Apnea Academy Instructors Course

[appyguy]

Hi everyone,
Just back from Sharm El Sheik and the instructors course. What an amazing experience. Umberto runs an excellent course, friendly, funny but extremely thorough. The supporting instructors were all of a very high calibre and approachable and easy to deal with. Certainly a course that I would happily recommend to anyone.

I had the good fortune to share a room with Stig Severinson from Denmark, Stig, I cannot thank you enough for the hours of one on one training you gave and your sharing of your knowledge and experience. I am certain I would not have achieved what I did without your help.

The group (about 25 students) was diverse with people from just about everywhere you could imagine in the world. Was just great to be involved with so many people passionate about freediving.

The venue at Sharm Village could not have worked better. Good food and accommodation, and 80+ metres of water within 50 metres of the beach.

For me the only hiccup was the airline loosing all of my luggage. Trying to get any sense from anyone in Egypt was impossible. Fortunately my wife managed to track it down from New Zealand. Found it all at Cairo airport on the way home.

So hat off to you Umberto, provided myself and I am sure I can speak for the rest of the students of the course with a truely memorable experiene.

Steve Bunton

[bluecape]

Hiya Steve

Envy you man, would love to do this course! South Africa generally has gone very quiet re freediving, apart from the spearo's, which is still healthy.
Am trying to generate some interest in apnea as a 'lifestyle' sport, and have loads of interest from other people, so would really like to attend Umberto's course.
I do realise that there are many great freedivers offering courses around the world, but Umberto was a legend to me before I even started diving, so to get the opportunity to learn with him would be very special.

Was always my great dream to meet and learn with Jacques Mayol, but sadly, that will not happen now, although I did hear his son, jean Jacques, was teaching in Florida?

Jeff

[glennv]

Indeed the course was excelent !!!!
Check out my report about the course and some pictures at :
http://www.apnea-amsterdam.com/articles/UMBERTO2006.php

[jome]

Sounds very, very good!

I was thinking about going there but could not find the time/money/motivation. But I'll definately try to make it in the future...

By the way, did they really require you demonstrate all the exercises from the book? A lot of them simply don't make sense to me...But then, what do I know

[glennv]

You should !
Even if you don't want to become an instructor it was definately worth it. And no we did not have to show each and every excercise, but just practicing them at home made you more aware of your body in the water. Just try for instance without any mask / goggles / suit to float vertically at between 1 or 2 meters down in the pool , staying motionless for at least a minute fixated at a point on the wall. E.g. perfect buoancy sensitivity. Little bit too much air in your lungs and you go up. Too little and you go to the bottom.
This kind of stuff makes you more aware of your body in the water.

A guy I met 3 years ago has this mastered to perfection (Igor Liberty) and uses this for his underwater dance routines ( http://www.apnea-amsterdam.com/forum...opic,42.0.html ) .

[trux]

Just adding credits to the original location of the video containg also more details and other apnea related art. I believe Igor and his Hydrosphere website deserve it:

http://www.bioapnea.com/
http://www.bioapnea.com/4_delta_Hydrosphere.htm

[glennv]

You are right. Forgot to mention it.
He is a very dear friend of mine and I invited him once to the Netherlands where he gave a workshop. Very worthwile. Gives you a whole new idea about the term buoancy.
He also organises yearly trips to freedive in mountain lakes / rivers etc. (check his site e.g. http://www.bioapnea.com/AIDAmeet2005...%20display.htm.
Probably he will do one again next year. Will keep you updated.....

[appyguy]

Hi Jeff,
I am basically a hard out spearo. Where I live in New Zealand there is no access to proper training and very little interest in structured apnea training. I pretty much went with an open mind around what I may learn, being that my interest is spearfishing and not dedicated freediving. In saying that, I believe we have been given valuable tools from the course to build our diving capacity.

I think Umberto probably is your better choice if you want someone who puts forward the Jacque Mayol philosphy. Jacque Mayol was Umberto's mentor and Umberto trained with him extensively.

The response back in NZ has been interesting with quite a number of the spearfishers showing an interest in me running a course for them. They seem to see the value in what I have been taught.

