[News] New US Freediving Record in Dynamic No Fins

[DeeperBlue.com]

Press release issued by Grant W. Graves. Wes Lapp Sets New US National Freediving Record in Dynamic Apnea No Fins with a mark of 125 meters. The United States Apnea Association (USAA) is pleased to announce that Wes Lapp, a USAA member, set a new US n...

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[wes]

Dear DB,

Below are some pics from my 125m DNF swim. We hope to have the video edited and up in a week or two. It was pretty cool even for me to watchto watch the video as I use a very different technique so I haven't ever seen anyone else (or myself) use this technique before. Here are a few screen shots from the video. The first two show my up and down arm "sculling" technique with my arms at my side. The third shows my head and neck, no mask and neck weights. The fourth shows the suit out of the water (this is an older photo). My technique in brief is to push off the wall arms extended over head and glide, do a single arm pull with arms at sides and glide, and then "scull" with my hands at side to the wall and turn and repeat.

I would like to thank all that made this attempt possible:
-My wife Nancy and daughter Zan for putting up with me.
-Oceaneer who built my really cool suit.
-My artist friend Craig Luster who hand sculpted the inner foam to shape the suit.
-Kirk Krack and Mandy-Rae Cruikshank of Performance Freediving International who coach and encourage me.
-All the CAFA (Canadian Freedive Association) members and board.
-All the volunteers for the CAFA Sept comp.
-The excellent saftey at the comp who gave me the courage to push a bit farther.

Cheers Wes Lapp

 

[Haydn]

What a fantastic idea. Sculling? Well done. How long did it take and what is your static time comparison? How long have you trained this method? Have you tried it feet first? Or on your back?

Oh, have you tried the snail technique? You use you finger tips only for propulsion and you pull yourself along the pool bottom one tile at a time. Its cheating to reach full stretch........

Well done again.

 

[wes]

Haydn,

Great questions. Not sure on time, it's about 35 seconds/length so maybe 2:55 or a bit less as I speed up a bit after I get my dive response. My best static time is 6:41 though didn't officially count as my lips came out of the water a bit early for a second. I have not tried it feet first. I did just this week try in training some belly up lengths. I was Glenn Garret do his technique in the same Sept CAFA comp and was gloriously beautiful to watch, very effortless so may incorporate that upside down technique as well. I don't pull along the bottom and actually got points taken away on my first attempt as I pushed at the wall against the bottom so had to practice a "no bottom" touch turn.

Cheers Wes

 

[efattah]

Congrats! What a refreshing change to see an engineer/innovator with athletic talent to do something new and effective for a change ! Hope to see more. Maybe you can perfect the electric footwarmer for winter diving with monofins, and a host of other stuff badly needed.

 

[SanderP]

Woah, I like your suit !

Congratulations! I hope to see the video soon, I can't even imagine how the technique looks like.

 

[H.Balázs]

Hello,

Congrats! First time I saw this kind of suit, it was (like a mermaid) in Vienna, 2004/2005 winter season, in competition. Herbert was tested his Camarro suit with monofin. But I heard later, it was forbiden to use it by AIDA.

Best regards,

Balázs

 

[DiverTodd]

WAY TO GO, WES!! Congratulations! And to think, I was there to see that suit in action, back in Grand Cayman in April....

Todd

 

[osusim]

What a grate idea! You and Glenn (I saw him in Maribor) will be best attraction at any freediving competition.

I guess you have right to set one arm at the bottom during your turn and even rotate on it.

 

[Kars]

Yes Balázs, I also heard that Mr Herbert Nitch was denied the use of binding the two legs together for dynamic with monofin in Eindhoven. I know it makes a lot of difference.

Perhabs someone within the board can explain what AIDA's rules are in relation to having such a suit?

What kind of foam did you use to fill up the space between you legs?

I'm looking forward to your video Wes. I think it's absolute great when someone tries and invents a new way! Congradulations!

Love, Courage and Water!

Kars

 

[BennyB]

Eh? I have no idea what you're talking about Wes, but it sounds cool. Can't wait to see the vid. Well done!

Cheers,
Ben

 

[wes]

Hey,

Thanks all for the encouragement and also the questions. I aim to answer any that you have. I like to do things when there is innovation involved. On Herbert's suit, I heard that he was using the mono leg suit for no fins and doing the undulating "whole" body" dolphin kick so they thought that the suit was acting like a "fin" for his undulating dolphin kicking legs (not sure on that, maybe Herbert or AIDA could comment). Anyway with my technique I do not kick with my legs at al, except for pushing off the wall so I think this is why the monofin suit is treated differently, it is not used for any propulsion so not used as a fin of any kind, merely to reduce drag. Also this type of technique and suit opens the doors for many people with leg injuries or even amputees, for competition or even for just fun snorkel/freediving. Already I have recieved some interest in this area from paralyzed friends.

On the foam we use a type that is for outdoor mattresses, it is very expensive and hard to cut and shape. We are looking for a better way to do the foam. It took maybe 12 hours to shape the foam we have now by hand.

On the floor touching I have been told that it is strictly forbidden to touch the floor or bottom of the pool in any way that helps your effort (its OK if you just "graze" or "bump" into the floor). I also think the AIDA rules are clear on this point.

Cheers Wes Lapp

 

[trux]

Simply amazing! Can't wait the video too.

 

[trux]

On the foam we use a type that is for outdoor mattresses, it is very expensive and hard to cut and shape. We are looking for a better way to do the foam. It took maybe 12 hours to shape the foam we have now by hand.

If the foam melts with heat, try an electrically heated wire (shaped as needed). We used to use it when shaping polystyrene foam forms. Carefully adjust the voltage (temperature) - when too cool the wire does not cut properly, when too hot the foam may start burning or melting too much!

 

[nostres]

This is great Wes! both, achievement and suit, congratulations!

 

[James Jay]

:kingAwesome job!!!! :friday Congratulations Wes. Looking forward to the video.

 

[Halmyr]

Wow, congratulation man :friday good stuff there, nice suit too

Hope I can be that good one day roflI want to beat the canadian record (150m), but for now I'l contend to be able to do 3 laps of my 60feet pool I work at and looking up to guys like you!

 

[osusim]

On the floor touching I have been told that it is strictly forbidden to touch the floor or bottom of the pool in any way that helps your effort (its OK if you just "graze" or "bump" into the floor). I also think the AIDA rules are clear on this point.

Lets Bill comment on this situation.

 

[Haydn]

Just a thought. If you go feet first, you dont have to turn at the wall, you just push off when you contact it and then pirouette, the next length is on your front and at the end of that length you push off the wall with your arms and you are back into feet first again. perhaps alternating feet first and head first might utilise different muscle groups and therefore one set of muscles gets a one length rest between lengths.

Why no weights. Were you not bouyant? and going so slowly would not allow you to combat the bouyancy.

 

[wes]

Haydn,

I wore 13 lbs (5.1) lbs neck weights only, no weight belt at waist. My arm sculling is very sensitive to drag, that is it only works well with a low drag configuration of suit and weight belt, so I have to be careful with everything that might add drag.

Cheers Wes