Book: "Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath (Freediving)"

[Mr. X]

Book: "Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath (Freediving)" Umberto

I see Amazon in the UK has this book:

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=various02-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&path=ASIN%2F1928649270%2Fref%253Dord%255Fcart%255Fshr%3F%255Fencoding%3DUTF8%2526m%3DA3P5ROKL5A1OLE%20"]"Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath (Freediving)"[/ame]
by Umberto Pelizzari, Stefano Tovaglieri

Anybody out there know if this book if any good? Does it have any practical relevance to spearfishing? Over the years I have learnt many things from books but I was planning to learn spearfishing hands-on ... to get away from books (that said, this forum has been an incredible living resource).

[USA link (more reviews): [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=various02-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F1928649270%2Fqid%3D1136415368%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fref%3Dsr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14%3Fn%3D507846%2526s%3Dbooks%2526v%3Dglance"]"Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath (Freediving)"[/ame]]

 

[gill]

It was highly recommended to me and yes, it is very applicable. Holding a speargun and looking around complicates things but the principles are the same.

 

[TRITON]

Hi!
I have that book and it's the best book about freediving I've ever read.It will help you improve your peformance in terms of freediving which will certanly have effect on your spearfishing abilities.I strongly recommend it.
Alex

 

[land shark]

ditto to what they said

A very good read on the subject.
jim

 

[island_sands]

it's a great book!!!!! really informative and i got lots of training tips and dont-do's from that book.

easily read, and also contains some freediving history as well.

a good buy.

I see Amazon in the UK has this book:

"Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath (Freediving)"
by Umberto Pelizzari, Stefano Tovaglieri

Anybody out there know if this book if any good? Does it have any practical relevance to spearfishing? Over the years I have learnt many things from books but I was planning to learn spearfishing hands-on ... to get away from books (that said, this forum has been an incredible living resource).

[USA link (more reviews): "Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath (Freediving)"]

 

[sea-wolf]

I think this book is a must for everyone who deals with apnea.
This is the only book on the subject written as a manual. It's sistematical and detailed.
I recommend it highly.

 

[portinfer]

Ahh ! That's good as I have just ordered it ....

 

[glowworm]

Yes a fantastic book i brought mine last year on Deeper Blue.Freediving is the real source of the book and will help with apena and general freediving but isn't a book aimed at spearfishing.If you bear that in mind it really is good.

 

[Murat]

thats a good book. Its the only book i put my lagguage when i left cyprus. Do i need to tell more?

 

[sinjin]

Hi guys i'm very new to the sport...and at the moment i'm an excellent shot at hitting stationary rocks.
I'm 48 yrs old and quite fit.....BUT!!!...Holding my breath is absolutely hopless. I think i'm lasting no more than about 30 secs. So can anyone tell me how do i go about trying to improve. I will always be a shore diver as equalising is a major problem for me. So far i get down about 5-6m and thats about it. I'm using a long pacarso fins which rocket me to the bottom. But i can't hang around long enough to look properly or relax.
So what i should be reading and practising. I'm sorry if i have posted in the wrong area but i hope to find my way around the forum soon.
Cheers Sinjin.

 

[Mr. X]

Hi guys i'm very new to the sport...and at the moment i'm an excellent shot at hitting stationary rocks.
I'm 48 yrs old and quite fit.....BUT!!!...Holding my breath is absolutely hopless. I think i'm lasting no more than about 30 secs. So can anyone tell me how do i go about trying to improve. I will always be a shore diver as equalising is a major problem for me. So far i get down about 5-6m and thats about it. I'm using a long pacarso fins which rocket me to the bottom. But i can't hang around long enough to look properly or relax.
So what i should be reading and practising. I'm sorry if i have posted in the wrong area but i hope to find my way around the forum soon.
Cheers Sinjin.

Hi Sinjin, I can't help you -- my breath holding is usually a paltry 40-45secs ...as it was when I was about 10 years old! (I did try a bit longer recently and managed 60sec - quite pleasant surprise. Apparently the first attempt is usually not going to be the best). However, the free divers on the forums have tons of experience & include some distinguished celebrities. Some of them keep an eye out for us, contributing to the spearing threads. Checkout the freediving threads though -- there is already a wealth of information there & you can start your own. As a spearo though, I am actually not desperate to push my apnea time yet (although I do want to learn about it -- esp. the dangers & techniques) ...as it seems like you need to learn to relax and overcome some of your body's natural safety mechanisms -- as a beginnner, I want those safety mechanism working fully at the moment!

