How would you "sell" freediving

[Griff]

Hi everyone
I need you help!!
I'm trying to punt freediving course at my dive club (99% scoobie doo's) and i am having trouble thinking up a really cool description of why one would want to freedive.
can you type up a few words on the joy that freediving brings to you, or why you choose to freedive.
if it's 1 line or 10, all contrubutions would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

Mark

 

[cliffgollus]

Unless someone is intrigued by the idea of breathhold diving, I doubt you will "sell" them on it. The advantages are the simplicity of no hoses, tanks, etc; the lack of bubble noise which allows much closer approach to many creatures; the freedom of gliding through the water much more like a marine animal rather than a technological marvel.
Cliff G

 

[SpearSlinger1]

I used to scuba and I kind of agree with Cliff. I like freedive hunting because I don't have to hassle with the regulators, hoses, a tank, BCD, etc. Not to mention the bubbles and stalking. Another reason I prefer to freedive is my time in the water is not limited by the amount of air in the tank on my back. #1 and I are often in the water for hours at a time.

Oh, yeah, and there's the time spent at home or in the shop on maintenance, too.

Ever try to snorkel with all that extra crap on ? I have and it inhales vigorously.:head

 

[Pezman]

I have done some "selling" of the sport and I think that it is a mistake to some extent because it tends to draw in folks who would not otherwise be attracted to it. These folks often get drawn in for the wrong reasons and in the process the social fabric of the local freediving community can change in ways that tend to generate some tension.

That said, I'd just dive SCUBA with the bubble-blowers wearing my long blades and watch as they ran out of air one by one and then I'd exit the water with about half a tank and ask them why they quit so early. Nothing will draw them in like the prospect of doubling their bottom time.

 

[bluecape]

Hey Griff

See you are from my Home town !! I am busy trying to promote freediving in CapeTown, we are starting a FSA Cape section, and preparing for our first meet which Greg will be running from JHB.

I am working from a dive shop, and find that bringing up the simple lifestyle of freediving in conversation is selling it for me. By lifestyle I refer to talking to the interested people about my daily routine, ie, the fact that I have started running and monitoring distance and heart rate regularly, a high-intensity cardio gym routine, pool sessions, dietry considerations and less-coffee intake to slow down the pulse-rates, etc etc. My work area has some nice posters of Tanya Streeter ( promotional) and Pelazzari training and in various postures of meditation etc, and without even trying, once they get curious about freedivings physiological side, and the 'Zen' of the sport, they want to give it a go !

Good luck, hope to be in Durbs soon on a dive trip with a spearo buddy, will look you up.

Jeff

 

[DeepThought]

"If you like the feeling under scuba, wait till you start freediving!"
Try to explain the difference in the feeling. Maybe you can also throw some physiological peanuts as you do, like about the MDR and stuff.

You can also play on the limitations of scuba diving:
Equipment dependent, Club dependent, Money dependent, Time dependent, Tables & gages dependent, Movment dependent (freediving is waaay more dynamic).

scuba is pretty noisy comparing. I prefer the sound down there to be only of the fishies and my heartbeats.

Freediving is just more natural, if you have any problem down there, you just go up. in scuba it's a whole different story. I saw too many scuba divers that don't feel as comfertable in the water as freedivers do...

I'm sure you can think of more.

 

[Beaky]

In the thread "Freediving vs. Snorkeling", efattah came up with the following two slogans:
"Free-diving. Free of cost, free of gear, free of fear "
"Freediving: No cost, no gear, no fear"

Jon then added two more:
"No bubbles, No troubles"
"No brains, No headaches"

Might be something you can use?

// Johnny

 

[donmoore]

clubs and meets

I don’t know about you guys in other countries, but what is sorely missing in the U.S. is clubs, and meets with static and dynamic. Depth diving is a little too complicated for beginning clubs to handle safety.

Children need to be able to participate too. My 9 year-old had 45 minutes a day at the pool while my 6 year-old was doing her swim team practice. Two of her friends joined in and we did statics and dynamics. They loved it and I was able to explain some of the physical things and safety. All kids who like to swim on top of the water seem to love underneath even more. And there are a whole lot of kids in on swim teams in the U.S. and other countries.

I think children scare a few adults, because they are afraid that if they started at a young age they might become really good which would give them an advantage over late adult starters. What we need is classes for everyone. Plus with some learned skill, freediving becomes fun at any level. If you can hold your breath for 2 minutes you can be a spearo (providing you have fish to shoot).

I too tried to talk to a few scuba shops with clubs, but all they saw was low equipment needs and Internet ordering. In the U.S. there is only about two competitions a year. A national and one in Hawaii that is for Hawaii residents, but if you apply you may get invited. This is ridiculous! The sport will never take off like this.

I plan to go to Hawaii in 2004 to learn about freediving meets. In 2005 I am putting one on in Corpus Christi, Texas. Kirk Krack, will you be available? We have a 50-meter indoor pool here. Also I have a 28 foot powercat and we will schedule a fun hunting trip in the Gulf too.

If anyone knows of other meets in the U.S., please inform me. Hawaii is getting expensive to take the family too.
don

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Originally posted by Beaky
In the thread "Freediving vs. Snorkeling", efattah came up with the following two slogans:
"Free-diving. Free of cost, free of gear, free of fear "
"Freediving: No cost, no gear, no fear"

Jon then added two more:
"No bubbles, No troubles"
"No brains, No headaches"

Might be something you can use?

// Johnny

Sounds like some good slogans for some t-shirts if you ask me! Whadda think? Should DB produce some Tee's with some phrases like that on?

 

[OceanSwimmer]

This might seem overly simplistic, but the whole draw to the sport can be summed up in just two words:
Freedom=Freedive and the reverse is true as well: Freedive=Freedom

---the front and back of a t-shirt, w/an appropriate simple symbol/graphic.

Understated, like the activity itself.

Just my two cents.