"Disabled" freediving

[Blue Straggler]

Hello everyone.

Something that's been at the back of my mind for a few years has just popped up again.

Basically, I've been wondering what freediving might offer to people with limited mobility. Specifically I'm thinking about people without the use of their legs and with limited movement in the torso, but with functioning hands and shoulders. There are people in this situation who had previously been very active in various sports (I know two, and I'm not at all sporty nor am I involved in activities for the disabled)

To cut a long story short...what do you think of getting such people onto some free immersion, closely buddied all the way down and back up? With freediving being such a "post-experience buzz" sport (i.e. you might have found the dive hard but you come up with a grin that lasts all weekend), I'm thinking this could be REALLY good for the right candidate.

Just looking for any deadly flaw in the concept, really.

Thanks

 

[cdavis]

There are some freedivng spearos who are short on legs and, I think, arms. Doesn't seem to slow'em down much.

I think its a great idea. Get them used to it and extreme safety won't be necessary. I don't see any reason why a legless freediver with good shoulders and arms could not do well past 30 meters constant weight(no fins of course).

Connor

 

[ChetRoi]

We also have the folks with brain disorders (in my case, due to war) who may find sought-after mental distraction in freediving as a sport, or as an adjunct to photography.

As limited as my participation has been, I have benefited from the mental discipline and relaxation a comprehensive breathing exercise program affords. I've been talking it up in my veteran's group with some interest in participation being expressed.

So, I'm in agreement on the benefits of freediving for other classes of disabled folks as well, based on my personal experience thus far.

 

[Chrillepille]

I think it is a great idea and one that you hopefully can pursue.

Here is a story written by a friend on mine: Paraplegic Freediving

 

[Blue Straggler]

Thanks all, that's really encouraging. I don't know how far I'll take this, or when. I have in mind a girl who had been a rising star on the UK rock-climbing scene, who is now a C5-7 tetraplegic; I'm not sure exactly how much mobility she has so I'll have to look into that. She is vaguely local to me and I've seen her around, but I don't really know her. I just saw an article last night stating that she was looking for new sporting challenges.

Cheers

 

[ThomasB]

Hello everyone.
CUT

you might want to take a look at this article:

Paraplegic Freediving

HTH

Edit:havent's seen the same link in the post above.

 

[Blue Straggler]

Thanks Thomas - I'd already seen it as an earlier poster put the link up, but it's all good!
I'll see what the next step is...

 

[Blue Straggler]

Oh by the way I found two well-filmed clips of FIM to illustrate that all you need to do is to be able to grip and pull gently
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OD3DscjQbI]YouTube - wendy timmermans -60m (-200 ft) "free immersion" dive[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLrBnZr4eHU]YouTube - Marc Lenoir - Free Immersion[/ame]

 

[apneaboy]

No fins is just as good as free immersion too. I knew a bloke (who had the use of his legs but that is really irrelevant to the story) who was doing a decent distance DNF, around 120m plus from memory. He just had good armstroke and not so good leg stroke.

Ability is ability, it could be someone with limited mobility could enter and beat some top divers in this sport. Depends on the extent of the disability I suppose but sounds like something worth pursuing.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[trux]

Yes, freediving is a sport quite well accessible for everyone, including many disabled people. I know several disabled freedivers, and you can meet them at competitions where they beat even perfectly healthy competitors.

And Apneaboy is right - for example Wes Lapp (although not disabed) has set the US DNF record of 125 while using just his hands (not even full arm strokes). More details here: http://forums.deeperblue.com/genera...new-us-freediving-record-dynamic-no-fins.html

This may interest you too - in Italy there is a freediving school specially for disabled persons: Apnea National School - Corsi di acquaticit, benessere psicomotorio per persone diversamente abili

Google translation: Google Translate

 

[nostres]

- in Italy there is a freediving school specially for disabled persons: Apnea National School - Corsi di acquaticit, benessere psicomotorio per persone diversamente abili

Google translation: Google Translate

This must be good news for many people to come.
Some time ago I was thinking of custom monofin for person with legs amputated. There is mono ski and it works great so I don't see reason why not monofin, right?

 

[trux]

There indeed is a thread somewhere here on DB about an aputee girl who dreamed becoming a mermaid, and a movie maker company (I believe) decided to fulfil her dream and manufactured such a monofin for her. I'll try to find it.

 

[trux]

Well, I did not find the DB discussion, although I am sure I posted about it here too, but there are several links on the web. For example this one:

Disabled woman given mermaid tail to help her swim - Telegraph

credit the Telegraph

 

[JennyWren]

Some of you may know former Canadian National Record Holder Jill Yoneda. She has a paralyzed foot and it certainly doesn't hold her back at all! Her fiance, Kelly Smith (a silver medalist at the Athens Paralympics) has limited mobility in his legs. When I took the PFI course in Kona in December with Kelly it was great to see how little he was restricted by his disability. He was able to use a modified monofin kick with arm pulls to do CWT, and also did well with free immersion, and pulled off a 5:45 breath hold in the pool!

Check out this video featuring them : http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/divefilm-hd-video-hd/id214353624

(scroll down to December 25th and look for Jill and Kelly 'Positive Living')

 

[samdive]

I'd love to get involved with teaching freediving to anyone with more than the usual challenges - I've offered my services to BattleBack - and a scuba agency that specialises in treating the disabled but never been taken up on it. If you know anyone that is looking for an instructor - put them in touch. It would be fun to do.

S

 

[Blue Straggler]

Hi Sam. It is early days yet but of course I'll be in touch with all suitable (suitable as in "geographically", mostly!) instructors as and when. Something came up on a mountaineering forum recently which rekindled my interest in this, hence the thread.
From a wider point of view, stuff like this could help to raise the profile of freediving as a sport.

 

[Blue Straggler]

Oh this gets better - I do have a specific potential candidate in mind, who has now expressed some interest....and also informed me that she doesn't have movement in her hands, so she can't grip!

So for FIM, can we replace the rope with a rope ladder, and she can pull down by "hooking" her hands under each rung?! It would look pretty special!

 

[ahofbauer]

One of the problems of the human body,
when swimming with a monofin, is that
the ankle is the weakest link in the whole
system of power transmission.

The back, hip and leg muscles are able to
excert much more power that the ankle
can possibely withstand.

Meaning:
A person without feet and ankles should be
able to transmit a much bigger amount of
power to the fin.

Take a look at the russian fin racers. They
need power and speed.

 

[Blue Straggler]

Bah, it ain't going to happen with this particular candidate - her tetraplegia has rendered her stomach muscles useless too, so she can't take large breaths. This on top of a few other factors has caused her to decline, she'll try some scuba instead.

 

[trux]

Bah, it ain't going to happen with this particular candidate - her tetraplegia has rendered her stomach muscles useless too, so she can't take large breaths. This on top of a few other factors has caused her to decline, she'll try some scuba instead.

She does not really need those muscles. First of all she can do FRC diving, which is by many considered superior to full lungs diving. But even if she or the teacher prefer full lungs diving, she can still take huge breaths with glossopharyngeal insufflation (packing).