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Personal bests

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
"Anytime someone asks me about depth, and how deep can I dive, my response is 'as shallow as I can'." -quote from Richard Bettua in an interview w/ freedive hawaii

`anderson
 
To All:

Longfins and I have teamed up to pool train. We NEVER push without making eye contact prior to and after each dive. We both know the underwater rescue and surface resusitation techniques and have practiced them on occasion (should do this more). Reading this reminds me we need to do some wet static and we will review the safety guidelines for this as well (hand signals in response to taps on the sholder). Clear communication and constant observation is required for pool training. If we have the slightest suspicion our partner is winking out, we follow and make eye contact. Some typical signposts of hypoxia:

sloppy or different finning or swimming style (deteriorating)
veering off course slowly and then over-correcting
convulsions (samba)
sloppy or slow hand signals (we use the OK signal)
inability to make eye contact (thousand mile stare or cross-eyed)
 
not me

Aloha Scott
First, congratulations on being the best in the country. After competing in S. Calif. for ten+ years, I have an idea of what it takes to win at that game. I hope you are successful in Brazil next spring.
Now about your sore point. You seem nice and comfortable pointing a finger at deep diving as the culprit. Did you read this..........
http://www.spineshot.com/swb.html
This was not in deep water. I've jammed myself in a hole to get a lobster at this same island a hundred times. Another wake-up call.
The competition in Hawaii is changing over to a true buddy system. Once we even had a personal safety diver. I'm feeling comfortable now at twice the depth that I ever went during a meet but, I won't do an u/w lap in the pool without a buddy watching. Do you feel a little uneasy advising fish stickers that 'diving alone is OK if you don't go too deep'?
We all have a sore point I guess.

Bill
 
Don't Ever Dive Alone

Hello Bill. It's nice to talk to you. I did read that article, and although I don't quite understand it, as deepwater blackout (blackout at depth, not upon accent) is relatively rare in the US (although it happens pretty regularly in the Med. due to their hunting techniques), I am extremely impressed by the young man's (20 yrs old) comprehension of what almost happened to him and his mature attitude in discussing it publicly. Normally at that age, the feeling of immortality overrides all common sense. You make an incredibly valid point about having a spotter at all times and I was is no way advocating ever diving without a partner. Although, I must confess that I usually don't adhere to strict safety guidlines in shallow water. It's definitely food for thought.

I would like to clarify my statements earlier and let everyone know that I did not mean that I had no interest in becoming a better diver. I only wanted to impress upon people, especially the newbies, to take it easy and concentrate more on the enjoyment of the sport in their early stages of training rather than obsessing on diving ability. I have been freediving for about 4 years and took a class from Rudi Castanyra (Yasmin's trainer and the founder of FREE) a couple of years ago which I believe significantly improved my knowledge of freediving. I would like to someday take Kirk's class but time and money are tight for me right now.

BTW Bill, Nationals this year are gonna be in Carmel, CA. Maybe I'll see you there. Two years ago they were in Russian Gultch (Ft. Bragg), CA. Surface water temp in August was 48 degrees F. I don't know how you guys from Canada do it!!!!!!!!!!

Scott Turgeon
 
Glad you clarified that Scott. I went into kneejerk mode reading your post, as maybe Bill did too. Though I won't speak for him, as he know greatly of what he speaks, while being a talented spearfisherman, competitive or not, certainly might mean going deep, especially for the uninitiated, you'll no doubt admit that there are a myriad of other talents and tricks, and yes, luck to stepping up on the podium. That's what the new divers need to get an appreciation for- that once you get down there, the fish just don't stroke up and say "howdy".

That said, perhaps we'll have a chance to get together in Carmel. I missed the Mendocino shindig, but will stroll down South and see the wipeouts at the exits at Monastery or Carmel River Beach...

Octo and Longfins- welcome to the show. I see you're in the South Bay. Look up Steve at Stan's Scuba in San Jose and tell him I said to treat you right. Also, you're in the area of one of the great clubs, the Flipper Dippers. Steve'll have the info.

sven
 
more stats!

Thanks Sven, I'm already diving with the Flipper Dippers. Great bunch of divers, even better group of people.

But we digress from the main topic...

