This is an essay I wrote for class on diving I hope it helps. Some parts have been removed to save space. 
Freediving
For my research paper, I chose my favorite hobby as my subject. My goal was to get better at diving. I have been diving for about a year now, but there is plenty of room for improvment. My first attempt at a guiding question was, “How do I become a better hunter-diver?” I then realized that my fascination with diving goes much deeper than spearfishing, so the question became, “How do I become a better freediver?”
I started diving almost purely for the fish, but soon realized there was much more to it than just that. I thought spearfishing was very fun and relaxing but wrongly assumed it was easy. I had grown tired of sitting on the shore for hours on end to catch fish with a fishing pole. I tried poke poling because it had less of a wait time, but it takes a lot more effort to get to the fishing area and must be timed with the tide. Since this was not what I thought of as fun, I tried something else. I decided to buy a pole spear, rent a wetsuit, and tag along with my family to Ocean Cove (coves are protected from a lot of the oceans waves and are much safer to swim in). Since none of my family wanted to get in the water with me, I swam around by myself next to the shore where they were fishing. Although I did not spear a fish, I did relay information to my family of where I saw fish and told my brother that we needed to take the raft out because they were most concentrated in the center of the cove. This strategy worked, but I had a great desire to spearfish, so my brother and I later went diving in Still Water Cove and speared several fish, finally fulfilling the desire I had for far too long.
While diving with my brother in Still Water Cove, I realized the true beauty of the ocean. What appeared to be a vast grey-green blob of water was actually teeming with beautiful, unknown life. There were neon green grasses, iridescent fish, and purple corals visible right beneath the surface. At one point, I found myself surrounded by a school of tiny fish and was more interested in watching the wildlife than I was in catching it. I even followed a group of Rubber-lipped Perch, which were the fish I started out hunting. I had discovered a new world, and it was astonishing.
Because of the ocean’s beauty and a newfound fascination with it, I found diving to be extremely relaxing. A few months after diving for the first time, I found out that I have very high blood pressure. I was told that I need to find a way to relax, so I started thinking of ways I relax. Watching a movie, reading a book, or going for a run were all options, but I had no passion in any of them. Then it hit me, I can go diving! Diving is my passion and my drive in life. I love the beauty of the unknown and how it requires a low, relaxed heart rate. There was only one problem, I was not a great or even a good freediver yet.
What I Thought I knew
I knew a few things about diving from past experience, but not as much as I thought. I knew where fish should be, after all I had been fishing since I could hold a fishing pole. I knew how to swim and I thought I knew the breathing tricks that would help me stay underwater longer. It turns out I was way wrong about that.
Getting Better
When this assignment came forth I decided to take advantage of it; I wanted to become a better freediver, so I formed my guiding question and broke it into subsections. I wanted to know how important the quality of diving gear was, how much the skill of my dive buddy will affect me, and most importantly, how do I get better?
With these questions answered, I intended to become a great freediver and have the ability to get food every time I went diving. Although diving is no longer purely for food, I would still like to get fish and, someday, abalone. I hope to use the answers to my questions to help advance myself and others in our diving experiences.
My Journey
In my search for answers to those questions I went to three sources; two websites and a local dive instructor. They were all very helpful and each offered a different view which turned out to be a piece of the puzzle. Each one answered a different part of a question.
Wal-Mart or Dive-shop?
My first question, “How important is the quality of gear?” This was answered in both the interview and on one of the websites. I first went to the internet to get an idea of what the answer was. While reading through a page on spearfishing I read, “For safe spearfishing you have to choose good, quality equipment” (Home Page). Although I do not know which parts specifically, I knew good quality gear was the best bet if I wanted to be safe. More research ensued. I soon ran across this statement in the mask section “This is one of the most important items for ANYONE that enters the aquatic realm. Having an ill-fitting mask or one that fogs up continuously can not only be very frustrating but dangerous as well” (Sonday). So, I can not skimp on my mask. The page later says that the most important parts are to make sure the mask fits my face and for freediving I should use a low volume mask. The low volume mask makes purging, clearing of the ears as pressure changes, easier. The article’s author described a simple way to test a mask fit; “The easiest way to test a mask is to put it on your face, ensuring it fits snuggly and then gently inhaling through your nose. This should suck the mask to your face. Tilt your head forward, looking towards the ground. The mask should still be stuck to your face. Should the seal not be good, it will fall off your face” (Sonday).
