Personal bests

[laminar]

Yukon personal bests

Times the car's motor was too cold to start despite the block heater: 6

Length of time spent holding my breath while sitting in front of my computer at work wishing I was somewhere else, dimly aware that people are growing more concerned as small contractions ripple through my chest and stomach: 1:45:19

Number of times I've scrolled through the dive profile of my last freediving adventure in B.C., remembering the beautiful visibility, cool waters, good times with efattah, and the seal kiss: 30

Longest "apnea walk" to get to my car from the pool front entrance to keep the -40 Celsius air from searing my lungs with frost: 1:13

Number of times people have asked me to prove freediver abilities on behalf of the freedivers of the world in a public place or house party: 5

Nightmares I've had about freediving in sub-zero ocean: 3

Daydreams I've had about freediving in Mexico, Vancouver, and anywhere else: 4,908,495,894,584,459,458,495,849,854,549

Keep the good posts coming--they are life-savers!

aloha from the frozen north,

Pete

 

[Longfins]

making progress

In an earlier post, I suggested that our personal bests be updated periodically. Here's mine (is this thread is too old?):

I just came back from Performance Freediving Clinic held last weekend in Malibu/Catalina. Still digesting all the wonderful experiences there...

(was in Jan. '02), now in Apr. '02
* = done at PFD clinic

Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast: (25 ft), 78 ft*
2. other, specify: 55 ft free immersion*
3. Average: (20 ft), 55 ft*
4. Time spent at depth: (5–10 sec.), 10-15 sec
5. Most recent best: 78 ft*

Personal best Dynamic Apnea
1. below 15 feet: none
2. distance (any depth): (65 yards), 75 yards
3. longest time spent on one dive (while active): ~ 1:45 CW to 66 feet
4. Most recent best: consistent (50 yds / 0:55), 75 yards / 1:30.

Personal best Static Apnea
1. In pool: 3:45*
2. best combination of depth and static:
3. Most recent best: 4:32 on the floor (needs work)

Recreational Diving
1. Average Depth: (20-25 ft), 35-50 ft
2. Average Time: (< 1 min), 1:15
3. Average Surface Interval: 3 – 5 minutes

Proof positive that training with a buddy + taking a class is a good thing My thanks and deep respects to Octo and Kirk Krack

Peter S.

 

[Erik]

Conrats on your improvments Peter! Feels good, eh (Canadian for "huh")? Kirk is the man to see, definitely.
Cheers,
Erik Y.

 

[cjborgert]

Re: Re: Personal bests

Just two updates to report, labeled "4/2002." These are freshwater spring dives in overhead environments, not ocean dives. - See previous post (page 1 of this thread) for explanation about how I cheat and the distances and depths are not comparable to ocean diving.

Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast: 65' (the bottom of the deepest open water spring I've dived)
4/2002: 29.9m/98 ft (found a deeper spring, thanks to Scott & Jeff)
2. other, specify:
3. Average: ~50'
4. Time spent at depth: ~1:15 (65')
5. Most recent best: ~1:15 (65')
4/2002: ~ 2:20 at 10m (not active); 3:12 total time submerged.

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: ???

 

[icarus pacific]

udaman, Chris!

sven

 

[A Brownsword]

I guess I'll toss my hat in the ring. I started in January with Kirk's 3 month freediving course at SFU. No real freediving before (just snorkelling & some scuba in warm water).

Personal Best Depth:
1. constant ballast: 23.8 m (and improving weekly!)
2. other, specify: 20 m free immersion
3. Average: 12 m
4. Time spent at depth: 1:14

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

1. below 15 feet: ~30 m
2. distance (any depth): 62.5 m in shallow pool with fins
3. distance (no fins): 35-40 m

Personal best Static Apnea

1. In pool: 3:47
2. Depth static: 1:00 @ 10 m (not pushing it)
3. Best dry static: 4:35 (just once, haven't managed it since )

 

[ahinalu]

100' wall

I am trying to get some help from those of your who dive past 100'. I seem to have hit a wall at 100'. I can get to 95-100' regularly now, I can even spend 20-30 seconds at depth. The problem is; theoreticaly I should have enough time to dive another 20ft down or so (about how long to swim 40ft in 20-30 seconds).
I've tried packing but it seems to have lessened my total apnea time, but I do feel less 'empty' at depth.
The question is this psycological and I should just steel myself and go further, or is there a physiological action that I can train to overcome.
And
Does anyone have any words of wisdom to help me. My personal goal is 150' constant (with a speargun would be nice

ps- my crew told me I was under for "almost three minutes" today (I was sitting on a 65' ledge looking at baitfish hoping to see a predator) That makes me happy!

Aloha, Chris

 

[cjborgert]

udaman, Chris!
sven

OK, gimme a break. I post out of honesty, lest someone assume that I too am a freediver/spearo par excellence, and to provide hope to the novices . . . even wimpy divers can improve, a little.

We all know that Bill's daman. The rest of us just hope that if we keep working at it, we can be there too.

