making freediving more known.

[Pekka]

Before I got to know freediving, I knew about "base jumping, kite-skiing, kite-boarding..." and about many different extreme sports, and finally I got to know what freediving was and soon realized that it is not well known sport at all.
I do realize that it depends where you are, since I suppose in Italy and, well I don't know where freediving is well known sport shown on national tv and all that.
My question is do any of you have ideas how to make it more familliar to general public??
Don't you guys think it is awesome when a person makes such a deep dives without any equipment that normal scuba divers can't do and it involves all the Eastern/Asian martial arts...Yoga, Thai chi or what ever they are...It should be the POP thing to do, but for some reason it is not....well I mean it is, but not to everyone??
Hope for better future!

 

[fjohnson]

Carry your big Sporasub Pure Carbons around,

big fins always seems to get everyone interested and started in conversation. I wonder how many people go home and type in "freediving" under "google" after I get done visiting with them.

Fred

 

[icarus pacific]

No kidding Fred. I unload my stuff and it's like I'm passing out $20 bills the way people come up and go, "Wow, man look at those fins..!"

Pekka, this question goes back to the thread I started when I first found Deeper Blue, Freediving as a fad, where I questioned the idea that the sport was getting too many people and that it was going to negatively impact it and us if something isn't done. Give it a look and let's take it from there.

LET'S SEE SOME ENTRIES IN THE CONTEST!!!

Sven

 

[thin_air]

what i find the funniest is not when i get to the pool, (only for underwater hockey) but at school when someone thinks there all good and they challenge me to a breath-hold competition (something that always targets me for some reason )
first i ask them if they really want to make a fool of themselves(well you never know some might just back off there)
then i tell them to be careful (had a guy black out once, teacher wasnt to happy bout that one :head )
then i just smoke 'em rolf longest contestent 1:13
now they think french people (like me) can breath through their ears

anyway back to promoting freediving....
what we have to do is find something that can get the publics attention (long fins, long time without breathing, going deep without a tank ect.) and then use that to spark an intrest in the sport. this will then cause them to want to learn more, (like go look up freediving, thanks fjohnson) then we let nature take its course.

HOWEVER, i also believe that there are some people that simply cant be trusted in the water (big headed people always trying to show someone up for example) these people would be the ones getting hurt and dieing(sp) then we would have a large problem on our hand, the general public thinking we were foolish b*******, after that well the sport will wither and die, except for the few (well not so few in this forum) true lovers of the sport.

then there is also the problem of to many people, this will lead to more death and injuries, and then the major manufactuers get in and its a free for all, with more people and worse equipment the death/blackout rates would skyrocket and then blow up in our face.

well there my 2cents canadian (about 0.000001 cent US)

 

[andrsn]

Originally posted by Pekka
Don't you guys think it is awesome when a person makes such a deep dives without any equipment that normal scuba divers can't do

pekka,

i see freediving a bit differently. i see it as a doorway to the underwater world. a place you can't really connect with scuba gear on. i see it as a way to interact your true self with everything around you. also, i think it's awesome to know that the people who have opened their lives to freediving are THE most fascinating individuals i have ever known.

honestly, i don't care if freediving becomes popular or not. that's not why i'm in it. i'm in it for the experience, but i'll be the first to offer to introduce this hobby to anyone willing to try it. you have to admit that it takes quite a bit of character and self control to be able to do what we do.

regards,
anderson

 

[icarus pacific]

ahhh, dude...

Pekka, it is indeed a marvelous thing that some people can accomplish, with going deep and for long periods of time, all without SCUBA, though I tend to look at Pippin's definition of assisted apnea as bunk. That being said...

Going down, while holding your breath for whatever end- fishing, photography, communing with dolphins or personal accomplishment is to me an intensely personal thing. Yeah, sure there's the social aspect of it- going out with a friend or friends and goofing with them. But for me, when Mother Ocean is accomodating and I'm in the right frame of mind, the experiences are spiritual, sexual, humbling and and the usual metaphors. But they are more importantly, again to me, a means to just get weightless and be in awe of stuff that most people will only see in a copy of National Geographic, if then. It's very energizing and exhausting at the end of a dive or day, when I get back to the beach. I feel stretched, limber, tired and strangely serene. I can have dinner on the stringer or have absolutely nothing but cramps from hold ing the gun like a cane in front of me. The thing is, that I'm lucky enough to be doing it, and am able to feel like a participant in the goings on rather than just sitting by as do so many others, wondering when their time will come.

I've mentioned that there's a great social component to diving, which is what we're doing here, and that it's good too. But the idea that there's someone out there that can hold their breath for longer, go deeper and shoot bigger fish isn't a draw for me. It used to be for a time, when I was comp spearfishing, and even then it was more a social thing. Maybe it's age, but these days, if I'm the only one out there that day, and was the only one to see something, or do something that tested my senses, it's even better.