Let's get more stats on this thread people! You know who you are.:t

Peter
 
static PB

Good morning,

Just wanted you to know, I finally got to my next goal I've been
training static intensively about 2 weeks, and last saturday broke
5min (on dry, at home). It seems following works best for me, here's how I made it:

I was laying on bed few minutes, normally breathing, then two
deep breaths, long exhale, little bit 'blowing' (purges?), and hold for apporx. 2'30". After hold, few deep breaths, then about 3-4 minutes slow and relaxed diaphgram breathing, 3 deep ones (same as mentioned before) and hold for 3'30". Again few deep ones, slowly breathing ~4min and 3 deep ones, hold for 4', same things, and hold for 5'05". On last hold contractions started at 3'31", and last 30sec was little bit pushing. I think maybe I could have been able to push it to 5'30" or something, but was already feeling little 'fuzzy' or something, so stopped there. Contractions were not so bad yet.

Got to keep training also in pool

Juha
 
OK, OK, I give in.

Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast: 64m
2. other, specify: 40m - Spearfishing - Deepest Fish
3. Average: 15 - 20m
4. Time spent at depth: 2:00
5. Most recent best: 32m

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

1. distance (any depth): 60m
2. longest time spent on one dive (while active): 4:00
3. Most recent best: 37m
4. best combination of depth and dynamic: 4:00 at between 20m and 30m (Tuna)

Personal best Static Apnea

1. In pool: Don't do it.
2. Most recent best: Don't do it

Spearfishing

1. Average Depth: 10m
2. Average DownTime: 2:00
3. Average Surface Interval: 1:00
 
Last edited:
Re: static PB

Originally posted by juhaimmonen
Good morning,

Just wanted you to know, I finally got to my next goal I've been
training static intensively about 2 weeks, and last saturday broke
5min (on dry, at home).
Juha
Click to expand...

Outstanding buddy:king !
Carry on....
Erik Y.
 
Diving Alone

I have re-read my earlier post several times and still don't see how anybody could have interepted it as advocating diving alone.

But anyway, just to let everybody know that diving alone in the World Freedive Spearfishing Championships is mandatory! I know some of you may think it's irresponsible of me to even mention diving alone but that's the way it is and I think people should be aware of it. Each competitor gets his own boat with a driver of his choice and an official observer (who stays in the boat). It is illegal and immediate grounds for dissqualification for anybody to enter the water with a competitor. And for all USA National competitions (other than in FL) divers are alone on their kayaks. I guess team members could follow each other around and take turns diving but that I know of, nobody does this. The purpose of this post is not to advocate diving alone (I personally always have a partner in the water with me) but just to let you guys know how things really are in the competitive sport of Freedive Spearfishing. Once again, I am in no promoting diving alone and only practice this myself when forced to by competition rules (Nationals and Worlds)!

Also to SAspearo, you better be careful diving that deep!!! The best competitive deep freediving spearfishermen in the World dive the depths you do and they get bent doing it. Alberto March (1998 World Champion) took a bubble in the brain two hours into the second day of competition in Tahiti last year but still managed to place 3rd overall with his score from the 1st day. I've heard it was the 3rd time he's been bent. And Pedro Carbonell (2000 World Champion) doesn't even dive as deep as you and he's been bent before too.

Scott Turgeon
 
Motivational! Thanks...

Thanks for all the interesting stuff on this thread. One of my goals for 2002 is to break the 5 minute breath hold barrier (on my bed at home - NOT in a pool). I've had a few problems with asthma in my life, and my freedive training seems to really have helped me in that way.
One thing I have noticed though, is that I often get these wicked little cramp things right under my ribcage on the left side. Happens most often when I sit slouched. I talked to my doctor about it a few weeks ago, and he told me that intensive breath hold training can often stimulate the thin muscles that lie beneath the lower ribcage and cause them to cramp as they stretch and contract. I don't have any other cramping problems though - it's very rare for me to get a cramp in my calves etc. Doc told me to take an asprin a day, and that ought to cure it... and he was right. I've stopped the asprin for about a week and now those cramps are back with a vengeance. Never happens when I'm out on the water though, only when I'm at home or driving the car. Wierd.
Thanks for all the good posts
Rod
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
 
Hey! Change your pad...

Having a manned chase boat certainly qualifies as a buddy, Scott. Ease up and thanks for defining things for those who've not been to your level or jaded at the politics. I'm both so I feel fine saying that...

