Just started freediving

[Vanleh]

Hi everybody, Since a couple of weeks I started the 1st level freediving course in Brescia Italy. It is really interesting and it is great to see that with just a little bit of training, you can really improve yourself. I love the dynamic apnea (both with and without fins). This morning I easely made 25 meters (no fins) with 7 strokes. I am trying to improve the technique to be able to reduce the strokes to 3 - 4. I am not using any weight at this moment and I feel that it is costing me energy to stay below. First I want to improve my technique and then I will try to use a neckweight. The static apnea is a lot more difficult for me. It is difficult for me being in the water without doing anything. I also feel that I first need to swim around 500 meters to be able to relax more during static. I always feel the need to move around and to be under water.
If you are as me new in apnea, please let me know how you are doing. It will be interesting to change ideas / feelings.
Everybody take care and happy freediving !!!
Bye, Hans

 

[Vanleh]

Today I used for the first time my self-made neckweight in DNF. I reached the 25 meters in 5 strokes (without I always needed 7 - 8). I am using a 2,7 Kg neckweight, which is a little bit too much without wearing a wetsuit. Next week I'll try it wearing the wetsuit and I think it will help me a lot to reach the 25 meters in only 3 strokes.
Before using the neckweight I needed to correct myself because I was getting positive

, with the neckweight I have to correct myself because of being too much negative

. Never the less, it's a lot better than without any weight at all...

 

[Jonta]

you can always try doing some dry statics to get a littel comfort in being still and holding youre breath but in water you just have to get used to it i think. Try not to foucus on holding my breath has really helped me. But thats in dry statics anyway.

 

[Vanleh]

Thanks for the reply. I am now trying dry statics using the CO2 - O2 tables. I feel that this is already helping me. It is getting easier to reach the 80% of my limit.

 

[Jonta]

Another exercise that has helped me to reach 4min was this one: first get realaxed slow breathing no hyperventilation for mabye 6mins utile youre ready do a hold stop at first contraction then 3 min rest then 30 sek of contractions then 1:00 then 1:30 then max.
Always have 3min rest between em. If 1:30 is to hard do 30 45 1:00 or if it is too easy increase it insted. This helped me to get used to contractions. I have not so much experience at all so listen to someone who knows more

 

[Vanleh]

Thanks Jonta, I will give it a try. I think I need to get used to the contractions too. I normally try to prevent these but in order to reach a better time, I need to get through these contractions.

Today I have improved my technique in DNF. I felt that I was losing speed every time using my legs. I tried to go slower in bringing the legs outwards and arms towards the brwast and then bring back the legs together and bringing the arms forwards again. I did not lose any speed and could reach the 25 meters in 6 strokes. If I train this a little bit more I am sure to reach to 4 strokes (without neckweight). When I have the technique ready I will start making meters (but then I really need a buddy to follow me)

Bye, Hans

 

[Jonta]

I have currently have about 50% left of the breathhold when the first contractions comes but i think this varys alot from peroson to person.

 

[Vanleh]

Yesterday I did 2:50 minutes in static (new PB).

 

[miguel-van]

Well done Vanleh.

Static is, in my opinion, more a mind game then dynamic. Since you are not moving you can feel your body react much more to the lack of O2. Staying calm and focussed is a lot harder...
In dynamic for example I don't really feel the small contractions in the beginning.

Keep on practising and stay safe!
Miguèl

 

[Vanleh]

Thanks for the respons Miguèl. You are right of course that it is more mind than body. During the static I first checked my body if it was relaxed and then started to think about about my day, starting from hte moment I woke up until I arrived at the pool. When my budy told me I did 2.50 I could not believe him. It seemed less so I was very pleased with the performance.

 

[Jonta]

I have done some walkin apnea and i have noticed that when doing walking apnea all my times are much more simular than when doing statics. For ex i have improved from 1:32 to 2:27 in walking apnea but from 2:00 to 2:27 the improvments have been like 3-6 sec every session. And i have almost all the time beated my pb. But when doing statics then improvments are often bigger and i often fail to beat my pb. I dont really know why this happens. Any ides?

