New and I have questions! what a drag..

[Chinasgotrice]

Hi all, little about me...umm..
I've always wanted to get around to Free diving, now that I'm here in Okinawa, I figure I have the golden opportunity to start. Clear waters, tropical island. um what else? Typhoons, jellyfish, good stuff haha.

I wouldn't consider myself unexpierenced with the water. I'm military scuba qualified. I used water basic water techniques, mask and snorkel clearing, porpoising, drownproofing (Gosh that sucked for the negatively bouyant), and "In Water Proficency". Along with other brutal beatdowns a human can think of. In the course I learned about Dive physics and anatomy what other stuff I forgot, Dive tables and such for scuba. We used open circuit scuba and the MK16 closed circuit. and I don't know what other junk to put in with this paragraph, ahh it was in Panama City, FL, what a place for spring break too!

Things I know im not expierienced with. The jargon used here on the forum, but I'm catching on. and Gear. Holy macro. theres a lot of Gear to pick and choose! luckily for me, the only selection I got to choose from was Jet Fins or Rockets. Rockets were stiff planks. No bueno. Jet Fins were the "better choice". But military gave me XL anyways, weren't forgiving for my 5'6, 155 lbs. stature. Mask and Snorkel were std. through out. Some mask named "X-factor" that would fog no matter what I did. and and a rubber hose probably a part from a car for a snorkel, haha I joke, I joke.

Anyways enough of my exp. sure you guys care haha. What I'm looking for is a pair of fins that are "portable" cause all the free dive fins I've seen online look like the size of my leg alone!
I prefer Bi. or Stereo fins, and maybe somewhat durable that I can throw in my locker, accidently smack a rock, or person.
Things I might be doing with fins. Stalking fish, whales, or creeping up on other people. and the occasional spearfishing.
Price doesnt matter for me. um whatelse??
o yah, they gotta look cooool! haha j/k function over looks for me.

Mask, snorkel? What can differ from one to another, I don't know, I just know the mask I used in dive school was either faulty or cause of my genes, the bridge of my nose is close to non existent. so maybe that creates a leak in the mask. I guess I would prefer High visibility, and one that would fit the generic "asian" face. haha
Snorkel? um maybe more than a hose. haha
Again $$$ doesn't matter. hook it up with some fancy gadgets and what not. Im looking for a wetsuit possibly too, not sure of how the water is here.
Any other enthusiast on this website in Okinawa?
anyways I don't think I mentioned. Name is Alex and um. Looking forward to "jumpin in" haha pun was intended! gosh i suck.

 

[Whopperhead]

Alex- Funny intro!

Fins: 1) Cressi Garas 3000- Not very expensive, Durable and a good all around fin.
2) C4's - Different variations available- but all "The Best" - cost "a leg" - ha, no really they cost probably the most. but are awesome!
3) Omer Ice Fins - Cool CLEAR blade, good fin in the middle of the Price Range.

Mask: 1) Atomic Mask - kinda on the high end for the price, great vis even in low light areas.
2) Omer Alien - Good simple mask- no too much - middle range mask.
3) Sphera - LOW Volume- inexpensive not the most durable- but a good mask.

Snorkel: Easy- nothing fancy- just a simple "J" snorkel works the best.

These are recommendations of gear I have or have used. AS far as the mask goes- if you can try on other masks that would help huge. Also, they have a "anti-fog" spray that works great. Some say "just use spit" but sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

All fins are portable- they come off your feet. As far as being long and not fitting into your travel bag- Get a better travel bag. They make luggage that is made for divers.

Good luck

 

[ILDiver]

Sounds like you went through PJ Training! I was stationed at Tyndall, for awhile the Air Force water survival school was there after Andrew washed them out of Homestead and before they moved over with the Navy at Pensacola. I assume you went through the Navy dive training in P.C.?

Whopperhead covered the gear. A good low volume mask and some long fins. You can go as cheap or as expensive as you want.

Biggest thing, you will see it a lot on this board, is to stay safe. Dive with a buddy! Theories from scuba translate over to freediving, but they relate to the body a little different.
Welcome to the board. Share your dive stories with us!

 

[Erik]

Cool intro dude!
Yes gear is a big bag o' tricks for sure. A few years back there wasn't much choice in freediving gear, so it's a Godsend, trust me.
If you go with any fin except Cressi (good fins BTW), then they can come apart and pack small if you need. This would also give you the option of buying different blades if you ever wanted, or keeping those great footpockets that you can't part with.
Fiberglass blades are really your best all around choice compared to plastic or carbon. Plastic doesn't respond as well, and carbon, while superior, is brittle... nothing like ruining your day by snapping a fin at 30 meters when you're heading up, or even jumping off a boat and wondering what that long black thing is that's spiralling into the deep lol!

Hunting is so much fun that I advise you to not do it hahaha! Lots of cool gear and lots to learn about your local fish, stalking etc etc.

Check the regs in Japan so you don't end up having to spear a fish cop.

And we'd love to hear about your PJ/Navy training!

 

[foxfish]

Holy guacamole! & welcome to the site.