And SA, those depths and times with such a short surface interval rival ANYbody I know and are going to get you bent. Really. And I realize that some dives are less and some are a lot less, but a 1 minute SI ain't enough, smoker, competitor or wishfull thinker-
or not.:hmm

Sven
 
SI and Depth

I hear you Sven.

I've come close to bending once .... don't wanna go there again.

I might just as well explain more or less how I work. At the moment I'm in the pool twice a day - from 5:00 to 6:00, I do 25m Dynamic sprints - One sprint, One minute rest. Then it's shower and slave (work) till around 16:00, which is when I get back to the gym. I do some warmup cycling, sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 20 minutes. I hate cycling, but it's helped me improve my overall level of fitness.

The afternoon session is 2 hours long. I do a harder endurance training, I can't tell you what / how, but it basically comes down to a one to one ratio for an hour, then a two to one ratio for an hour. This means that If I stay underwater for one minute, I stay up for one minute. etc etc etc.

During spearfishing I've always got a spotter - someone who doesn't spear or dive with me, but stays in the water where I dive. He's got more or less the same abilities as me (depending on the day of the week ), so I know he can help me whenever / wherever.

A normal diving day would look like this:
wake up at 5:00 -ish ... Have breakfast.
Get in pool for 30 minutes of warm-up. This is also where I become relaxed, and if I don't feel good in the pool I don't dive.
Get in the ocean around 7:00 to 7:30.
First Hour: NEVER deeper than 5 meters. NEVER. DT 2m SI 2m
Second hour: Down to 10 meters - IF conditions suits me. DT 2m SI 2m
Third hour: Between 5 and 10 for 30 minutes, rest for 30 minutes. Drink and eat. DT 1m SI 2m
Fourth hour: Down deep - this is when I feel comfortable that I've been doing things right, feel good etc. etc. I'm not gonna say average depth here, for personal reasons. DT 2m, SI 1m
Fifth hour: <5m for 30 minutes. Rest for 30 minutes. DT1m SI 3m
Sixth hour to Seventh hour (abnormal diving conditions - doesn't happen often) : 5m to 10m. DT 1m SI 3m - 5m

Thanks for the 'heads up' guys. I know what I'm doing, I've been doing it and training for it a long time. I appreciate the concern, and will reconsider my dive strategy. Any suggestions plz shout.


Regards,
Riaan C

PS: I don't compete freediving. Not even socially. Never have, never will. It's the way.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Icarus

Icarus,

Thanks for the reality check!!! Sometimes I get a little worked up. Also, please don't anybody think of me as some high level World competitor. I'm not very far from being a newbie. I got extremely lucky this year at the USA Nationals and I'm only the 1st alternate for the World Team so I might not even get to compete in Brazil.
 
My (very few) stats

My stats,

All my diving is constant weight, for looking at fish and other stuff only. I dont spear or take photos yet, and dont do it for max depth or anything like that. I just go to the depths where the most interesting stuff is. Also, I dont have a boat or know anyone with a boat, so i'm limited to stuff near the shore. (its handy that I live 100m's from the ocean though!!)

All my depths times are estimates, as I dont have any guages. Would love to get a stinger or mosquito, but im scared that I might start pushing to go deeper and beat my own records

Here goes:

Average depth 5-15 metres (maybe a bit more)
Time under - ?
surface interval - until I get my breath back!!

I havent timed myself holding breath, or done pool training. I think this may be why more beginning or average divers havent posted. They just dont know many stats!!

Barry
 
No worries

Glad to hear from you, no matter how many or few stats we all have. We're just sitting around the virtual campfire telling stories here.

Ultimately the only meaningful stats are our personal ones, and not anyone else's, because we use them to better ourselves. As someone once said, "If it can't be expressed in figures, it's not science. It's an opinion."

Welcome!
 
I'm a beginner,but a talented one.(I hope) )

Personal Best Depth:
constant ballast: 20-23 m in a lake, once in my life

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

distance (any depth): 75m with fins,50 m without fins

Personal best Static Apnea

In pool: 5:37
best combination of static and dynamic: 30 sec+50 m with fins
 
:duh You guys are crazy, I'm interested as to how i can go about training for increased static breathe holds? I am currently stuck at 3min 45 secs and have had trouble breaking the 4 min barrier. I have recently started a cardio gym routine and have been diving regularly between 12 and 18 m's but the static 4 min eludes me, maybe it's all in my head. Any suggestions as to how i could improve would be appreciated

Cheers,
Spearo
 
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