Reaching 100 ft.

[Tenzing]

Hi,

I've snorkelled all my life but recently started training with a buddy in a pool. Was wondering when people generally hit 100 ft in CWT. What was your static pb and your dynamic at that time?

I can do 75 m in the pool and 4:20 static but have never gone for max in the deep.

Think the deepest I've dived whilst snorkelling before I started training might be around 15 m, which was done with ease.

Thanks

 

[Bill]

You have the legs and the lungs. Now it's about ears and comfort zone. This is when a good instructor is worth the price. The only advice that I'll offer is to take it down in small increments. Too little and you can do it again in ten minutes. Too much and bad things can happen.

 

[Divenick]

4.35min
110m dyn
40m CW
did hit the 100ft some time ago when the static und dyn results were about the same. not sure if theres some kind of mathmatical relationship....

 

[sgnips]

i guess there might be a mathematical relationship but your head (AND the training you do) plays the big role so it's really hard to tell

anyway, i see the guys i teach to, who are mostly non-trained and no-training, usually perform something like:
3 to 4 min
60 to 80 dyn
20 to 25 CW
i tend to consider those performances as the "average" or "good results anyone can obtain"
beyond this, you usually need some kind of specific training

my thoughts

 

[Divenick]

there was a post recently about the relationship between static and dynamic apnea which I found quite impressive because it fitted perfectly with my results. it was something like "static PB in Seconds) divided by 2.3 (approx, can´t find the post right now) equals PB (possible) DYN
Would be very very interesting if there´s any formula like this for deep diving. i did train static and dynamic quite a bit and the progress in the beginning was quite big, but now I am stuck somehow though it gets easier every time. for deep diving I improved from about 30 meters to more than 40 meters just by relaxing while I find static still quite hard to improve....

 

[Kars]

Hi,

You static and dynamic numbers seem fine for the 30m challenge.

Only diving into depth adds new unknowns to beginners. Which need practice and time to learn. Connor's advice to take it slow is very good.

Also the environment you dive into, visibility, temperature, darkness, safety are of great influence.

The things you can do in the pool and on land is to practice your flexibility, equalisation, relaxation, entry.

When doing your deep diving, make sure you're warm, rested, hydrated, muscles warmed up, with no or little food inside. While diving focus, eyes closed on equalisation and relaxation. When the tight feeling comes, slow down and give in to the pressure. Turn around, do a little hang at depth, relaxing and let the water stretch your body, get up in a streamlined relaxed way.
Have many dives, and lot's of time down there. Don't spent minutes on your record breath up. Just say ten slow breaths to focus and dive.
Treat the glide phase as a static.
The entry should be done in a relaxation retaining style, while very efficient gently cruising through to the glide phase. The Way up should be in a nice flow, one rhythm, with confidence and hydrodynamic flow. Relax you neck by looking strait or even a bit down as you swim. Looking up gives stress and can even reduce or block blood flow to the brain.

In general aim for good feelings, many dives, easy feeling dives.
Avoid focus on numbers, speed, anything that induces stress.

Oh and report to us, we love to hear your experience!

 

[fnacinovich]

Hi Tenzing,

the personal PB's you are reporting in DYN and STA should be enough for a 30m CWT as sgnips already pointed out. But yes, there is a good chance you'll face your problems in regard to equalization, rather than on insufficient apnea capacity.

Do not be too obsessed about the numbers and take it easy, enjoy the sensations.

As Kars suggested, go down little by little and always dive with a buddy.

I would add just one important suggestion: take enough rest between two consecutive dives. You can dive to 20m in 45s-50s. If you are trained, you might feel you are ready for the next dive just after 1min rest, but actually your body isn't at all. Repetitive dives (even if shallow) with insufficient rest could lead to very bad experiences like Taravana.

Take instead a relaxing 3min rest, close your eyes, concentrate on your breathing and try to envision the next dive before you perform it. Think positive.

Happy diving!

 

[Kars]

Thanks fnacinovich,

I just made the comment in the spirit of those people who are viewing every dive as a world record dive, taking 10 minutes to prepare and hyperventilate. For sure if your dives are getting longer and more relaxed you can use more recovery time. If I were to instruct two beginners, One could dive while the other prepares, so when we come up the other can click on and start pretty quickly. I would have no problem diving with each down the whole way, every time. For the novice it would be nice to have someone to mirror and copy, and feel confident knowing your instructor is right there. It also helps to direct and correct.

Indeed no need to hasten the dives, relaxation is the key, on the other side no need to be PERFECTLY in tune before every dive. 85% -90% in tune is enough, the key is keep the relaxation as you go down. Many people loose that relaxation with a too aggressive, hectic entry.

 

[Tenzing]

Thanks for all the replys.
I've done alot of scubadiving before (<50 m) and have had no problems with equalizing. I realise that this becomes a problem whilst freediving but not as early as 30m?

I think I have been hyperventilating slightly before my PBs, 10 deep slow breaths before take off. According to alot of threads here hyperventilating is defined as ANY type of forced breathing. Is hyperventilating really a problem for beginners who are nowhere near their true limit?

Another question, if properly weighted when does the gliding phase start?

Thanks

 

[Kars]

Equalising.
Using the Valsava method, 20m should be attainable. For 30 you'll need more flexibility and relaxation, and even with this doing Valsava head down is stressful to your body.
Best is to start learning Frenzel and mouth-full right away when you aim for dives beyond 20m.

On Hyperventilation:
To me it's something I want to avoid. It messes up my sensations of where my limit is, and it causes my body to burn my O2 much quicker. To beginners I think it's important to become relaxed. Focussing on the breath and it's rhythm helps. Even though it also has the hyperventilation effect. So a breathup is good, just breath very slow, from the belly, and not too deep, until you have a nice amount of focus and relaxation.

"Properly weighted" depends on your target depth, setup and divestyle. But in general it means people on full lungs are neutral at 10 to 15 meters deep.
Technically you can glide from the neutral depth on, but it's recommended to retain the swimming speed until your negative buoyancy speed replaces your swim speed.

I'm looking forward of hearing about your experiences.

Kars

 

[JennyWren]

Ease of equalising during scuba has little to do with ease of equalising when freediving. With scuba you can continuously fill your lungs up with new air to equalise with, for freediving all you've got is what you started with (less whatever you've already used to equalise with) and that volume keeps decreasing as you go down!

In my first (4 day) course I acheived 3:30 sta and 93ft CWT. I could probably have hit 100ft if I was more relaxed and better at equalising. With your static, 30m is definitely going to be much more about being able to equalise than about holding your breath long enough to do the dive.