 

[Pekka]

Re: 100' wall

Originally posted by ahinalu
I am trying to get some help from those of your who dive past 100'. I seem to have hit a wall at 100'. I can get to 95-100' regularly now, I can even spend 20-30 seconds at depth. The problem is; theoreticaly I should have enough time to dive another 20ft down or so (about how long to swim 40ft in 20-30 seconds).
The question is this psycological and I should just steel myself and go further, or is there a physiological action that I can train to overcome.
And
Does anyone have any words of wisdom to help me. My personal goal is 150' constant (with a speargun would be nice
Aloha, Chris

I am not the most experieced diver to help you with your problem, but to me visualization worked wonders, and improved equalizing tehcnique, but as you didn't mention anything about equalization I assume that is not the problem.
....when are you neutral?? if you spend 20-30 sec. at 100feet...I just assume you are finning upwards to keep yourself from sinking??
When I dive deeper than 100f I just let go, sink...it goes really easily and all I worry about is equalization and my depth guage.
I don't think pushing it just "brutally" through is good idea, since the idea of the whole thing is to relax...right...my humble opinion, correct me if I am wrong..:wave

 

[icarus pacific]

hey, honestly!

Originally posted by cjborgert


OK, gimme a break. I post out of honesty, lest someone assume that I too am a freediver/spearo par excellence,

Hey, I figure that anyone that wants to dive to 65' in a cave has a lot going for them, seeing as how they'd have to kick differently as their balls are huge!

sven

 

[Erik]

Re: hey, honestly!

Originally posted by icarus pacific


seeing as how they'd have to kick differently as their balls are huge!

sven

That's why I switched to a monofin
Erik Y.

 

[cjborgert]

Re: hey, honestly!

Hey, I figure that anyone that wants to dive to 65' in a cave has a lot going for them, seeing as how they'd have to kick differently as their balls are huge!
sven

Actually, I'm beginning to think it's my brain that's small rather than balls that are big . . . the 98' dive was in an overhead environment past 60', and getting from 60' depth to 98' required 65 feet linear finning/pulling on rocks against a current, and a lot of that turned out to be past the light zone . . . cardinal no no. I gotta find a deep lake or some ocean diving closeby . . . this OHE stuff has gone far enough. [Although I know a couple of guys who do that dive every weekend . . but I'd never mention their names publicly and neither would Scott or Jeff].

 

[icarus pacific]

Re: Re: hey, honestly!

Originally posted by cjborgert


I gotta find a deep lake or some ocean diving closeby . . . this OHE stuff has gone far enough.

You said it. :crutch Lets all just move to Malaysia.

sven

 

[cjborgert]

Re: Re: Re: hey, honestly!

Lets all just move to Malaysia

Yeah, I guess that's a lot closer to the ocean than Florida, but how are the schools there [my wife will want to know].

 

[ahinalu]

150'

Thanks for replying,
I think my biggest problem is getting over the "no air in lungs" feeling. It's not that I feel I 'need' air, it's Boyles law making me feel 'empty'. I really don't have a safe place to practice negative packing (I thought that might get me over the empty feeling). I'm not having a problem equalizing. Maybe I need Yoga

I know I should just be happy with bottom time, but I'm stubborn.
Are you talking about "visualizing" being at the depth you want, or finding a focus to keep your mind from psyc-ing you out?

Thanks for the input.
Aloha, Chris

 

[pim]

Hey, good idea. Here you have my list.

Personal Best Depth:
1a. constant ballast: 42m (cold dark waters)
1b. constant ballast: 35m (competition)
2. Free immersion 38m (the same)
3. Average: 35m (no matter what water you put me in)
4. Time spent at depth: 1:50min at 17m
5. Most recent best: 36m (Red Sea)
6. Deepest pee: 29m (I won't tell you were that was)
7. Deepest tango: 25m (with my buddy Notis, with 4 fd-ers as audience)
8. Coldest dive (sorry Jaap, we beated you): 105minuts in 1°C (ice freediving), in a 5mm wetsuit....we loved it. (probably only the ice-sea divers can go colder)

Personal best Dynamic Apnea

1. below 15 feet: 55m at -17m
2a. distance (pool): 92m with fins (in competition)
2b. distance (pool): 91m without fins (in competition)
2c. distance (pool): 108m without fins (no correct ending of dive)
3. longest time spent on one dive (while active) 2:42
4. Most recent best: 2:20 (Red Sea)

Personal best Static Apnea

1. In pool: 5:15
2. best combination of depth and static: poeh, can't remember
3. Most recent best: 6:02 (on the dry)
4. Best empty lung static (with reverse packs) 1:52

Bye guys, have fun in the water. I do.....:duh

 

[Pekka]

Re: 150'

Originally posted by ahinalu
Thanks for replying,
I know I should just be happy with bottom time, but I'm stubborn.
Are you talking about "Visualising" being at the depth you want, or finding a focus to keep your mind from psyc-ing you out?

Thanks for the input.
Aloha, Chris

Well just imagine you are at depth say that magic 100f and try to feel the way you do at that depth and then let your self "sink" past 100f. it just helps to do it in your head before trying to do it for real, then your brain will not resist as much because you have "done it before"
you can try sinking feet first past that 100f point, since it is easier to use the air left in your lungs that way....
....perhaps that yoga is ok too..

 

[Cliff Etzel]

During my Instructor Certification, I was able to accomplish a new PB of 100' Free immersion.

Afterwards, Matt Briseno (Men's Senior Competitior) seems to think I have what it takes to do 50 meters, possibly more - either Constant or Free! So guess what??? I'm in full training now - it appears I may be training for a possible Mens American Fresh Water record in the next year or so...

Tell you something - Pipin knows what he is talking about regarding the proper method of training - after some of the stories I have heard regarding other clinics and courses offered, I would be hard pressed to find a better course than the IAFD's.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Congrats to you Cliff! We all knew you could do it...

The IAFD is very active at the moment and I know of several well known or up-and-coming freedivers who are going to train with Pipin. All the reports I get back is that he really knows his stuff!

 

[Erik]

Congrats Cliff, and good luck with your training
Erik Y.