The next step was to check with my interviewee, Andrew Brennen, if this was correct. He gave great input on the need of good quality gear and stated that the most important part of the gear is the wet suit. “This,” he said, “ is because it is what makes diving in cold water possible and must be good enough to keep the diver comfortable.” My question was answered; quality of gear is important. As far as the research showed it is the main things that must be quality, the mask and the suit, not the other things like fins, snorkel, spear, knives, or weights.
Bro or Pro
Since I know about gear, now I need to figure out if I should ditch my brother for a professional diver. Again, I started with my web source. My first find was from the site founder himself; “Never Free Dive alone and select your partner” (Whelan). He went on to say that a dive buddy must be able to rescue a diver and perform CPR. That seemed straight forward as it should be; a dive buddy must be good at swimming and saving other divers. I believe my brother is capable of that and so am I. I decided the answer is that it do not matter how good a partner is as long as they can save the other person because only one person is down at a time (Whelan).
Good to Great
Now here was the question that I wanted to dive into, how can I become a better freediver? First I went to Deeper Blue (they have a lot of articles written by many experienced divers). The first thing I found was actually on the same page as the dive buddy answer:
Never hyperventilate... Hyperventilation is more than 15 deep breaths per minute. This predisposes a diver to begin the descent in tension with a high pulse rate and decreased CO2. An improper balance of O2 and CO2 can prolong the "easy phase" of breath-hold at the expense of the "struggle phase" and could lead to SWB. Proper ventilation has the following objectives; maximum O2 saturation and minimum pulse rate. This is achieved by slow , deep strong ventilation, relaxation and concentration, and this not overdone. (Whelan)
Although it contradicted what I thought, I knew hyperventilation would flood the body with oxygen, but did not know that it would change the heart rate. I do not want a shallow water blackout so I am going to try my best to avoid hyperventilating. After reading several articles for beginners about training I realized that training is probably the best way to improve. Both Deeper Blue and spearfishingtips.com include the need to train in their basics, after all it is a sport.
The next thing I found was the need for relaxation, “Relax... A lot of it is pretty much mind over matter” (Brennen). He stated facts of how a fast heart rate quickly uses up precious oxygen and restated that one must relax. Soon after, I found something that related back to calmness, “while swimming quietly and calmly on the surface, the hunter observes the seabed and chooses the rocks that could according to his experience serve as a hiding for fish” (Spearfishing Under). This new discovery of swimming quietly did not surprise me, but it had some how escaped my mind. So one must relax, be quiet, and breath deeply but not hyperventilate.
Suiting Up
What I Learned
After much research I found the answers to my questions and learned a few things I did not expect. I now know that deep breaths are good as long as I do not hyperventilate. I also discovered that I have to be relaxed, which I already was told to do for medical reasons. In addition I was reminded that practice makes perfect and that I should spend the extra money on good quality essentials. Finally, I learned a vital safety procedure, always dive with a buddy no matter their skill, as long as they can save me.
Works Cited
Brennen, Andrew. Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2014
Home Page. spearfishingtips.com. n.p, n.d. Web 26 Jan 2014.
Sonday, Ismail,“Dummies guide to Spearfishing- Part 1” deeperblue.com. deeperblue.net, 12 March 2006. Web 30 Jan. 2014.
“Spearfishing Under Rocks.” spearfishingtips.com. n.p., n.d. Web 30 Jan 2014.
Whelan, Stephan. “20 Safety Rules for Freediving.” deeperblue.com. deeperblue.net, 14 April 2003. Web 25 Jan 2014.
