[News] A Sneak Preview of PFI's Formula 3 Freediving 2011

[DeeperBlue.com]

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands -- Ladies and Gentlemen Start Your Engines! Performance Freediving International (PFI) has organized six international teams of three freediving athletes per team, six brand new Dive Xtra custom painted F3F scooters, a handsom...

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[ben.mcgeever]

Hi Guys

The racing has started, lots of videos on Vimeo right now.

F3F Day One Slalom Course and Highlights [ame=http://vimeo.com/23762913]F3F Day One Slalom Course and Highlights on Vimeo[/ame]

Team Intro Video [ame=http://vimeo.com/23596967]F3F Team Intro video on Vimeo[/ame]

a full video listing is here. http://vimeo.com/user1739832

Cheers

Ben

 

[efattah]

It looks pretty fun, but I wonder if the scooter is mandatory. I believe a trained finswimmer could sprint through the gates with a good monofin, no scooter, and still win.

 

[ben.mcgeever]

It looks pretty fun, but I wonder if the scooter is mandatory. I believe a trained finswimmer could sprint through the gates with a good monofin, no scooter, and still win.

It may be possible, I found websites quoting 7.5mph for monofin's, thats 660ft/min, the scooters are approx 600ft/min.

How long can can you sustain 660ft/min on a breath hold with monofin?

Ben

 

[efattah]

Well the world record for 50m apnea with monofin comes out to over 700ft/min.

This speed can only be maintained for about 100m. You can still do apnea for longer but the speed drops.

There is another thread about fast apnea 100m swims.

But, many of the divers in the F3F videos are using bifins (high drag), masks (high drag), and standard freediving suits (also high drag). So there is room to improve even with the scooters.

 

[OTGav]

Very close to being something that could happily be watched on TV - nice work.

 

[wes]

Eric,

I thought same thing, that good monofin could compete with scooters and now know this is not really possible after trying the scooters at Cayman 2011 (I was on the Red team and our scooter broke so I didn't race). The thing is whenever you turn it takes alot power and energy to steer the scooter and the courses have lots of twists and turns so you end up using alot of energy just "riding" the scooters. There were many very very good freedivers at Cayman 2011 and many of them were pushed very hard not to come up for a breath on the course which was only 90 seconds to 2:00 in length. For sure the straight sections were way easier than the twists and turns. Anyway, maybe some of the racers will post.

Cheers Wes