Quick question!

[The Fury]

Hi people!

I have been practising freediving in my local pool for around 10 months now since my first time snorkelling on holiday in July last year.

I have managed to swim 3 lengths of the pool (75m) on one breath and without fins, which I was quite impressed. Until I found that the world record is something like 134. I reckon with some more training I might be able to push 4 lengths.

Recently, however, I heard that the British record is 100m WITH fins. Can anyone confirm this fact for me?
I have not tried but I'm quite sure that with fins I will be able to do more than 100m which, as I'm British, would break the British record.

I always make sure that my buddies and I watch eachother when pracitising but none of us know any of the commonplace terms such as "constant ballast" or "constant wiehgt" etc.

Achieving any record of any sort seems way out of my league so please just tell me if I have the wrong end of the stick!

Hope someone can shed some light on this for me!

P.S. That really wasn't such a quick question was it!:duh

 

[Erik]

Hey amigo, Fiona Gowland just set the No0Fin Record at 100 metres....outstanding!
And there's another guy (sorry can't remember) who did 134 with a monofin early this year.
The world record is 181 metres, by Herbert Nietsch. An Australian called Sebastien Murat did 192, but there were no judges there. Marten Stepanek has done 200 metres in training.
Keep training....if you're doing 75 metres no-fin, then you are doing great! Hook up with some of the great British divers over there and steal all their tips
Ben Gowland appears to be the resident master (and good dude)
Erik Y.

 

[The Fury]

On the other hand, I just read that a guy called Steve managed 76m and I assume that means vertically and not horizontally. I assume I must have been misinformed or misinterpreted the British record.

:head

 

[The Fury]

Cheers Erik!
Any British freedivers fancy giving me some tips or in the south-east area and want to hook up, let me know!

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Hi Fury!

Your best bet is the British Freediving Association who look after all Freediving in the UK.

I think it would be useful for you to understand the different disciplines invloved in Freediving:

• Static Apnea - This discipline is holding your breath for as long as possible whilst floating face-down in water.
• Dynamic Apnea - This is what your practicing. Finning horizontally whilst holding your breath. This is split in two sub-categories - with fins(or equipment assisted) and without.
• Free Immersion - First of the "vertical" disciplines. This involves pulling yourself down and up a guide line (no fins allowed).
• Constant Ballast - Considered by many as the "pure" form of Freediving. This is finning up and down without touching any guide lines.
• Variable Ballast - This involves riding a weighted sled down to a certain depth and then finning back up under your own power.
• No-Limits - This deepest and most "extreme" version. This involves riding a sled down to a certain depth then inflating a balloon to bring you back to the surface - hence you can achieve deeper depths than in any other discipline.

Erik is right that Fiona Gowland is the current UK record holder for Dynamic Apnea without Fins (news item) and whilst it is the furthest reached Internationally as well, no International Judges were present so it could not be ratified beyond the UK.

The Monofin diver who hit 134m was Herbert Nitsch.

If you have the time and money - i'd suggest attending the UK Freediver Classic competition in Plymouth on 5/6/7th July. It should attract a large number of competition orientated UK Freedivers (including Ben, Fiona and the current UK No-Limits Record Holder Steve, amongst many, many more) and will be a good place to get some advice.

Anyway, I hope that helps...

 

[The Fury]

Wow!

Erik is right that Fiona Gowland is the current UK record holder for Dynamic Apnea without Fins (news item) and whilst it is the furthest reached Internationally as well, no International Judges were present so it could not be ratified beyond the UK.

Thanks guys! So if I can do 100m, that is equal to the world record? I thought that the 134m was without fins!

I would love to attend the competition but unfortunately ( ) I will be in south africa trying to get my PADI divemaster. Maybe next time. How often are they held?

By the way, if any South Africans are listening, I will be SCUBA diving off Aliwal Shoal throughout July. Is there anywhere good for snorkelling and freediving? And what is the likelyhood of me getting gobbled up by a shark?! I know that SCUBA diving is supposed to be safe but I'm not sure about snorkelling.

Tara for now!

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Well, not quite...I can't tell if you male or female but something I neglected to state is that Male and Female categories are seperate - so if you are going for a world record you need to set it in your relevant gender category.

As for South Africa, you might want to check out the Aliwal Shoal thread and contact some of the guys in there for advice either through PM or Email buttons.

 

[The Fury]

Arrrgh! I'm a bloke!

 

[The Fury]

Cheers though Stephan, I will keep practising!

Hamish.