A more fulfilling satisfaction is mine when I'm washing the plate that held the fillet from that day's catch and I did it in such a way that the water when I left, looked exactly the way I saw it when I arrived. I try to dive that way- leaving a bare ripple on the surface and then, silence.

sven

 

[Pekka]

hi andrsn, surely there is the whole feeling of being fish and all, I totally understand that
What I would like to see more is overall knowledge on freediving, now it seems to be only for those who just accidentally got into it or who just were born holding their breath...
Just sitting there on the beach you can so many times hear people speaking about going on a acuba course to be able to see what is down there. I would like them to know that all you need is to hold your breath and that's it, you can make it down there, the spiritual and personal extacy will come naturally to those who actually can relax when doing it:hmm
And...not the least thing for me is if there would be MUCH more freedivers...I could get my gear lot cheaper....:t
I would like to see some real freediving centres, that I don't need to take boat with scubadivers, there is nothing wrong with scubadivers, but as mentioned earlier the spiritual experience of freediving is something you can not get when doing scuba....so as I speak about the marvelous feeling, when freediving I would be understood rather than considered looney

 

[icarus pacific]

freediving centers...

The notion of freediving centers is interesting, and I believe has been tried. Back in the mid 70's NASDS and another group whose name escapes me, opened a couple of resorts that had a section just for freediving. Well, it wasn't freediving, rather it was a snorkel-only section that would take you out to some inshore reefs and let you go to town instead of the usual guided tour. They went out of biz pretty quick as the clients wanted to stay down longe tto play with the dolphins, feed the grouper, etc.

I think that there's a definite amount of interest in a freedive-only center, ala Blue Water Hunter in Hawaii and Santa Barbara, but when it's payday and there's only a couple of people available or interested on taking a trip, versus running a class of 16, the numbers speak for themselves...

And I rather prefer the limited number of people doing it. There are already weekends here in No Cal that you have a hell of a time finding a parking place, let alone getting to the beach without trampling over someone.

sven

 

[Pekka]

Re: freediving centers...

Originally posted by icarus pacific
And I rather prefer the limited number of people doing it. There are already weekends here in No Cal that you have a hell of a time finding a parking place, let alone getting to the beach without trampling over someone.

sven

You are lucky..or should I say I am...in Finalnd as we have been freediving there is usually no one in sight, I wouldnt mind to see some more freedivers, share experiences and techniques on the spot..
Well I do understand your point too Sven:hmm

 

[andrsn]

esotericism

pekka,

i do see your point. there IS a definite lack of understanding of our sport. a little notariaty or just more publication might just be the ticket to open more eyes to the sport. i do see how the lack of knowledge amongst the masses leaves little or no desire to start/maintain any sort of freediving businesses that cater to the public. like sven said, you'll soon realize that the vast majority of our population would rather do things in the water the easy way, and then it's "bye-bye snorkeling".

in miami florida, there's a store that has about 50% of it's inventory consisting of freedive/spearfishing equipment. granted their costs are outrageous, but i guess that's how it'd have to be for having such a small localized clientelle.

later,
anderson

 

[mark9989]

My 2 cents

Well. i'm not sure if I want it to explode in popular culture either, I kinda like being in the elite, even though I'm worlds behind you guys.( And thats not why i'm in the sport !!! ) . It's like this, I was recently in cozumel diving palancar and happen to get a cheap party boat ticket. I was snorkeling with about 30 other people with fully inflated BC's and they were basically doggy paddeling. I deflated my vest immeadiately and was soon hitting 40 ft with party boat fins crusing after sea turtles, only to look up and see all 30 people pointing. Well, that lead to questions and interest from others.

To answer your question: I have always been just and better than average snorkler, but watching Manny Puig and Terry Maas on TV was just the neatest thing. I never knew that a person could hold thier breath that long, and dive that deep.

 

[Pekka]

as you said mark9989:

: I have always been just and better than average snorkler, but watching Manny Puig and Terry Maas on TV was just the neatest thing. I never knew that a person could hold thier breath that long, and dive that deep.

I would like to get more people informed about this sport as you were when seeing that video from tv, that would not get anyone in the water but the ones that really like the sport...well I think tho ones who don't belong in the deep blue, will disappear fairly quikly..

 

[ahinalu]

commercial?

Aloha,
As a captain of a charter vessel, I see 49 people a day go into the water to snorkel. 99% of these poeple can barely swim, but they think that they are invincible. What worries me about "getting the word out" is the potential for individuals who don't have the intelligence to research and be smart. For $300.00 and some deep water you can very easily get yourself killed.

I live in a place that has an enormous amount of freedivers. Almost everyone I know here has been taught by someone (a friend, father, uncle, etc) I think that is essential, to be taught. To be taught to respect the environment, and the ocean. Without respect the evironment suffers, and people get hurt.

