need help please

[Nth Qld Spearo]

Hi

I am supposed to be going in my first freedive comp at the end of july. I have come across a bit of a problem. I have been practicing dynamic apnea and was going ok. The problem is as we are heading into winter the pool has been getting colder and my performances have been dropping as a result. I was just wearing budgie smugglers but this is now too cold.

This week i tried using a wetsuit for the first time with disasterous results. I have lost about 25m on my dynamic apnea, I first tried to use just an old 2mm spearfishing one piece steamer but couldnt raise my hands above my hand as the suit was too tight. Today I tried using just the long johns of my cressi two piece 3.5mm suit, i turned it inside out so the open cell was on the outside and nylon inside. This didnt work as water was goin down the suit and acting like a parachute.

I have two options left. One is too wear the full two piece cressi suit inside out with the open cell on the outside. The only problem with this is going to be tension keeping arms above head. My other option is a larger fitting 2mm single piece steamer suit that I have but again i think holding hands above head will be too difficult.

Im not in a financial position to buy a new suit just for this comp. I hate wearing suits and would much prefer the budgie smugglers but it is simply too cold. What would you do?

thanks

 

[trux]

Try the no-warm-up technique. In this way you'll stay in water just for the single swim (somewhere around 2 minutes), so you won't have time to get cold. And your performance will be higher anyway, without wasting your energy in the warm-up dives. You just need to test it once before the competition, because the feeling is completely different, and not always pleasant, so you have to have some experience to go through. If you do, it will reward you with perhaps up to 50% more distance (in my case it was actually over 100% increase after I switched to no-warm-up)

 

[Herup]

Hi NQS

Borrow a suit, cut the arms off your suit (wait, bad idea), dive with your arms along the side, do a "no-warmup-jump-straight-in-and-dive" with no suit, don't enter the competition (wait, bad idea again)...

What's the water temperature?

Good luck with the comp!
Very best regards
H!

 

[Herup]

As Trux explained in the meantime ...

 

[Nth Qld Spearo]

hi trux and herup

I think you guys may be on to something there. I have had a go at the no warm up approach before and found it extremely difficult. I think at this stage I may just have to harden up and learn how to do it.

The other option that i thought of is wearing the two piece cressi suit and switch back to a normal bifin kick instead of the dolphin kick (I use bifins). This way it would enable me to put my arms by my side, whilst still staying warm with the suit.

If all else fails I just wont do the dynamic at all. Water temp atm is 26C and is slowly dropping, by the time the comp comes around im guessing it may be down to 24C. Im born and bred in the tropics and dont deal well with water below 29C :t

thanks

 

[mystiach]

hi trux and herup

If all else fails I just wont do the dynamic at all. Water temp atm is 26C and is slowly dropping, by the time the comp comes around im guessing it may be down to 24C. Im born and bred in the tropics and dont deal well with water below 29C :t

thanks

Holy moly 29 degrees?!!! Standard pool temp for swimmers is 26.5-27C. I can't believe you can swim dynamic over 27, I find it so boilingly hot I can't breathe!

If it is a public pool for laps I really doubt that it will get colder than 26C, and certainly not below 25. But you could ask one of the lifeguards who has been there for a long time to be sure!

I sympathise with the no-warm up I have tried also find it miserable but with everyone saying so and the pool being unbearable maybe the cosmos is giving you a hint

There was mention in another thread of cold water improving dive reflex, too. Brrr!!!

EDIT: Forgot to add, in Australia we usually heat pools warmer in winter than in summer.

 

[mystiach]

hi trux and herup
The other option that i thought of is wearing the two piece cressi suit and switch back to a normal bifin kick instead of the dolphin kick (I use bifins). This way it would enable me to put my arms by my side, whilst still staying warm with the suit.

thanks

You'll lose 2m off each turn from no streamline, let alone whilst swimming, and dolphin kick is theoretically faster and more efficient. But the negatives aside, if you feel like crap in the water with the theoretical best there's no point to it, and you'll probably end up swimming further and enjoying it a heck of a lot more doing what feels good to you.

I sympathise, I was going to come up for the comp but I didn't think I'd have the cash. Shame... Good luck to you! And just think... you can tell yourself about how much further you will get when you finally get your hands on the fancy suit and monofin

 

[Herup]

Hi NQS

We train in 26centigrade indoor.
24 is just perfect to stimulate a good, quick dive response (or what ever to call it) without starting to shiver and loose energy. You'll be fine and if you stick to just swim goggles or nothing at all, you'll be even better (that is if you usually use mask of course ;-); so please forget the damn' suit! When spearing in 7degerrreeee water there is a significant degrade in breathold performance for me, wearing a 5 mmm suit, but 24 is just perfect wearing nothing but speedos, at least for someone born and bread in the north that is
In my opinion as Trux´, "no-warmup" is the best and safest way for max DYN, and it's a lot more fun to end the dive yourself instead of having your safie´ doing it for you while you are somewhere else... rofl

Very best regards
H!

 

[Nth Qld Spearo]

hi

24C no thanks lol you guys are insane. I start to feel uncomfortable without a wetsuit below 29C so at the moment it is 26C and uncomfortable. Our pool is outdoor and not heated so it will drop down to 25 or less over winter.

I always hear how cold water is better for dive reflex etc. Ive always done my best in summer when water temp in some pools gets 32C+, especially for static. I just like to be comfortable like on land and the only way to do that is with very warm water.

Anyway, im gunna also try cutting the sleeves off that 2mm suit like someone suggested here to see how that goes. Should i just cut it off right at the point where the arms attach to the suit?

Ill try all the different combos this week and let yas know how it goes.

cheers

 

[Nth Qld Spearo]

just thought id provide a bit of a follow up with this. Today i trialed wearing both the top and bottom of the cressi 3.5mm wetti inside out so the open cell was on the outside. I added 14m to my pb with this set up. This proved to me that open cell material is better through the water than just speedos. I can only imagine how good one of those orca free suits are. One day if i win the lotto i will get one.

This swim was equal effort to my previous pb in just speedos. Now I have at least found a suit to wear for the comp.

Im still gunna cut the sleeves off my 2mm suit and give that a trial. I will report in here with the results when i get around to it.

cheers

 

[Herup]

MUAHAHAHAAA!
:naughty gives this smily a whole new meaning


Very best regards H!

 

[azapa]

i can only agree on the no-warm up no suit Idea. Just try it once and report back, I'll bet you will be surprised. My max DNF PB was done like that. At 25m I already felt bad, at 50 crap, then on to the PB it kinda didn't feel that bad anymore, and surfacing was 100% clean. Try it.

 

[watts]

I would recommend to use a thicker vest to keep your core warm and a fastskin which allows the extremities to get COLD and hold the vest in place aswell as muscle compresion and less drag.
No warm up is best but if you feel you need to do them try them dry.

Nat..