New freediver and equipment

[jonny lee]

Hi guys, I am a new freediver and a scubadiver of about 2 years. After a recent trip to Tobago I have decided to begin serious apnea and freediving exercises in the pool. However i have a few questions if one of you more experienced freedivers could help me out!

I am about to purchase a pair of long blade fins (probably picasso black teams) and perhaps a specific freediving wetsuit also at some point in the near future.

The problem is that most of my freediving will no doubt have to be in cornwall or perhaps Scotland for decent viz. In this way I arnt sure what size fin to go for (foot size) and what thickness of sock (if any). Also could anyone recommend a freediving wetsuit without a zip for UK summer diving (not sure what thivkness, as i have been told freediving suits are much warmer than scuba and surfing suits).

My best static so far is only 1:45 although i have only been doing breath hold for 2 weeks now and only get to swim in the pool twice a week. Hopefully i will get to the 5 minute mark in time, and i really hope to be at 2:30 in a few months if possible. Any tips would be greatly appreciated, i have just started pranayama so hopefully this will help alot too.

Hope someone can point me in the right direction!

Many thanks for any replies in advance!

 

[narked]

Hiya,
I started at 1:30, and I got to 3 minutes in a few weeks. Not got past that yet, but thats because, basically, I havent even tried for a while. Not even got round to any open water stuff yet, but you will need a decent thckness suit for our lovely waters.

Matt

 

[Erik]

Hey jonny, the search engine would be a good start on DBlue, but here's a reader's digest version for some pointers:
In the summer where you are, a 5mm suit with Yamamoto rubber and no zippers will do the trick. A 6.5 mm would be better for the winter if you want to spend a few hours in the water ata time. 3mm socks will be plenty, so buy fins that fit with that size of sock. I have used 5mm and 3mm socks in water that is 2C to 18C, and your feet basically go numb either way, so stick with the 3mm sock.
Picasso, OMER, Eliossub, Beauchat, and Freediver UK sell very good soft rubber, freediver specific suits....check on the Deeper Blue shop for some very good prices.
Hope that's a start,
Erik Y.

 

[crazyfrenchmen]

foot pocket

Hi jonny,
i too wanted to get the picasso fins, but when i tried them, i realise that they where less comfortable then the JB Escalpez green. The morale to this story is to try the fins on first so you know if the foot pocket feel comfortable.

 

[jonny lee]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Matt - What would you say was the most important exercise you did which allowed you to goto 3 mins?

Erik/crazyfrenchmen - I arnt sure what size fin to get in relation to the sock. I am about UK size 7 1/2 (40-42) so do you think i should go for 42 - 44 (44 a uk size 10 and seems very big even if i had a 3mm sock on). Basically i dont have the luxery of trying the fins before i buy them as the UK is terrable for freediving equipment, i will be buying my fins etc from the deeperblue/scubastore in Spain. Do you think that the 40-42 size pocket will stretch enough to accomodate a 3mm sock (picasso black team fins)?

Cheers

Jonlee

 

[crazyfrenchmen]

foot size

Hi,
i have a 42 foot size and my fins are 44-45. I use a 3mm socks (beuchat) with fins strap. Fins strap are cheap and permit you to have a larger foot pocket without loosing the fin and you get much more comfortable. I have large foot that's why i needed larger foot pocket. I've tried cressi, picasso, sporasub and escalpez at the store in the 5 meter dive tank and choose the Escalpez for the comfort of MY feet. I would not buy fins via internet without trying them first.

 

[jonny lee]

Unfortuanately i dont have an option crazyfrenchman, i must buy from the internet or drive hundreds of miles to look at the fins.

Having looked around on the internet alot, i have come to the conclusion that imersion and jb Esclapez are the same company! or at least they have basically the same products, correct me if i am wrong.

 

[crazyfrenchmen]

Yes

Originally posted by jonny lee
Having looked around on the internet alot, i have come to the conclusion that imersion and jb Esclapez are the same company! or at least they have basically the same products, correct me if i am wrong.

You're absolutely right. JB Escalpez fins are made by Imersion.

 

[narked]

Got to 3 minutes by just doing statics. I do a couple of minutes normal breathing, then about a 1 minute of 5 seconds inhale, 5 seconds hold, 5 seconds exhale. When I'm ready, I exhale fully, inhale fully, then hold. Do a few at time with a couple of minutes rest between. When I'm not improving on the time, I leave it for a bit.

Matt

 

[TMcKee]

Hey bud, i'm a newbie...to freediving anyway....I started diving soon after I went on a cruise and shot down to 40 feet. None of my friends could come close. Now, 40 feet is nothing to some of you who could practically live at that depth, but it was good for me. I went to a spear fishing rodeo and hooked up with some freedivers and looked on the internet for breathing techniques. I found a simple chart on one of the sites, and went from a 1:15 static to a 2:45 static in the first weeks. I am proud to say that I just surpassed, last night, my goal and reached 3:37 in a static.

CARDIO, CARDIO, CARDIO...I cant stress it any more. After I started running and gained a little more stamina, I went up nearly 30 seconds in my static. If you can't try on the fins, I know I couldn't, ask questions. Post them, and they will answer. My first pair of fins were Picasso Black Team, and there is nothing that I don't like about them. Although, I am looking for something a bit stiffer now, I still use them 3 to 4 times a week.

:martial

tmckee

 

[mzzz]

I have trained freediving about one month. I have tried sporasub fins and C4 carbon fins and I ordered corbon fins because they felt so good.

About breathing. I had about one good advise: breath normally and don't try to use difficult technics. If I just breathe relaxed, my body is relaxed and dynamic and static are done in relaxed state. My first week was: static 2 min, dynamic 25m. Now without any special breathing techics my dry static is 4:30, waterstatic 3:45, dynamic 50m.

maybe in future I start to learn some special breathing techniques.

...so, in the beginning just try to be relaxed...................

 

[narked]

As for different breathing techniques, it just seems that something different works for everyone. Ask for advice on a breathe up her and you'll get a lot of different responses. Some of them do have similarities, but also a lot of differences. Just play around with 'em, see what works for you, which get you most relaxed and so on.

Matt

 

[JimGlynn]

suit choice

Get the Cressi Comp apnea suit from Diveinn. The best suit you could find in that price range. Just as good as the suits costing twice as much.
Jim

 

[jonny lee]

Cheers guys, Jim yeh i was looking at that suit actually...think i' may have to inflict some more damage on the credit card

I am a happy bunny at the moment as i increased my wet apnea time from 1:45 to 3:14 last night. A friend suggested that i try making a game with my fingers as the convulsions become stronger, it works for me.

Cheers

Jonlee

 

[TMcKee]

I know what you mean Narked! Different strokes for different folks. In my recent wet apnea I was in a pool that there was a swimming competition in. Concentration was hard to come by because I find nothing hotter in the world than swim team babes. So I am going for a good wet static, which invariably turns into a dynamic. I sit on bottom for a while and then the contractions hit. My concentration breaks a bit as swim babes pass me the next couple of lanes over, I say to hell with it, and I start a dynamic, just to take my mind off of the contractions/swim babes. I usually get another 30 to 45 seconds when I start swimming.