[efattah]

After I read Glenn's description of this course, I realize I would have FAILED IT BY FAR. I can't swim worth crap. I have no ability to do front crawl, and my breast stroke sucks (which is why my DNF distance is less than half of my DYF distance!) I can't even imagine doing butterfly.

However my inability to swim doesn't seem to impair my ability to dive with a monofin...

[naiad]

Originally Posted by efattah

I can't swim worth crap. I have no ability to do front crawl, and my breast stroke sucks (which is why my DNF distance is less than half of my DYF distance!) I can't even imagine doing butterfly.

Me too! I can do breast stroke reasonably ok, but I have tried and failed to do front crawl properly. The problem is that I get too tired. I don't think I'll ever be a good swimmer, but it hasn't been much of a problem for diving.

It's a relief to know I'm not the only one, the great Eric F is in the same boat as me...

[glennv]

Before I also sucked at breaststroke, but some dedicated training for a couple of weeks fixed that in time for the course. (butterfly is NOT a requirement)
You may wonder why you would need breaststroke for freediving (i know a person who can not even swim but is a good freediver) ?
But just think of Umberto's way of freediving as a whole concept. It has to do with moving in the water in any way possible and feel natural , move graciously . Lots of his excersises target this . You should become part of the water not try and fight through it. Moreso if you are an instructor. Imagine you swim as an instructor in a pool to your students and you move like an ape. How would that appear. Just see umberto move in the pool and you know what i mean.

Another thing more directly related is , how would you swim as fast as possible to a location in the sea where someone is in need of a resque.
If you can not do a propper fast crawl you may loose a fellow diver in problem before you can apply all your fancy CPR skills etc.

[Mullins]

Where in NZ are you from Steve? There is a fair bit of interest in structured freedive training in Wellington and Auckland at the moment - are you familiar with the NoBubbles and Lazy Seal clubs? It would be great to catch up with somebody who's done the apnea academy course so if you're handy to Wellington maybe you could drop into one of our sessions. Most of the training we do is along slightly different lines so we'd love to hear from the AA side of things.

[appyguy]

Hi Mullins,
Im in Whangarei, and there is no structured training available here.

A couple of yoears ago I did a introductory course with John Wright at no bubbles in Auckland. I occaisionally get to Wellington with my work, so may have an opportunity to catch up sometime.

Steve

[naiad]

Originally Posted by glennv

Before I also sucked at breaststroke, but some dedicated training for a couple of weeks fixed that in time for the course. (butterfly is NOT a requirement)

I managed to learn breaststroke, and I am now reasonably good. Front crawl is another matter. I have put a lot of effort in, but I just can't do it for more than about 30m.

Originally Posted by glennv

Another thing more directly related is , how would you swim as fast as possible to a location in the sea where someone is in need of a resque.
If you can not do a propper fast crawl you may loose a fellow diver in problem before you can apply all your fancy CPR skills etc.

That's true. For that reason I wouldn't feel confident to rescue someone in open water, away from something like a rope.
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=62635

[glennv]

Naiad,

Oeps i ment to say i sucked at front crawl. (my breaststroke was alwas ok).
What helped me a lot was joining a swimming fitness class , where you have to go all out in several strokes for 45 minutes. In the beginning i litteraly died and drowned after about 5 minutes. But after some sessions it became easier and easier and my crawl improved big time. Also the distance I am able to swimm seems to be directly related to technique and rhythm. If your technique sucks you mess up the breathing rhythm and that makes you very tired very soon. Polishing up your rhythm and you immediately do much and much more distance. Start with 1 breath every 2 strokes and gradualy go down to every 3 , 4 or more strokes. Breathe out under water evenly and finish the exhale just before you turn your head to breath. Go back up the breathing tempo again after a while when you get tired but try to keep the breathing tempo as low as possible (alos good for your CO2 tolerance training). Try and make the strokes even and long (like you are reaching for something in front of you). There are some interesting instruction videos with different excersises on the net , which may help you.

http://www.goswim.tv/drilloftheweek_archives.php