BTW I saw a child panicking in the pool today in about 6 ft of water. I thought he was just messing around at first (he was a v. noisey little boy all session) but he was in real distress. He was right in front of the lifeguard too. The lifeguard was only slightly ahead of me in realising he was in trouble, and was reluctant to enter the water (and never did!). Fortunately the boy's mother came to his aid from the deep end.

 

[sinjin]

Thks for the tips X. i will have a look at some of the books you mentioned. And pop into the Freedivers forum.
Sinjin

 

[Mr. X]

[My last posts on Spearo books were a little off thread, so I have moved them to a new thread: http://forums.deeperblue.net/beginner-hunting/64516-spearo-books.html ]

 

[Mr. X]

Ahh ! That's good as I have just ordered it ....

Hi Portinfer, please let us know how you get on with the book.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

DeeperBlue.net have just received new stock of the Umberto Pelizzari book - you can order it by heading over to http://www.deeperblue.net/books

We can't sell it quite as cheap as Amazon but then again we don't have the clout of the big online store

 

[2A1GPS]

A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY FREEDIVER !

Do not hesitate, if you think your knowledge about your sport is good, this will become your reference book, if you are beguinning in freediving (or in reading...) the manual will be your training partner !!

There is also a french edition called: "Apnée : De l'initiation à la performance"

 

[portinfer]

My copy has arrived !
Looks very good - need to actually read it as I think that osmosis by having it near the pillow might be of limited use...

Ed

 

[Mr. X]

...Looks very good - need to actually read it as I think that osmosis by having it near the pillow might be of limited use...

Read? Wot no pics? Seriously though...is it a little "dry" (I have a pile of technical books to read through & could really do with something a little lighter at the moment).

 

[Mr. X]

Re: Book: "Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath (Freediving)" Umberto

I see Amazon in the UK has this book:

"Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath (Freediving)"
by Umberto Pelizzari, Stefano Tovaglieri

Anybody out there know if this book if any good? Does it have any practical relevance to spearfishing? Over the years I have learnt many things from books but I was planning to learn spearfishing hands-on ... to get away from books (that said, this forum has been an incredible living resource).

[USA link (more reviews): "Manual Of Freediving: Underwater On A Single Breath (Freediving)"]

Well, you convinced me. I finally ordered the book - as part of a bigger order of work related stuff. Will probably be using the "Portinfer omosis book absorbtion technique" until the end of the month though.

It looks like DeeperBlue.net are also selling the book now (and Amazon just upped their price to more than DeeperBlue) -- it must be the defacto standard reference for freediving and apnea for spearfishing (along with [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=various02-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0964496631%2Fref%3Dpd_sim_b_3%3F%255Fencoding%3DUTF8%2526v%3Dglance%2526n%3D283155"]Bluewater Hunting & Freediving[/ame] by Terry Maas ). Are there any other similar books worth looking at? Anybody read this one: [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=various02-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0964496615%2Fqid%3D1138473032%2Fsr%3D1-2%2Fref%3Dsr_1_2%3Fs%3Dbooks%26v%3Dglance%26n%3D283155"]"Freedive!" by David Sipperly & Terry Maas [/ame]? (There is also a [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=various02-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB00004W3Y7%3Fv%3Dglance%26n%3D130"]Terry Maas freediving DVD[/ame]).

The 40m spearing video recently published on another thread has helped my breath holding technique most so far though...inspiring. Just hold your breath as the guy descends...see if you can outlast him (2 mins)!

 

[Mr. X]

My copy arrived yesterday. Wow -- it is comprehensive. Everything from the history to the biology of it (the old O-level biology cardiovascular & eyeball diagrams are included!). No colour pictures -- which is a shame as freediving is a very visually appealing sport but lots of diagrams and black & white pictures.

It has way more information than I ever expected to want or need -- my interest being spearfishing rather than competitive freediving. However, they seem to have covered everything you are likely to want to know about freediving (although you will, for example, find more detailed & current info. on equipment on these forums). I guess I would have prefered something more concise but this is not really aimed at me. So far, the quality of the translation is unusually high -- it seems well executed and several doctors were involved in its production. I really like the Italian "flavour" of it -- a real novelty.

Chapter 6, 7 & 9 were a pleasant surprise -- they even cover my favourite topic (tides!). Finning technique, rescue (but not CPR - prob. wise). Duck dive/spearo dive. Good stuff.

For spearfishing, maybe the various DVDs are the way to go (& the previously mentioned books)? Although I love my little Len Jones Spearfishing booklet hmm must get it back -- out on loan at the moment).