Freediving
For my research paper, I chose my favorite hobby as my subject. My goal was to get better at diving. I have been diving for about a year now, but there is plenty of room for improvment. My first attempt at a guiding question was, “How do I become a better hunter-diver?” I then realized that my fascination with diving goes much deeper than spearfishing, so the question became, “How do I become a better freediver?”
I started diving almost purely for the fish, but soon realized there was much more to it than just that. I thought spearfishing was very fun and relaxing but wrongly assumed it was easy. I had grown tired of sitting on the shore for hours on end to catch fish with a fishing pole. I tried poke poling because it had less of a wait time, but it takes a lot more effort to get to the fishing area and must be timed with the tide. Since this was not what I thought of as fun, I tried something else. I decided to buy a pole spear, rent a wetsuit, and tag along with my family to Ocean Cove (coves are protected from a lot of the oceans waves and are much safer to swim in). Since none of my family wanted to get in the water with me, I swam around by myself next to the shore where they were fishing. Although I did not spear a fish, I did relay information to my family of where I saw fish and told my brother that we needed to take the raft out because they were most concentrated in the center of the cove. This strategy worked, but I had a great desire to spearfish, so my brother and I later went diving in Still Water Cove and speared several fish, finally fulfilling the desire I had for far too long.
While diving with my brother in Still Water Cove, I realized the true beauty of the ocean. What appeared to be a vast grey-green blob of water was actually teeming with beautiful, unknown life. There were neon green grasses, iridescent fish, and purple corals visible right beneath the surface. At one point, I found myself surrounded by a school of tiny fish and was more interested in watching the wildlife than I was in catching it. I even followed a group of Rubber-lipped Perch, which were the fish I started out hunting. I had discovered a new world, and it was astonishing.
Because of the ocean’s beauty and a newfound fascination with it, I found diving to be extremely relaxing. A few months after diving for the first time, I found out that I have very high blood pressure. I was told that I need to find a way to relax, so I started thinking of ways I relax. Watching a movie, reading a book, or going for a run were all options, but I had no passion in any of them. Then it hit me, I can go diving! Diving is my passion and my drive in life. I love the beauty of the unknown and how it requires a low, relaxed heart rate. There was only one problem, I was not a great or even a good freediver yet.
What I Thought I knew
I knew a few things about diving from past experience, but not as much as I thought. I knew where fish should be, after all I had been fishing since I could hold a fishing pole. I knew how to swim and I thought I knew the breathing tricks that would help me stay underwater longer. It turns out I was way wrong about that.
Getting Better
When this assignment came forth I decided to take advantage of it; I wanted to become a better freediver, so I formed my guiding question and broke it into subsections. I wanted to know how important the quality of diving gear was, how much the skill of my dive buddy will affect me, and most importantly, how do I get better?
With these questions answered, I intended to become a great freediver and have the ability to get food every time I went diving. Although diving is no longer purely for food, I would still like to get fish and, someday, abalone. I hope to use the answers to my questions to help advance myself and others in our diving experiences.
My Journey
In my search for answers to those questions I went to three sources; two websites and a local dive instructor. They were all very helpful and each offered a different view which turned out to be a piece of the puzzle. Each one answered a different part of a question.
Wal-Mart or Dive-shop?
My first question, “How important is the quality of gear?” This was answered in both the interview and on one of the websites. I first went to the internet to get an idea of what the answer was. While reading through a page on spearfishing I read, “For safe spearfishing you have to choose good, quality equipment” (Home Page). Although I do not know which parts specifically, I knew good quality gear was the best bet if I wanted to be safe. More research ensued. I soon ran across this statement in the mask section “This is one of the most important items for ANYONE that enters the aquatic realm. Having an ill-fitting mask or one that fogs up continuously can not only be very frustrating but dangerous as well” (Sonday). So, I can not skimp on my mask. The page later says that the most important parts are to make sure the mask fits my face and for freediving I should use a low volume mask. The low volume mask makes purging, clearing of the ears as pressure changes, easier. The article’s author described a simple way to test a mask fit; “The easiest way to test a mask is to put it on your face, ensuring it fits snuggly and then gently inhaling through your nose. This should suck the mask to your face. Tilt your head forward, looking towards the ground. The mask should still be stuck to your face. Should the seal not be good, it will fall off your face” (Sonday).
