Personal bests

[Angus]

Hello Everyone,

I am wondering how deep forum members are diving. I think this important information for us to help us understand our sport. There are several top flight discussions going on about different aspects of the sport, much of which has to do with extreme dives in competition. I think that we may be in danger of creating some skewed perceptions of what constitutes depths of freedivers on average. So if members would take time to provide the following information we could get a better picture of what we are actually doing. Here are some of the areas that I think are important;

Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast:
2. other, specify:
3. Average:
4. Time spent at depth:
5. Most recent best:

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

1. below 15 feet:
2. distance (any depth):
3. longest time spent on one dive (while active)
4. Most recent best:

Personal best Static Apnea

1. In pool:
2. best combination of depth and static:
3. Most recent best:

Please add to this list if you think of other measures that would help us understand what we are doing. After people have a chance to review this and make any additions or modifications I will add my info. (My daughter also wants me to spend some time with her before we go to school and work.)

 

[Octo]

Great Idea Bro!

Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast: 120'
2. other, specify: 100' variable ballast
3. Average: 90'
4. Time spent at depth: 1:50 (for PB)
5. Most recent best: 67'

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

1. below 15 feet: 2:55
2. distance (any depth): 75m (pool
3. longest time spent on one dive (while active): 2:55
4. Most recent best: 67'

Personal best Static Apnea

1. In pool: 4:15
2. best combination of depth and static: ??? please define.
3. Most recent best: 2:40

Please add the following as most of my diving is recreational:

Recreational Diving

1. Average Depth: 40'
2. Average Time: 1:00
3. Average Surface Interval: 2:50
(Time spent recovering)

This is a great idea as many of the folks who post here are of high calibre (and also talk about the best of the dives, not the averages). I suspect the majority of us spend most of our time doing the fun stuff in shallow, well lit water. Please drop the shy act (kidding!) and post a reply.

Warm regards,

Octo

 

[fpernett]

Not competition

I think this thread is very important, but not to set a competition between forum members.
I think is not just how deep or how long can you make it. The most important is how you make it and if you enjoy it. In this forum are top freedivers with excellent performances, and most freedivers can't compare with them. I think is good to see other performances but never compare with them. In freediving you have to compare with your self, and only have to prove your self, nobody else.
This are my best:
Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast: 42 meters
2. other, specify: Free inmersion: 38 meters
3. Average: 38 meters
4. Time spent at depth: 10 seconds, 1 minute at 25 meters

5. Most recent best: 38 meters

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

1. below 15 feet: never
2. distance (any depth): 75 meters
3. longest time spent on one dive (while active) :4 minutes
4. Most recent best: 4 minutes

Personal best Static Apnea

1. In pool: 5'24"
2. best combination of depth and static: 4 minutes at 10 meters
3. Most recent best: 5'24"

sincerely

Frank Pernett

 

[Angus]

Hello,

OCTO! How's it hanging? Thanks for adding the recreational section, that's really important.

Frank, thanks for clarifying the intent of this thread. You were spot on. To be clear the intent of this is help clarify what we are all doing and to support each other in how we dive and not in competing with each other. I hope that this process will help people understand the range of forum divers and find comparisons to themselves. Further it will allow us to encourage new freedivers by demonstrating that freediving covers a broad range, from a small step beyond snorkling, to an extreme sport that is very dangerous. Frank your point about the enjoyment cannot be made enough. Your are also a fine freediver.

