Restrictions on equipment (lenses, goggles, noseclips)?

[ApneaBlue]

I vote for fluid goggles. when diving deep masks is sheeeeeeeit (bet the curse filter didn't catch that!") I mean, really....what are you trying to prove by diving with a mask anyway?

 

[CEngelbrecht]

Summary of dos and donts

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what are you trying to prove by diving with a mask anyway?
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1) That people should be able to master the mask technique in a competition.
2) That it's unfair for poor people that rich people can buy a pair of special goggles and get a benefit.
3) That there are safety risks if the goggles misfits and people can't see where they are going.
4) That there's a level of nostalgia wishing to keep the air mask in the equation. Children learn to snorkel with air masks, which is why adults should make a good example and show how much you can do with this piece of gear.

That's the traditional arguments (or some of them, don't know if I forgot any).

Still, I don't think they really link up, taking them one at a time:
1) You can say that there's now restriction on viewing equipment but not on propulsion equipment. You can also say that current rules place restrictions of technique on viewing equipment (one must equalize a mask), but not on propulsion equipment (one can now choose between dolphin kick or flutter kick, mono or bi). This breaks the principle of using the same solution model on similar choices.
2) The price of a pair of fluid goggles and a clip is nothing compared to the price of a smoothskin suit or a carbon monofin. Rich people will always have a benefit. Again, it breaks the principle of using the same solution models on similar choices.
3) The safety risks are always there with waterfilled masks etc. The new safety lanyard hugely minimizes getting lost from the line and therefore this argument is out of date.

4) All that's left is an ammount of nostalgia to air masks and the good example argument. Nostalgia I don't want to get in the way of good progress, and the good example thing sounds a little silly to me; it can be just as good an example to see a freediver use a pair of fluid goggles (like it can be with Lance Armstrong on a superbike as opposed to the kid's three-wheeler). On the other way around, kids seeing these kinds of advanced pieces could get them excited about the game, if this is the focus (like the superbike can).

Personally, I don't see reasons anymore to keep goggles and clips out of the game.

Chris Engelbrecht, Copenhagen

 

[noa]

I can't understand people standing in the way of progress (unless there is some unknown personal benefit in doing so). every sport has technical equipment, from huge tech sports such as F1 or Americas Cup yachts to... swimming. yeah, you used to just wear a simple bathing suit, not anymore. why should technology not be used for advancement, it's absurd not to in our era. anyway the team or person with more money ALWAYS has an advantage, it's really naive to think otherwise. if it is'nt because they have better equipment then it will be because they can afford a better coach and better training facilities, or a whole team of diverse coaches and doctors to train them using expensive equipment to monitor technique and progress, or more training because they don't need to work for a living or a million other factors. that's just the way it is. sure talent comes number one but then you have to build on that with every possible means and equipment is one of those means. if you really want the "fair for everyone on an equipment basis" stance then only finless, suitless, maskless, constant weight should be allowed. back to the basics, just a little swimming costume on...
delphicly, Noa

 

[Walrus]

All this talk of fluid goggles against use of mask. Don't forget there are cheaper alternatives, that pretty much anyone can afford to use no excuse. Pipe mask or pipe goggles are easy to make, starting from just 30 minutes of work glueing a few hoses, and just $15 US in terms of cost. That's still a lot cheaper then most low volume masks ?!

Yes I am one of those people that cannot equalise hand's free, and feel this is a huge disadavantage under the current rules !:duh

Cheers,
Wal

 

[stevevidar]

With the equipment rules being less restrictive for non-competition record attempts than competitions, it makes the likely hood of records and even record attempts, in competitions less. I think this is bad for the sport! It takes away from the prestige and excitement of the competitions. People devote hours of their volunteer time to help put on the competition, the media is invited, and then some of the best don’t even show up because they are busy training for non-competition record attempts because they are allowed to use goggles and nose clips!

 

[Kirk Krack]

I personnally and CAFA has always voted for no equipment restrictions. Unfortunately the majority of AIDA members last vote didn't agree. So at this point in time we train constant with masks and set WR constant ballast dives in competition with them (93m Martin Stepanek) until otherwise.

Democracy sucks when the majority go against you, but it's better than have one person dictate what they think you should like and dislike.

I'm glad to see Chris and Jorg leading some AIDA By-Laws 101 class and I hope there are more questions. Knowledge is power, first find the facts.

In my opinion, the hardest working person in freediving right now is Sebastien Nagel. Most of you don't see how much time, effort and personal sacrifice Colonel Nagel (Swiss military) puts into AIDA and how little appreciation he gets back. Freediving is where it's at because of people like him, yet rarely will anyone thank him for the job he's done. AIDA is where it is because of him and in my opinion, it's the strongest it's ever been.


Sincerely,

 

[cebaztian]

I am very pleased with myself.
Just got down to 44 meters on breaststroke with a mask.

I like the mask

I like the fact that snorklers and ordinary people can relate to what we are doing.

Sebastian

 

[donmoore]

Sebastian,
By breast stoke, do you mean no-fins cb? 44 – meters is awesome! You must be equalizing hand free to do that.

I recently have been having more success with hand free equalization and I am reaching for regular mask verses the goggles and nose clip, in the pool, because I like the challenge of hands free equalization. I’m good at it about 40% of the time now, but I can at least do it enough to start my dives with and use a two-arm pull. If I need to I stop my left hand at my nose when bringing them forward, but it’s an awesome feeling when the ears are popping and I can lead with both hands. I can’t wait to try it ocean as soon as we get some good weather here.
don

 

[cebaztian]

Yes thats what I am saying - one can actually learn hands free equalization and that is part of the performance/skill.

 

[efattah]

Not everyone can learn hands free equalization. Just think of the poor people who have such tight eustachian tubes they can barely descend feet first in scuba, at 10cm/s, equalizing with good frenzel?

Giving advantage to hands free equalizers is giving a bias towards genetics.

In other words, if you have blue eyes, you get an extra 10 points.

Eric Fattah
BC, Canada