New and I have questions! what a drag..

[BatRay]

Welcome to the site, Alex. I'll chime in because I started on scuba, then went to freediving, so I have a few things to say about the (expensive) difference between freediving gear and scuba gear. I started with a 7mm one-piece scubapro wetsuit with a 3mm scubapro hooded vest, a set of Atomic split fins, and a rather cheap mask and snorkel set. I found that the freediving stuff is often less expensive, of equal or better quality, and often just as versatile. Everyone here has offered great advice, so I'll add mine to it:
The Omer Alien is a good mask. It's very, very comfortable. I've found that the soft skirt leads to a bit more suction on my face if I'm not carefully monitoring the amount of air pressure. It also fogs up a good deal.
Cressi fins are quite comfortable. I have the 3000 LD fins. They are easy to get used to. I hear that they work best if you are barefoot or are wearing a thin sock. I've worn mine with 3 or 4mm socks, and they seem just fine.
You have lots of great wetsuits to choose from. Omer makes good ones. That's about the range of my personal experience with suits, except for the scubapros. I hear great things about Beauchat, Imersion, and custom suits from companies such as Elios.
I have an Impulse II snorkel, which has valves galore. It gets caught on kelp and the valves flutter. For cost, effectiveness, and longevity, I recommend the plain J snorkel. When the Impulse fails (and it will before long) ,that's what I'll be getting.

You'll end up buying other gear, because that's one of the joys of diving. It's just nicer to start off with the good stuff in the first place

 

[ILDiver]

It's just nicer to start off with the good stuff in the first place

Here Here! That's my thought. You buy good gear for any hobby and your more likely to enjoy it and not have to buy twice. It's not that much more! (It just adds up quick )

 

[Chinasgotrice]

Hi all! sorry haven't been sticken around. Just been busy with work and ahh whatever. There will always be work tomorrow. soo
while I was playing an intense game of Beerpong!! (who's a fan?) found some guys that were going snorkeling the next day, and the drunk motivator I am, I barge in the conversation and ended up inviting myself to go! haha works out perfect.
Well I went to the dive shop on base and bought some gear. None of the gear really mentioned in the forum, cause they did not carry it, I think it was mainly for scuba.
Well I got around to getting
Jet Max split fins closed heel
2 mm socks
Atomic Subframe mask
pinnacle amara gloves
sherwood edge snorkel
Probably off the wall of everything you guys recommended me, but It all this shop had and I was too excited to not buy gear and skip out on the water.
So far my opinion on some the gear.
Fins are alright, maybe that its just tooo easy to kick I just don't "feel" im propelling my self. eh
Other guys had open heels and boy you guys were right closed were so much easier. just comfort alone wins!!
The mask, I was dissappointed. I shoulda spent more time on looking at some others before jumping on it. the middle piece smacks my unibrown area of my forehead, and i get a little bit of water in my nose(is that normal? I don't remember).
I might be selling it so if anyone instrested in an ultra clear subframe atomic give me a heads up.
idk gloves did there jobs and so did the socks.
Snorkel had a purge valve and I seem to enjoy it a lil better as I could actually 100% clear the snorkel then when I was using the j hook.
we posted up by some giant rock formation and kicked pass the rip. and it was nice! sun wasn't all the way out but I could still see clearly. and get pretty darn close to some intresting fishies. I took some pictures with a disposable so Ill see how it turns out and post them up in here. couple of scary snakes/eel couldnt tell. yeek!
Probably about 16-18 ft down. and just trying to snap some pics. it wasnt bad for my first time in Okinawa. Def plan to come back out this next weekend. felt so nice to be back in the water, like I belong!

Things that dissappointed me. I had a real hard time clearing my left ear. there was a couple of times I just had to go up a little and waste time so i can equalize. I dont know, I had to stretch my ear up and back to make it easier to clear. ( I usually can clear just by swallowing) I bought some sudafed for the next time I hope it helps. Maybe I should get my ear checked out by the doctor?