So here are my numbers

Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast: 120 feet (last summer)
2. other, specify: 180 feet variable ballast (30 years ago)
3. Average: 40-60 feet
4. Time spent at depth: 2:00 minutes at 80 feet (Winter 2000 Belize)
5. Most recent best: 30 seconds at 50 feet (3 weeks ago in Homestead Crater with Octo)

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

1. below 15 feet: 3:30 minutes
2. distance (any depth): 150 meters
3. longest time spent on one dive (while active) 3:48 minutes
4. Most recent best: 1:55 minutes

Personal best Static Apnea

1. In pool: 5:39
2. best combination of depth and static: 80 feet 2:00 minutes
3. Most recent best: 2:29

Recreational Diving

1. Average Depth: 40 - 80 feet
2. Average Time: 1:45
3. Average Surface Interval: 3:00 - 5:00

 

[underh2ohio]

Hello,

With living in Ohio, I am limited in what depths I can achieve as the few quarries that actually allow freediving are only about 65 feet deep.

Personal best depth
1 constant ballast 90'
2 other NA
3 average 45'
4 time spent at depth 15 sec at 90'
1 min at 60'
2 min at 35'

Personal best dynamic
1 below 15' 125'
2 distance (any depth) 200'
3 longest time spent on one dive (active) 2min45sec

Personal best static apnea
1 in pool 4min 5sec
2 best combo of depth and static 3min 41sec at 30'
3 most recent best 3min 1sec

Recreational diving
average depth 35'-60'
average time 2min
average surface interval 4min

Mike K.

 

[fjohnson]

Angus, If I may quote you.

"Freediving is transcendental. When I dive I experience a spiritual awareness that is beyond my ability to put into words. I have the brain chemistry and psychology that requires a high level of risk. Freediving provides me with my adrenaline fix but requires me to control its effects to dive deeper longer. No other high risk sport that I have participated in has required the conscious center of calmness while allowing the adrenaline to flow that freediving does. For some reason I am as graceful in the water as I am graceless out of it. "

By the way Angus, I thought that was a great post under "why I freedive"

This is what helped me understand the sport (or, at least put it into words) and this I thought was a pretty good picture of what we were doing. I keep on... improving my form and technics, working on dynamic and static apnea, and hopefully, this summer I'll see a big jump in my constant and an advance in my bottom times.

To post some low numbers.. we can use my averages.. I spend so much time at 4' - 20' that my average has to be in there somewhere... lately at the pool I can't get past 9' and am at 4' most of the time. As for apnea.. and for newbies that read these fantastic numbers that get posted. I found out several years ago just how easy it was to triple or quadruple the length of time for a breath hold. I'll say I'm "under" 4 minutes, hopefully not for long. So.. to the others just getting started - Keep on practicing - improvements are fast to begin with, then....take it slow. Holding your breath for personal bests is a workout....

Sorry this post turned into almost a book...

 

[chrish]

I agree this thread is a great idea. I am new to freediving (started 7/01) so my info may give other newbies a basis of comparison. Living in AZ I do not get many opportunities to go for depth. All of my dives took place during two trips to lake Powell.

Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast: 65 feet
2. other, specify: n/A
3. Average: 45 feet
4. Time spent at depth: 1 minute at 40 feet
5. Most recent best: 65 feet (11/01)

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

1. below 15 feet: n/a
2. distance (any depth): 75 yards
3. longest time spent on one dive (while active) 1:30
4. Most recent best: 1:30

Personal best Static Apnea

1. In pool: 2:45
2. best combination of depth and static: 1:00 at 40 feet
3. Most recent best: 00:45 at 30 feet

Chris H.

 

[cjborgert]

My figures are for freshwater overhead environments (spring caverns) so the figures do not really compare to open saltwater because of several significant differences.

First, we travel by pulling ourselves over rocks more than finning, which is MUCH more efficient (i.e., we cheat). Second, most dives involve fighting a strong current through various restrictions on the way down/in, and riding it on the way up/out. Third, most sites require more horizontal travel than vertical, and considerable maneuvering. Fourth, our first worry is staying within the light zone and getting out of the cavern, which has to occur before we can think about getting to the surface. Extending our abilities is more about exploring a place that requires more effort to reach (e.g., stronger current, more restrictions or obstacles, etc.) rather than going deeper, farther, or longer.

I've annotated the figures to help explain what they mean.

Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast: 65' (the bottom of the deepest open water spring I've dived)
2. other, specify:
3. Average: ~50'
4. Time spent at depth: ~1:15 (65')
5. Most recent best: ~1:15 (65')

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

1. below 15 feet: ~2:00, depths variable to ~55'
2. distance (any depth): ~ 220 feet in a cavern, some pulling along rocks/some finning.
3. longest time spent on one dive (while active) 2:15
4. Most recent best: 2:15

Personal best Static Apnea

1. In pool: ???
2. best combination of depth and static: ???
3. Most recent best: ???

 

[efattah]

More data

Personal bests...

Deep Diving
Constant weight pb: 289 feet
Constant weight (average): 250 feet
Deepest two consecutive dives 232 feet, 235 feet
Deepest dive with a somersault at the end: 226 feet
Deepest dive with no contractions: 187 feet
Deepest dive with a half-lung: 166 feet
Longest down/up dive 3'14
Longest dive while kicking continuously 2'35

Longest constant weight dive: 3'47 @ -34m (2:20 static at the bottom of the lake)
Longest repetitive dives: 2'51, 3'32, 3'47 @ -34m

Dynamic
Longest distance: 125m
Longest deep distance: 50m distance @ 22-30m depth

Static:
pb dry: 7'12
pb wet: 6'26
longest deep static: 5'05 @ 9m
longest dry static with 2/3 lung full: 5'00

Recreational
Deepest recreational dive -46m
Average depth: wherever the bottom is (don't like recreational diving in more than 35m)
Average dive time 1:50-2:00
Surface interval 1.5-3min



Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[laminar]

Deep Diving:
Constant Weight PB: 52m (in competition)
Constant Weight Average: 50m
Deepest Half-Lung dive: 25m
Deepest no-contractions: 51m

Longest deep CW dive: 1:45
Most time spent at depth: 15 seconds at 52m
Longest dive at 30m: 2:30
Average times for deep diving: 1:20-1:40
Fastest CW dive to 30m: 40 seconds flat

Dynamic:
Longest: 108m
At depth: 50-60m at 20m

Static:
PB dry: 6:12
PB wet: 5:32 (in competition)

Recreational:
Deepest Dive: 40m
Avg depth: 20m (stay within 10-25m)
No of times kissed by seal: 2.

These numbers make me miss freediving even more!
Pete (in the Klondike)

 

[Angus]

Somersault?

Hey, Eric I never thought of adding a somersault listing. I can see by the shallower dive that the somersault is a demanding addition to freediving. But seriously what is a half lung ?

 

[thin_air]

geeee... now i wish i had a depth gauge and a watch...

oh well i guess my pb would be along these line..

By the way all my diving is done in an old 7mm with no weight belt and scuba fins.

deepest: the bottom (probably 30ft, no depth gauge)
average: the bottom at whatever depth that is

longest bottom time: 1:20 (CW since i have to fin to stay down)
average time: 50-1:00 (i think since i dont time most dives)

static pb: dry 3:20
wet 2:05 (never bothered timing except in warm up with my sister timing)

ya, my results bring the average down quite a bit.

well im glad to see i have long ways to improve and vant wait to get into some deep water with a weight belt

 

[Bill]

PB

Aloha

I don't want to cyber-compete and it isn't only to brag but, I enjoy reading the other Personal Bests so here's mine

Constant ballast.....43 m
Free immersion.......42 m
Longest dive...........2:20
Longest 30+m C/B..1:45
Shortest 30m C/B... 0:54
Long/deep static.... 0:15 @ 40m
Longest dynamic.....100m
Best dry static.........7:04
Best wet static........5:38
Best static ..............400 heartbeats
age adjusted score static and C/B.....134
score x 1.37 ; (age-25)/100+1 (1% per year)

2002 goals...C/B.......50m
....................Static....6:30

Lifetime ultimate goal......60m Variable ballast

Bill

 

[marshallh7]

Helpful info for setting and working toward new goals.

