more on TV/video DVD etc. Of course I am biased, I do sucky statics.


Cheers,
Wal

[derelictp]

Hello!

The best option in my opinion would be to skip the static because it's like Sebastian said unathletic and boring.

I would like outdoor comp's to be Constant Weight and Free Imersion.

That's the real diving in my opinion.

...but static is in one way interesting and it's a good training tool.

Make static and dynamic pool competition disciplines.

(Even though I am better in static than in CW/FI/DA)

[efattah]

At least for my own physiology, a 6min static is pretty close to identical to a 72m dive, so I think the new rule makes things more equal than before.

If we look at the deepest dive ever in a competition (94m) vs. the longest static ever in a competition (8'03") they give almost the same number of points.

I would comment that divers who don't have access to deep water often excel in static, and for them, the 10pts/10pts rule brings more equality than the 10pts/12pts rule.


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

[bevan dewar]

pitty there wasn't a 6th option: zero points for static

[naiad]

I like static - it seems to be the only thing I'm good at right now!

I haven't done constant weight yet, as I don't have access to deep water - not many opportunities for a freediver in the middle of London!

I agree with Eric that divers who don't have access to deep water often excel in static.

naiad

[efattah]

Although some people don't like static, it has a big impact on media reporting, because it's the only thing the average person can relate to. And, because the numbers are so 'big', people are amazed, which helps get media coverage.

If you tell someone that your constant weight dive took 2 minutes, often they say, 'oh, that's not too great, I can also hold my breath for 2 minutes...' Thus, it doesn't have the same impact or 'awe' factor which the media is looking for.


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

[bevan dewar]

i'll concede that statics competitions are good for the sport, whatever that means. come to think of it, what does that mean? publicity, and therefore sponsorship proberbly. but who benefits from this other than an elite few. i would imagine the majority of competitors would prefere a freeDIVING competition that only involved various forms of diving, even if it cost them some recognition in the 'public eye'. and how much press does an 8 minute static get anyway - people who know little about freediving all seem to know only: tanya from sports illustrated; audery from time magazine, hbo; mayol from the big blue etc. find me any joe public thats aware of static times anywhere near 8 minutes. it's good photographs and movies that stick in peoples memories, not arbirtrary figures. maybe i'm alone in this, i would be interested to poll opinion on whether people would vote to scrap statics(but i dont know how to design these polls on deeperblue, maybe someone else could?). if the majority of competitive freedivers say they're all for statics then i'll eat humble pie and say no more.
but it often seems like the only people in favour of statics are the ones that happen to do well in it, regardless of whether they enjoy it or actually consider it freediving. maybe an honest examinination of motives might change a few minds. dont mean to antagonise the pro static lobby here, just want to keep this debate alive, and maybe have the joys of static explained to me
respectfully,
bevan

[Mr. Streeter]

I think the new points system is good. The points will make the team competitions much more exciting and yes, they can be exciting. I know to the average freediver static seems boring and when you are sitting on the side of a pool watching one person train, it can be. But in a team competition situation it can be very interesting and exciting, especially if you involved with the teams near the top rankings. I have been lucky enough to be involved with the USA ladies at a couple of competitions, and on the final day when it comes down to the wire, after running around all day trying to get times of athletes and tally the points to find out what we have to do, the excitment can be huge. For me and the team!!

Thats all from me.