Breaking a minute bottom time...

[twentytwomonk]

Hey guys. I've been diving for a little over a year, and up to now, my best time logged on my D3 is 1:05. I know that it's a mix of mental and physical elements that keeps me from getting much past this, and I was wondering if anyone else has run into this same barrier and how you got past it.

 

[Spaniard]

How deep are you with that time? Are you spearing?

 

[twentytwomonk]

99% of the time I'm spearing, but I'm usually doing aspettos more than anything. And most of my diving is between 20-50 feet, but I'm looking to break that in the not too distant future either.

 

[Spaniard]

In that case you are doing great with those timings. If anything you are doing the best training there is; repetition. Do you want to increase your botom times because you don't get to see the fish or is it another reason? I spear similar depths and usually it is long enough for an aspetto to get to see fish. In the Med, for example, some guys are doing 2 mins+ at 60ft and more to catch Dentex because they take an age to come in on you during aspetto. What is your main quarry?

 

[twentytwomonk]

Rockfish mostly, but we do a lot of hole hunting as well. But I'm expanding into the California pelagics such as white seabass and yellowtail(kingfish). The main reason that I want to do it is to be able to have the advantage at depth of being able to take the best shot possible, and increase the depth that I can comfortably hunt at as well. I do wish I could find some warmer water more often, as locally, the water never usually gets warmer than 55 degrees farenheit, but we did a dive just a few weeks ago where it was 48!

 

[jimdoe2you]

Don't think of it as a barrier because it is not. With consistent practice and repetition you should notice gradual improvement in your apnea. Relaxing during your breathe up is key!!! If your opportunities to dive are not that frequent and steady in water practice is rare you can download Ivo's (trux) Static Apnea Trainer here:

APNEA.cz - Apnea Training Manager

Of course taking either the PFI or FIT course is also very highly recommended. These classes will show you the technique and importance of a relaxed breathe up.

 

[twentytwomonk]

Jim, I think what i need is a nice set of C4's to get me down there quicker!

 

[Fondueset]

deep relaxation during breathups and minimal effort on the way down.

 

[twentytwomonk]

Speak of the devil. My soon-to-be fiancee and I are going to move to Traverse City when I get out of the Army in 2010, and it all started with http://www.michiganfreediving.com. So i guess I owe you a big thanks!

 

[Fondueset]

Wow! Be sure and contact me any time you get here and we'll go for a dive. Not much spearing here - just carp and suckers are legal and neither is particularly edible. Of course you'll need to adjust from being used to such warm water.

 

[twentytwomonk]

Yeah, we don't do warm water where I'm from either. But we're planning a vacation to check it out, and I'll most definitely let you know when we're gonna be there so that we can get in the water together. I'm not so much worried about not being able to spear; I just wanna have the ability to dive, and frankly, your pictures were amazing. I could use some scenery like that!

 

[Fondueset]

Biggest problem is boats in the summer. East and West bay are officially becoming an Underwater Preserve this spring.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Dave,

That is really a decent time for a "working" spearfishing dive, and particularly considering that you are wearing a thick suit and diving in that icy water. Its sure all you need to get white sea bass and yellowtail down here in SoCal.

 

[twentytwomonk]

That's good to know, Bill. Is the invitation to come down and go out on the boat still open? Trust me, I'm good for gas and anchor pulling!

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Sure it is, as long as its a week day. I suppose that if I were not retired I'd just deal with the weekend crowds at the ramp and at the dive spots, but I am, so I don't.

But I have a hard time getting gas buyers and anchor pullers on weekdays.

 

[fleshy]

If I lived in cali I would skip classes to pull anchors and buy gas. As it is, Im stuck diving in these 40*F lakes... Oh well.

 

[cdavis]

Here is a pool exercise that will get you used to doing longer dives and the concepts can be easily adapted to aspetto dives for spearing.

Find a pool with a deep end, 10 ft or deeper, also a buddy to watch you carefully
Weight yourself so you are neutral to slightly heavy at the bottom. Exhale a little helps.
Surface dive and lay still till the first urge to breathe, then swim slowly until you need to come up.
Breath up 3 minutes,increasing as your times increase. Keep surface interval to 2-3 times dive time
Repeat for 30 minutes.

You will find that you times rapidly exceed 1 minute and get up near 2 minutes or more in a few sessions.

Try to get close to this pattern when spearing. Increase surface interval to 3x or more dive time. Don't move while you are on the surface. The keys are relaxation in breath up and dive, no movement on the surface and ,especially, exercise little on the way down and up till the first urge to breath. If you can do those things, much longer times will be possible. Warning: using this pattern safely means being very careful about hyperventilation, especially in the pool. Be careful not to overdo your breathup.

To add to Bills comments, I spent years and years as a 45 second average dive diver in water of the depth you work. Shot tons (literally) of fish. You're doing fine.

Good luck with it.

Connor