 

[agbiv]

Welcome from Texas. I dive with military gear from P-cola & works fine. BTW that would be guacamole Pardner.

 

[foxfish]

Spelling is not my strong point!

 

[agbiv]

Well Pilgrum...it's not mein either! :blackeye

 

[ILDiver]

BTW, there are divers on the board in your area I think. Search out Jimdoe2you on the board here, he will sell the heck out of some equipment to you and if I recall, he knew some guys from that area too.

 

[Chinasgotrice]

Thanks for the reply guys! make me feel just like at home... haha.
I think I'm pretty set on a mask, The Atomic Arc mask. just gotta find a place out here so i try it on and see how it fits. I'm kinda sketchy on buying something online and it comes in and to not even fit on my face.

Snorkel? I mean I got myself to become comfortable with just a "J-hook" snorkel. Is there any real advantage from one snorkel to another. Ive seen some that have like a one-way valve and purge. or a semi valve, built in webcam and what not. or is it just a preference?

anyways I looked on Cressi's website and didn't find the Garas 3000. What about the other "Freedive" fins they offer on the website? and Yup those C4's do cost a leg. I like em though.
O yah, any pros and cons with a open heel fin and a closed one? I've only used the opens ones.

ILDiver
Haha I didn't go through PJ training, though they are baddasses. I did see AF Combat Controllers there along with Marine Recon some Army doodz. I was going through for Navy's EOD program. They have the diveschool so we could learn how to take care of underwater mines and work closely with the Navy Divers when they need help with there funstuff. Anyways I got the qualification and was even getting paid to go dive! but thats out of the hole now. I'm in Okinawa hanging out with the Marines here. In fact. My Unit Squadron 172 just got back from Iraq today. I would of deployed with them but I came to Japan too late haha.

 

[ILDiver]

Skip the valve, forget the fancy vents at the top. The simple j snorkles have better air flow and breath easier.

 

[Erik]

Open heel fins are less good because: 1,hydronamic drag. 2, the possibility of tangling in line or kelp. 3, lesser transmission of power from your feet to the fin (sometimes).
I am one of the few who actually do use a snorkel with a purge valve. Personal preference only. I always carry a spare snorkel in case the disc in the purge valve breaks or blows out.

 

[Salehthefish]

hey mate

wassup and how is Japan? Was nice intro and i got bunch of info about diving tools thanx 4 everyone

hope after all those discussion you will be able to catch something Catch some wales they are good for fries C ya around

 

[salibandy]

Alex- Funny intro!

Fins: 1) Cressi Garas 3000- Not very expensive, Durable and a good all around fin.
2) C4's - Different variations available- but all "The Best" - cost "a leg" - ha, no really they cost probably the most. but are awesome!
3) Omer Ice Fins - Cool CLEAR blade, good fin in the middle of the Price Range.

Mask: 1) Atomic Mask - kinda on the high end for the price, great vis even in low light areas.
2) Omer Alien - Good simple mask- no too much - middle range mask.
3) Sphera - LOW Volume- inexpensive not the most durable- but a good mask.

Snorkel: Easy- nothing fancy- just a simple "J" snorkel works the best.

These are recommendations of gear I have or have used. AS far as the mask goes- if you can try on other masks that would help huge. Also, they have a "anti-fog" spray that works great. Some say "just use spit" but sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

All fins are portable- they come off your feet. As far as being long and not fitting into your travel bag- Get a better travel bag. They make luggage that is made for divers.

Good luck

roflrofl All fins are portable- they come off your feetroflrofl

One day that'll be a classic quote.

Whopper hit all the right notes about gear. And Chinasgotrice, I own both the Sphera and Alien, and they fit really well. I'm Asian too, though I'm probably more asian then you. Haha.

I also own the Ice fins, and I can tell you, they're great, and look awesome! People regularly bang into the fins when I scuba with them.

 

[Chinasgotrice]

Thanks guys!
I just checked out the Dive shop on base and they had a few selections on dive gear.
I got to try out one of the atomic mask ultra clear...i mean all the mask really fit my face with a seal, but thats out of the water....how you guys think it will act under water??
(Pretty much i can suck in and hold the negative pressure and shake my head around and it wouldnt break the seal, is that good enough?)

They didnt have a basic snorkel only super dooper ones haha. and on the fins they had they had like the
Atomic Split fin series
Twin Jet split ones
aqualung slingshot
and a few other ones.
I think these were made more for scuba? What do you think about these fins at least for starting out in freediving/spearing.
Right now id rather buy something I see then order on the internet and have it sent to Japan being wrong size or something I did not expect. and have to go through a hassel to send it back.
and uh...one more question in this post I promise!
when you wear closed heel fins...um do you wear booties or just do it bearfoot.
I wonder if I should start a new thread, then in the hello im new thread. haha

 

[Kars]

The mask test, sucking it a bit vacuum and hold on to see if it come's off, is a good test. You can be confident that it will be alright in the water.

Another mask you can consider is the Technisub Micro Mask. Low volume, hydrodynamic with glass and visability. It is a bit more expensive, but worth it. Another good one is the Cressi Super Occio, cheap, strong and low volume, good for small faces too.