I was out there for an 1 hr. and some change. I started to get pretty chilled in just a pair of boardshorts, gloves and socks. I went back to the same dive shop to have a look around. The guy offered a total body skin thats only .5mm. I thought about it. and was looking at a pair of jammers keep the groin nice and sweaty!! maybe..
Im kinda like the minimalist. I like to bring as little as possible and what do you guys think about something just to retain body heat in the core.
I think something like this might be my next purchase!

 

[ILDiver]

There are many opinions on how well split fins work. But I have a DVD of Howard Hall and crew kicking an IMax camera around Fiji in a strong current with twin jets. They are easier to kick and your working less for the same speed. I compared my old fins in a pool and the Twin Jets win for sure. They are not for everyone and you will get a lot of debate on a scuba board over the old planks, Volo's and split fins. There is not quite the same debate over which freediving fins to get (for high end, carbon something...usually C4's).

For the core, look for a hooded vest. 1mm or 3mm. Next step up would be a shorty. I wear jammers, under my swimsuit and my wetsuit, it's just part of me kit. They dry fairly quick and they make getting changed easier and they are not in the way as much and you can walk around in them.

Mask....Yeah, that is one point I should have made, since I've had this issue. The sniff test tells you if it will wold, but the fit.... If the mask rubs and bothers you a little on dry land, it will get more intense over the dive. You may get mask squeeze and it may drive into the bridge of the nose (remember to equalize the mask). When I try a mask on I press in on the mask to see how it feels if I forget to equalize and it sucks down. Also do not crank down the mask straps. If you have a slight leak and you tighten the mask, you can (not always) make it worse. Plus you may just be causing yourself undue discomfort. My masks are just barely on my face, the strap just holds it there. I can pull my mask 3 or 4 inches off my face.

Clearing, clear as early and often as you can. If you get a little behind doing hands free, you may have to do a frenzel. The head down and speed of a freedive decent is different than on scuba and changes things a little on clearing. Practice. Careful with meds and diving. You don't want a reverse squeeze (more common on scuba I think, I have not heard of one on a freediver yet???)

 

[Erik]

However you manage to get in the water, the main thing is that you get in the water. Those split (shit) fins are garbage for a freediver. They're for out of shape scuba divers. Not you! But use what ya brung lol!

 

[BatRay]

I'd like to include a gentle warning about diving while under the influence (or recovering from such an event). You stand a chance of shallow water blackout, which is quite dangerous and sometimes deadly. Enjoy diving by all means, but please be cautious

 

[Chinasgotrice]

Yeah, Im kinda thinking why I had a real hard and slow time clearing.
I don't remember the correct term, but when diving with sinus problem and you end up taking sinus's meds like sudafed, The pressure could squeeze the sinus(making it smaller and you feel better) but could move from one area to another and when decompressing you could create some troubles..
Same goes for an aircraft if your flying while sick or sinus, Pressure baby.
Boyle's Law - For any gas at a constant temperature, the volume of the gas will vary inversely with the pressure.
Boy did they crame laws into our heads. and I forgot all about a mask squeeze.
The mask skirt itself was nice and soft, the peice that connects the two lenses just suck. haha
and I know the gear probably not the preferred, but I didn't care I got in the water!
And yah I know alcohol and water sports are a dangerous mix,:friday I should know better, but when your just so excited! haha and thats when the worse things happen too.
Thanks for looking out.
And Def plan on going out more often, and getting more gear.
Probably some kinda of suit first then next comes a ukulele! haha

 

[ILDiver]

It's all about fun bro! We just like to see people come back from the fun

As for preferred, if it works and gets you where you want to be, it's the preferred gear. It just has to work for YOU, not for a world champ. There are still people in this world hunting with old oval masks and a stick!

Can't wait to hear some stories of fish and fun man! Enjoy!

 

[Chinasgotrice]

Thanks for the supports fellas, I got some neoprene shorts and started a thread about that too!
Told ya guys I was a draggg
http://forums.deeperblue.com/wetsuits/80714-help-w-diy-neoprene-shorts.html
Heres a link to make it a lil easier on yall if you want to check it out.