No Dive experience but I am signing up for Master course.

[Kars]

Hi Articnick,

Many people here are not native English speakers, and though we here generally mean well, sometimes things get poorly worded. In my case I forget sometimes to type in whole words
Please try to be as spares as possible with presumptions and opinions about others.
Personally I only question peoples' expressed words from an open positive vantage point.

Now, in regard to your question as to how to earn your place here amongst the 'gods' LOL, it's not that hard actually. You seek out from all the things we recommend a few things and start doing them. When you have an experience, share your personal experience with de Deeperblue Gods.
Than the 'Gods' will express their respect and you've shifted into the next level, namely acquiring genuine practical experience, first hand knowledge.
The Gods here love to learn, so expect your feedback to be devoured in record time, in trade of huge silver plates filled with new ideas and challenges!

In your case it's rather cold outside and your options seem rather limited to train freediving. But this appearance is deceiving, there are many things you can test, experiment and train in your warm cabin. From concentration exercises, meditation, breathing, stretching, muscle development to doing breath-hold tables.

So Nick go forward, and share your experiences making yourself and the Gods happy!

Love, Courage and Water,

Kars

 

[Sherrin]

Hi,
at Apnea Total Monica and Eusbio were there every step of the way. Monica taught the beginner's class and both Eusbio and Monica were in the water instructing the students. Eusbio taught the advanced class and again, both Monica and/or Eusbio were with me for the dives. I also got to dive with the two guys doing the Master class. They were great - really positive and encouraging.
The most helpful thing i've learned re my freediving is yoga breathing.
At the beginning, forget about how long and how far you can dive. Even when you do the course it's not about how deep/how long etc. It's about learning about your body, techniques, breathing and safety. That's the kind of thing you can focus on after you've started to learn freediving and know your way around the basics.
Think instead about how great it will be to hang around the bottom, checking out the fish etc, without the hassle of scuba. That is the real joy of learning to freedive.
Obsessive is good - channelled in the right way, it will help you with the mental discipline you need for freediving.
Sherrin

 

[Sherrin]

Hi Arcticnick
You wrote:
I bet that the first time you went free diving you tried to see how deep you could get. If not, at least you thought about it. A lot.

When i did my course with Apnea Total there simply wasn't the time and i didn't have the mental energy to spend time thinking about how deep i could go. All that went out the window on the first dive. There was way too much other stuff to think about. Most of the time you have to focus on your breathing and techniques - making a smooth entry, equalising, swimming down the line straight, keeping your chin down etc. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the course was discovering how my body reacts underwater. I remember the first time i felt lung squeeze. And dealing with contractions. And feeling what it's like when there is no more air to be had from your mask, cheeks etc. These are all very strange sensations and getting a handle on them takes all the mental energy you have.
Savour them for their own sake - the how deep/how long stuff will come later.
Sherrin

 

[kmo]

I'm pretty sure that Apnea Total build quite a few non diving days into their masters course. It is quite a few weeks, so the training is not fast tracked. You also help out on the other courses as part of your training.
For the price I think it is very good and Koh Tao is a beautiful (and cheap) place to relax anyway. Monica and Eusabio (excuse spelling) are great people and instructors and know their stuff.
I have to say though that the diving at Koh Tao is a little bit shallow, with most of the good stuff being either the fringe reef or offshore pinnacles. The fringe reef bottoms out at about 20m, the offshore pinnacle is around 40m I think, but was only accessible by boat on one day while I was there.
As others have said, don't worry too much about booking in advance - just test your ears and enjoyment levels and pay on arrival.

 

[DivingDane]

Hi Nick

first off, no offence trux... you will find that trux can be VERY straight forward, but he has much experience. i have to admit that much of what you have written has come across similar to what trux is writing.

much of this comes from the fact that some of us if not many of us have seen people with similar thought paths enter the sport and seen what has happened (blackout being a big issue).

just to clear things up Black out is very different from killing yourself underwater! it is a serious thing to have happen but with the correct safety in place very few people if any die.

"GODS" not quite yes there are a couple of truely skilled divers on here, some current and others former world record holders however most of us are very passionate divers. you must also realsie that what Trux is saying is actually in your best interest, not him trying to cut you off from the sport, thats for sure.

i agree that being so focused on numbers is a common trait held by many divers who are notorious for regularly pushing beyond the limit.

what you will find after you actually start diving that Freediving can NOT be compared to any other sport, the way you train and prepare for freediving is completly different to any other sport out there.

when Trux says that being excited when diving does not work he is 100% correct there is little worse:

excitement cause:
- release of Adrenaline
-increased heart rate
- increased respiration
- muscle tension

ALL of which will effect your dive, not just breath hold but also equalisation ability, premature muscle fatigue, PANIC!

his is what is so difficult for new divers to grasp is that every other sport you get your self pumped up before the event, freediving you have to do the opposite, in reality you want to be almost asleep before the dive.

you dont need to be born with special talents to be a good diver, all you need is time and experience in the water and realise as you have now that there is NO short cut in this game.

best of luck and believe me when ALL of us who have taken the time to post to you have your best interest in mind when we express our opinions and recomendations, please remember that many of us were completly newto this at one time or another and we are merely giving you the closest thing your gonna get to a short cut by trying to ensure you dont do what some of us habve done and since learned from.

DD

 

[Arcticnick]

I would like to say that I am very grateful to everyone who has responded to my posts.

I know that you have lots of experience, and that I am obsessive at heart and you are just trying to get the message across about the dangers.

What you all say makes a lot of sense and now I know there are effective alternatives to hyperventilation, I shall explore them.

Now I have a little more understanding I am beginning to develop new interests in other aspects of this sport and am no longer just fascinated with the limits.

Thank you.

Nick

 

[sanso]

Nick, what are your whereabouts now? Are you in Thailand yet/already been/ back in Sweden/...?

We (Sarah and Richard - We freedive) are back in Thailand setting up a school in Phuket, so if you're around give us a shout, and if it's just to go out for a nice meal some day.

 

[Arcticnick]

Thank you. Kind offer. If I am in your area I will give you a shout.
Cheers.