Updating my PB figures.

PB Depth:
Constant ballast: 105 ft.

PB Dynamic Apnea
Distance (any depth): 125yds (5 lengths in 25 yd pool.)

PB Static Apnea
5:00

Recreational Diving
Average Depth: 30 - 60 ft'
Average Time: 1:00 - 2:00
Average Surface Interval: 2:00 - 3:00

 

[andrsn]

pb's

to go along with the thread here, the only thing's i've had officially recorded were last weekend with tanya. the first static i ever attempted was 4'40". at the end of the static workouts, i did 5' (not bad for a spearo, eh?) and.. in the lake w/ 6lbs of lead, and about 3 wetsuits(yeah, i know... sissy) i got down to 30m without packing. i know it's not pro quality, but i was extremely happy with both accomplishments, especially since i haven't been in the ocean in about 4 months.

for what i consider my pb's:

impressive shots...
6 double shots on snapper
5 of which were head shots on both fish

about 11 "stone" shots from 6+ meters (that's where the fish doesn't even twitch )

8 double takes on a single breath below 15m (that's reloading your gun after you shot your first fish and then shooting another)

and(aquiles didn't like this one) a prize mackerel that had pulled up behind aquile's fins while aquiles was in pursuit of another mackerel. aquiles and his fish broke off one way and i pegged my mackerel before he turned to follow. (yeah, aquiles didn't speak to me for a week )


later,
anderson

 

[scott]

Since I too have enjoyed reading this thread, I'll go ahead and join in.

Personal Best Depth:

1). Constant Ballast - 82'
2). Other - 80' pulling down rocks (see CJBorgert post)
3). Average - 60'
4). Max time at depth - 1'55" total dive time (not sure how long at bottom).
5). Most recent best - 65'

Dyanamic:

Never measured - best has to be trying to keep up with CJBorgert in the overhead environment of the Florida springs caverns.

Static:

4'15" (both wet and dry).
Lately, only about 3'.


Thanks,

Scott

 

[shorty]

Also a newbie, started 10/01.

Deepest: ~45' (Tag line + 65in gun)
Average: 25-30'
Time spent at depth: ~1min

Static Dry: 2:10

Have not tried anything else, will post them once I do.

shorty

 

[Jason DeGraff]

Deepest ....

Hi guys ..... I don't attempt dives that push myself too deep . Mostly I spearfish and learn all I can by reading your threads and sit in awe at the computer screen by all your stories . My deepest would probably be 60 feet or so with about 5 - 10 seconds on the bottom . But I havn't tried in over a year .
Seriously though The stuff I've learned is amazing . Mainly about relaxation before and during dives . I'm much more comfortable about what I'm experiencing as I'm out in dive mode off Kona . Eventually my goal would be to get to 100 feet to where the big Ulua (jacks) live in Ulua houses (small caves) with time to spare .
I'm quite happy with today's dive stalking a 40-50lb Barracuda in 35 feet of water . What a monster after seeing reef fish maxing at 7lbs !rofl Safe diving guys ! Hey, you guys never say what kinds of stuff you run across at those depths !
Jas

 

[andrsn]

speaking for aquiles

my buddy's up to his neck with finals right now, but i wanted to post for him. this will be short and sweet.

aquiles goes a bit deeper than me (~5m). i don't think he's ever timed a static or done any other type of dives. maybe variable ballast, if you consider leaving your spear in a fish at depth

anyways, aquiles blew all of my great shots out of the water(so to speak) when he did this not too long ago.

later,
anderson
dqbn's partner in crime!

 

[clogz]

Started late, so no constant weight until next summer

Dynamic apnea on bottom of 5m pool 50m, static apnea 4'50" on dry and 4'20" on water.

Training to reach 75m & 100m before summer in dynamic, and get over 5' in static.