 

[jay cluskey]

hello vanelah
i done my 1* aida qualification in january and i will be doing my 2* qualification next weekend. i am very impressed by your dedication
could you stay in touch and let me know how your training is going.
my preperations have not been going so well and have not been able to train due to work and stuff .
i too am trying to get tips on better static times and i am trying to be a bit more disciplined
anyway i will keep checking threads and stuff

 

[Vanleh]

HI Jay, For sure we can stay in touch. Within two weeks I will finish my 1st level of apnea academy. I am now swimming a lot trying to improve my DNF and to do a kind a swimming apnea. I do two lanes doing an respiration every 2 strokes, then 3 strokes, 4 etc. until I cannot reach it anymore (I come to 15 strokes and 1 respiration). Then I go back and reduce the amount of strokes to go back to 2 strokes. I am also doing the CO2 + O2 tables which are helping me. I hope to reach the 3 minutes static next week and at least a 50 meters dynamic. Until now I have never really gone to the bottom because I wanted to focus more on the techniques instead of the time. Now I am getting more focussed on time because to finish the course you have to put a PB. I will keep you updated. Bye, Hans

 

[Vanleh]

Yesterday I made my first dive in constant weight. Because I was not able to equalize my ears

I only reached at 8 meters. At that point my ears started to hurt and I had to go up again. At 8 meters I still had enough air to continue so this gives great hopes for the future. I will now pay a visit to my doctor to see if there is some obstacle in my ear. I have always had some problems compensating my right ear also when I went scuba diving but in that case I just waited for a couple of seconds at 5 meter and after I had succeed to compensate, I started to dive. After that point I did not have any problems anymore.
So after all it was a little bit dissapointing at one hand but on the other hand I was quite pleased. 8 Meters for the first time is not bad and the feeling I could have done more is a very good one.
It was difficult to be concentrated on all actions; breathing through your snorkel, relax, take your last breath and leave the snorkel behind, make the duckdive, get into position, make wide finmovement, equalize the ears (if possible, otherwise go back up), take the right position along the rope (be aware that the head is not looking down but focussing on the rope), make smaller finmovements, when you feel you have to go back grap the rope and pull yourself up (a good sign also for your buddy) and then make some wide finmovements and go up slowly again. All at all a big learning moment and I am eager to do some more.

 

[Vanleh]

This week I also reached the 50 meters dynamic with fins for the first time. I felt I could have done more but I want to wait for the final exames to set my PB.

 

[jay cluskey]

this weekend i completed my 2* aida course i done constant weight to 16 meters, (i,ve done 25 pleasure diving on same day but course only allows 16meters) .i comleted rescues at all disciplines i done statics in water to 3 mins and done dynamics to 50 meters felt realy comfortable
only problem i think im hooked

 

[Vanleh]

Hi Jay, I can imagine that you are hooked. I feel exactly the same way. tomorrow we will finish the course having our last apnea static and next week we will have our theory exames. Probably I will be doing some freediving in the lake next weekend (if the weather is ok). I am looking forward to my next constant weight...

 

[Vanleh]

This morning I reached 45 meters DNF. I changed the weight of my nechweight from 2,7 Kg to 2,2 Kg and it works out perfectly. I used 4 strokes to do the 25 meters.

 

[jay cluskey]

well done vanleh keep it up
i am starting training for my three star course this week im probably gonna go down the teaching route in next year or so , there is not many freedivers in my area , if any ,so i would like to change that .its definately the sport for me .
i was on my course last weekend and i had a few of them moments, you know were every thing goes quiet and you are breathing up lying on your back in the middle of open water, i was just looking up at the sky , totaly in the zone , all stresses of work and everyday life just subsided . then i roled over gave signal to my buddy and dived .
i was totaly overwhelmed by the fact i was so relaxed , i feel so different in my aproach to things since then, i know its only a week since but , hey ,start as you mean to go on.

 

[Vanleh]

Hi Jay,

I know the feeling. Sometimes you lie in the water and you feel the stress getting away from you. It is a pitty that where I am living now, the sea is quite far away from (250 Km). I will go back to Spain this summer for the holidays (I lived there before I lived in Italy) and there I will do some nice diving. I am looking forward to some descents!!

Take care, Hans