Before I get blasted for being hardline, I have seen this with surfing. When I started it was for love of the ocean. I see a lot of kids now who surf to "be cool". I also see these kids throwing trash on the beach, almost drowing, and nor having been taught they also don't learn etiquite.

I love to teach people, the way I was taught. I have a real sense of accomplishment when I see someone I helped dive deep, fish responsibly, and have concern for the ocean that gives us all life.

The long (I tend to write like I talks sorry ) of it is. If you love your sport share it, and our sport can grow responsibly without the "commercialism that has spoiled many a sport.

Come to Kauai on one my boat rides (summers best) and you can see why I fell in love with the sport.

Aloha,
Chris

ps- you guys who ice-freedive....I bow to you...your nuts :duh

 

[Erik]

Chris, well said, I agree with you. I get easily disgusted at the commercially-driven market system that many sports are part of.
Word of mouth is a good way.
The masses will never flock to freediving anyway: it takes too much perseverance, concentration, and fitness, something that is severely lacking in our 1st world communities where thousands of people die yearly from eating too much, and their brains atrophy from the 40 hours/week (average) spent in front of big screen TV's since birth.
This is why I try to stay away from teaching scuba diving anymore....generally , if you work for a store or resort, you have to certify people that really have no business in the water at all. I have certified people that should not be diving, simply because they met the minimum standards required, and the shop owner wanted the $$$.
Hope to join you on your boat sometime,
Erik Y.

 

[SASpearo]

Luckiliy

There's something called "The Zen of Freediving"

It's about the passion Freedivers have for their sport, their environment, mother nature, father Neptune and themselves. You cannot induce this into the mass market - and without it you will soon give up the sport.

Ask yourself the question: "Why do I freedive?" and answer yourself truthfully.

I agree that the masses need to be informed about freediving - what it is, what it's about, etc. But will it ever be over - comercialized like Karate or Rock Climbing? I don't think so.

The thing about getting into a position of power (ie great skill in something like Karate or Freediving) is that it takes time. And during that time, you will also learn to respect all aspects of the sport. You cannot teach someone to dive to 100m in 2 weeks - if you could it would be disastrous.

This is what kept Samurai's of old from indiscriminately attacking people on the street. Oh, and of course the saying: "No matter how much Karate you know, someone will always know more."

Good words to live and learn by.

 

[Pekka]

I Agree with SASpearo, frediving requires so much that not all people can do it/want to do it atleast for more than a few weeks.
That prevents the sport to became over-commercialised. Do you think rock climbing has became over-commercialised? I think it has not it just has been brought to reach of all people so practically anyone interested can try it..
Freediving has it's differences though you can not make it easier for your self...or well you can always take padi course and do scuba, but freediving is always as hard as it has been since....we got out of water and started living on dry land.. That is why I think it sould be made known to as many people as possible..:hmm

 

[SASpearo]

A Bit off freediving ....

Rockclimbing has definitley become WAY too commercialized in the past few years. When it was the fastest growing sport, just about anyone doing 28 - 30 gradings (Don't know what US ratings are - that's SA / Aus grading) could get a sponsorship. And with all the climbing walls being put up in shopping centres, it took some people less than 6 months to get there.

Comercialisation includes things like walls in shopping centres, I mean come on - when are we going to see 30m dive tanks with windows in shopping centres? And which Zenner will dive there IF it happens someday?

I have great expectations that one day, walking down the street with my longblades, people will say: "Look, a freediver! I'd never be able to do that!" In other words, they'd know about it, but not everyone will participate in it.

Anyway, had a crappy weekend - my car broke so I couldn't go diving. That will be remedied by Wednesday though !!

Regards,
Riaan C

 

[Pekka]

diving tanks in shopping centre!

Ohh man I would love to have tank right in the shopping centre, that would definately make my day!! Oh that thought warms my heart! But still....I don't think that many people would dive in it, I mean freedive....it is still hard to relax and have the technique for diving...
Well I do see your point too..
I guess as so many things in life this has two sides both good and bad, hope things go to the right direction in the future:hmm
............I am still wishing for the tank to my local shopping centre....

 

[SASpearo]

There's a Cute little dive shop ...

.. in Pretoria - I think it's called Ocean Divers or something silly like that - inside an 'outdoor' shopping centre. They've got a 5.5 dive tank with windows overlooking the coffee shop next door. I've spent some interesting times in that tank ...

 

[Pekka]

Re: There's a Cute little dive shop ...

Originally posted by SASpearo
.. in Pretoria - I think it's called Ocean Divers or something silly like that - inside an 'outdoor' shopping centre. They've got a 5.5 dive tank with windows overlooking the coffee shop next door. I've spent some interesting times in that tank ...

Did you freak the coffe sippers out by spending way too long time at the bottom of the tank.. ?