The next step was to check with my interviewee, Andrew Brennen, if this was correct. He gave great input on the need of good quality gear and stated that the most important part of the gear is the wet suit. “This,” he said, “ is because it is what makes diving in cold water possible and must be good enough to keep the diver comfortable.” My question was answered; quality of gear is important. As far as the research showed it is the main things that must be quality, the mask and the suit, not the other things like fins, snorkel, spear, knives, or weights.
Bro or Pro
Since I know about gear, now I need to figure out if I should ditch my brother for a professional diver. Again, I started with my web source. My first find was from the site founder himself; “Never Free Dive alone and select your partner” (Whelan). He went on to say that a dive buddy must be able to rescue a diver and perform CPR. That seemed straight forward as it should be; a dive buddy must be good at swimming and saving other divers. I believe my brother is capable of that and so am I. I decided the answer is that it do not matter how good a partner is as long as they can save the other person because only one person is down at a time (Whelan).
Good to Great
Now here was the question that I wanted to dive into, how can I become a better freediver? First I went to Deeper Blue (they have a lot of articles written by many experienced divers). The first thing I found was actually on the same page as the dive buddy answer:
Never hyperventilate... Hyperventilation is more than 15 deep breaths per minute. This predisposes a diver to begin the descent in tension with a high pulse rate and decreased CO2. An improper balance of O2 and CO2 can prolong the "easy phase" of breath-hold at the expense of the "struggle phase" and could lead to SWB. Proper ventilation has the following objectives; maximum O2 saturation and minimum pulse rate. This is achieved by slow , deep strong ventilation, relaxation and concentration, and this not overdone. (Whelan)
Although it contradicted what I thought, I knew hyperventilation would flood the body with oxygen, but did not know that it would change the heart rate. I do not want a shallow water blackout so I am going to try my best to avoid hyperventilating. After reading several articles for beginners about training I realized that training is probably the best way to improve. Both Deeper Blue and spearfishingtips.com include the need to train in their basics, after all it is a sport.
The next thing I found was the need for relaxation, “Relax... A lot of it is pretty much mind over matter” (Brennen). He stated facts of how a fast heart rate quickly uses up precious oxygen and restated that one must relax. Soon after, I found something that related back to calmness, “while swimming quietly and calmly on the surface, the hunter observes the seabed and chooses the rocks that could according to his experience serve as a hiding for fish” (Spearfishing Under). This new discovery of swimming quietly did not surprise me, but it had some how escaped my mind. So one must relax, be quiet, and breath deeply but not hyperventilate.
Suiting Up
What I Learned
After much research I found the answers to my questions and learned a few things I did not expect. I now know that deep breaths are good as long as I do not hyperventilate. I also discovered that I have to be relaxed, which I already was told to do for medical reasons. In addition I was reminded that practice makes perfect and that I should spend the extra money on good quality essentials. Finally, I learned a vital safety procedure, always dive with a buddy no matter their skill, as long as they can save me.
Works Cited
Brennen, Andrew. Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2014
Home Page. spearfishingtips.com. n.p, n.d. Web 26 Jan 2014.
Sonday, Ismail,“Dummies guide to Spearfishing- Part 1” deeperblue.com. deeperblue.net, 12 March 2006. Web 30 Jan. 2014.
“Spearfishing Under Rocks.” spearfishingtips.com. n.p., n.d. Web 30 Jan 2014.
Whelan, Stephan. “20 Safety Rules for Freediving.” deeperblue.com. deeperblue.net, 14 April 2003. Web 25 Jan 2014.
