New equipment = better results?

[SubSub]

Hi all,

New to the forum (well... not enterly true, I've been reading quite a lot but I never posted before).

Would not say I'm a professional free diver although I have enjoyed free diving most of my life. With the.... not so purposeful equipment I have at the moment I descend to ≈15-18m, 20-something meters if I push it (which I rearly do since I dive alone).

As things turn out I have noticed a strong urge to develop my deep diving skills and as a part of that I'm in the process of finding some better suited equipment.

My equpiment today consist of some old beat-up / scratched-up Mares Superchannel fins, a Mares X-Vision LiquidSkin mask (great for snorkeling but HUGE inner volume which means I have to pressure equalise the hell out of them to get down to depths).

As for the update I'm looking at a low volume mask such as the Cressi Nano and some proper free dive fins like OMER Stingray / Cressi Gara Prof. LD (med. hardness).

I'm quite curious of how much my depth results will improve with the same effort but in new gear like this!? What do you guys think, how much will the new gear do to improve my results?

Ok, sure. Training is key to get better and deeper and I have training as a part of the big picture, but this question is all about the gear.


All the best from forum noob SubSub....

 

[Erik]

Greetings

Upgrade to a fiberglass blade (or carbon, but not worth the money IMO) Night and day from a plastic fin.
Lower volume mask is helpful, but you don't need to get too small. Any decent freedivin gmask is usually low volume enough until you start getting 50metres.

Trust me on the fins.

 

[SubSub]

Thanks Erik! We share the same name, how common is Erik with a k in Canada btw?

I've been looking for fibre fins, but it seems the market is quite limited in this segment. And also, the ones I do find are very close to the carbon fins in price.

Quick follow-up question: does all separate blades match the various modular fins/shoes? I mean, can I buy a "foot" that suits me really good and match that "foot" with any fin of my taste? I've got a feeling there will be som trial and error before I find the ultimate setup for my personal taste.

Thanks!

 

[Erik]

Not many Eriks with a K here. I was born in Scotland with some Norse heritage so that's where that came from. It's funny, people will see my name printed and still write "Eric"

In my experience many blades will fit many foot pockets but there's no guarantee, and sometimes you end up cutting or drilling.
I have had many fins. I like the Beuchat footpockets and the Breier medium blades. I have skinny feet.
Really the only way to know is to get them on your feet.

Sounds like you are already a wicked diver. Good gear will be a godsend to you.

 

[SubSub]

Not many Eriks with a K here. I was born in Scotland with some Norse heritage so that's where that came from. It's funny, people will see my name printed and still write "Eric"

Well, you certainly wount have that problem if you ever find your way back to these regions.

In my experience many blades will fit many foot pockets but there's no guarantee, and sometimes you end up cutting or drilling.
I have had many fins. I like the Beuchat footpockets and the Breier medium blades. I have skinny feet.
Really the only way to know is to get them on your feet.

Sounds like you are already a wicked diver. Good gear will be a godsend to you.

It's all webshops nowadays, but it will be some time till I get to dive again, so hey.. guess I'll just have to shop away! I think I have average->skinny feet too, so maybe I'll give the Beuchat pockets a try.
I'll post my findings and result here if it'd be of interest to anyone!

I pretty much grew up in a pool, I was training swimming from the age 5-15, in the end up to 5days a week + 1 day competition soo... I'm half fish. But then life got in the way, when you're that age you start discovering other things in life and I dropped the swimming. When I do get back into the wet it still feels very organic for me and now some 20+ yrs later I really want to get on and develop my relationship with the wet.

It'd be great to actually find my limits just to get the feel for how far I can go, and from there try to push that boundary further. I have no aspiration to compete or something like that, this is all about ego.

Cheers! / Erik

 

[Erik]

Very cool man, I hear you.
Be safe and yea always good to hear gear reviews.
Cheers too,
Erik too.

 

[Andrew the fish]

Subsub, just like you, I re-connected with freediving and spearfishing after some 20 years of doing other things in life. Here is what I learned about equipment so far. Masks volume is not as important as good visibility, unless you are competing of course. For recrestional freediving, good view and proper fit is everything, and unfortunately with most low volume masks you lose field of view. Nowafays I much prefer 4-window masks, they allow me to see fish by periferal vision, almost like in a rear-view mirrow. Long blade fins will not instantly improve your depths or distances until you adapt to them. It takes time and until then you may see some regress while you get used to bigger fins. Same with monofin. But then, once you adapt, there is no way back. So be prepared for this, ok. Another thing I learned is that I don't like pushing for depth or times anymore.

 

[SubSub]

Thanks guys for you feedback!


1. The reason I want to go for a low volume mask is that I use a hands free equalizing technique (don't know what it's called) where I open my eustachian tubes by flexing the muscles in the troat while giving a small push/puff with the air still in my sinuses. This way I don't need to break the throat lock but it only work so far. With my Mares X-vision this puff is not nearly enough to equalize the mask even in quite shallow water, which means I need to let more air out and as a result release throat lock. It's not the end of the world, but it'd be much better and less disturbing if I could keep throat lock or atleast spend less air to equalize.

2. In my whereabouts spearing is not legal (even if laws are made to be broken) and I don't have have any spearo equipment i.e. spotting fish with my periferals is not as important.

3. On my side of the country (different water on the east and west coast here in Sweden), the east side we have brackish water and lower viz than on the west coast.

With all this said, periferals are secondary when choosing mask.

I tried (dry-tried that is) the Cressi Nano and found it to be very comfortable on my face AND to have quite good view, almost as the X-Visions!

 

[Alina]

I'll begin from the beginning - what wetsuit (if at all) are you using?

 

[SubSub]

I'll begin from the beginning - what wetsuit (if at all) are you using?

Hi Alina.

Well, up until now none. My outdoor diving has been taking place during summertime, in Greece at my relatives i.e. not to unconfortable water conditions. I manage a good 2-3 hrs without suit.

 

[Alina]

Wetsuit is responsible for much more than thermal protection, @SubSub
Anyway, that's the first thing I'd take care of.

 

[SubSub]

Wetsuit is responsible for much more than thermal protection, @SubSub
Anyway, that's the first thing I'd take care of.

Ok, I think I'm probably not so enlightened about the benefits of wearing a wetsuit, well others than the obvious insulating aspect ofcourse. You guys mind filling me in?

 

[Alina]

In orfer of importance, get:
1. a diving buddy.
2. a rig/ gloat+line+weights.
3. wetsuit. (Floatation, insulation from live organisms thermal protection)
4. the rest...mask, fins etc`