On the fins, Closed heals is definite the way to go. Wile on Scuba with my Cressi gara 2000HF fins I make one stroke, while my buddy needs to do 3 ! with his open heeled fins. I would stay away from split fins big time because they deliver no power in the deep.

Reading your preferences, I too recoment fibre glass fins, with interchangeble blade-footpocked system. Watch out there are brands that have different solutions that sometimes are not interchangeble.
About blade stiffness, I think Soft fiberglass blades are good for you, Since you want not to have a a heavy workout for your 'short'legs. Soft blades are very nice for those LONG spearfish sessions. Medium is nice for deepdiving, where you want some extra power being negatively bouyand at depth.
3mm socks and a pair of 'finbinders' will seal you up from some gellyfish stings and some heatloss.

A suit is offcause very much recommendeble.
For the first suit I would recomment a Heiwa medium density with superstretch nylon lining outside, and coated or open cell inside. 5mm in most waters is nice for spearfishing a long time.

Also a freediving and/ or freediving course should be on your list. You'll learn so much on this course, giving you such a head start and good bearing for which direction to go, really worth the investment!
Take a buddy with you too, get a bit of discount and someone you can rely on and share al those great moments and discoveries with! Shared fun is double fun we say in the Netherlands.

Have a rubber weightbelt too, and a little knife and float.
Maybe you need to buy some stuff online,

In General in freediving you rely on your own powers, intelect and judgement. It's key to think ahead, learn, listen to yourself and ask the right questions to gain a better understanding and richer longer experience. The quality of what people take away form a course relies for big part on the student.

Have fun and go slow, just like the marine life does.

Love, Courage and water,

Kars

 

[ILDiver]

I have a pair of Twin Jets for scuba and they work great for that, but not for freediving. You'll what long fins. If the mask seals in the shop, it should seal in the water. Buy what is comfortable in the lowest volume. I don't recall the name of the Atomic mask I looked at, it was around $100 USD and it was very low volume. I'd look for a place that will ship to you or a local shop that carries feedive gear for the snorkel and fins. You may as well use your jet fins if your going to but scuba fins.

The fins and booties. Here we wear booties, but the water is colder. I've worn my OMER fins without booties and they tear the skin off my ankles. Others have softer foot pockets and are better for bare feet. The Cressi's are good for bare feet I think.

To help for fin sizing, there is at least one thread that talks about shoe size and fin sizes that work with them. I'm sure you can make an educated guess and get it right.

 

[Erik]

Most good freediving masks these days fit most people. But.
If you are in a store trying on masks, do your suction (mild suction- big suction means anything will stick to your face) test WITH A SNORKEL IN YOUR MOUTH, which means you need to bring one or buy the one at the store that gets covered in spit! Snorkels change the shape of your face quite dramatically, but most don't take that into consideration.

 

[Mr. X]

Welcome! You mentioned freediving, any interest in spear fishing/Gyoku/seafood/angling/kayaking?

Some spearos use Jetfins occasionally (OldManDave springs to mind but he also uses Omer Ice I believe) but the long fins do make a significant difference. Here are my personal observations:
- they slow down your kick cadence significantly while providing similar speed & power but this allows calmer breathing
- provide extra lift if you need to get up from the sea bed quick with your weight belt (but can get caught up, folded up too)
- provide extra power & confidence in strong currents (when you might be towing a float & fish, & carrying a speargun)
- they take a bit of getting used to but once you get used to them you won't want to go back

Of course, you can wear boots with Jetfins which could be handy for the walk in and around rocks.

Spearos usually go for low-volume designs based on the old Cressi Superocchio twin lens design. They are comfortable, even at depth, have soft silicone skirts which seal easily (as long as you remember to shave!) and shade the eyes somewhat from the fish (they tend to use non-clear silicone for this reason, usually black or camo-green/blue/brown depending on the waters you dive - black is a safe bet). I use an Omer Alien & also own a Seacsub X-low combat, both fit the above discription. I also have a big clear Typhoon Visualator-style Scuba mask which I no longer use for spearing - a nice snorkelling mask but not ideal for spearing, too much air volume for freediving, unnecessarily big/heavy/bulky.

For snorkel, my personal preference is for a simple J-design (I have 3 like this and one semi-dry that I no longer use). I like the tube to be fairly soft and flexible - in case it get caught in rocks/float line.

Weight belt: a rubber belt with Marseille buckle is a classic choice for spearos - most firms offer them, inc. Rob Allen & Omer - but other designs work too. Rubber helps keep the belt in place. Re. weights, any will do but I aim to stay fairly streamline to avoid snags, so for example, even my dive knife is now flat, & held in a flat tape shealth against my leg.

 

[salibandy]

Well, some wear booties, some wear neoprene socks, and others still wear them barefoot. It really depends. For example, in colder waters, people wear 5mil socks. Some wear socks because the footpockets are hard and will cause blisters if worn barefoot. Omers footpockets are known to be hard and tend to fit those with wider feet, while Cressi are known to be soft and tend to fit narrower feet. I have small, girl-like feet, but I wear Omer fins with socks. So it works out.