saltFree UK National Freediving Championships 2004

CLOSING DATE

is tomorrow... ie send me your entry form TODAY if you want to be IN....


If you haven't got time to post it, you can email it and then send one in the post with your signature on.

let me know if you want to come but can't get the form in on time for any reason

Sam

I have been asked to point out that YES the closing date for the saltfree UK Nationals REALLY is tomorrow. Any entries postmarked after 31st March and/or emailed after 1st April will not be considered eligible so please get them in on time. I am aware that the Cyprus deadline got extended but due to safety diver scheduling, NDC deadlines and a huge list of things that we cannot do until we know how many people are coming - we are NOT going to be flexible on this. Forms can be posted to the address on the form or emailed to me at this address. Entry form is on www.saltfreeopen.com until the end of tomorrow when it will be taken down.
You can also now see the RULES for this AIDA UK competition on the same website.

thanks

Sam

the good ship saltfree

or "Europa!" (we dive her) is under construction

this is gonna make one hell of a dive platform - here is stage two of her construction - stage 3 will be to board over at least half of it so we don't all fall in between the fingers

BIG BIG thanks to the national diving centre for all their help
www.nationaldivingcentre.com

it was for a few minutes but its sorted now...

Wow, looks fantastic. Plenty of room for those patio heaters and coffee machines

Well done one and all.....

Donna

Entries

are now closed... if you want to see who you will be up (or should that be down?) against... check out the competitor list on

www.salfreeopen.com

18 guys, 8 girls.... 8 team places and two National Champions to decide on.....

who will it be? the murky depths of NDC and the warm blue water of the Chepstow Marriott will decide...

thank god that bits over.. now I can get on with the actual organising!

Sam x

Rules

Rules for the saltFree UK National Freediving Championships are now posted on
www.saltfreeopen.com

Please make yourself familiar with them and ask if you have any questions.


Please note that YOU WILL HAVE TO HAVE A LANYARD! details of what it should be like are in the Rules.

we have a couple available to borrow in case of emergency, or in case yours does not comply with the rules - but you should have your own.

If you need advice on this, drop me an email.

We will provide FHOF wrist straps for the competition zone

thanks

Sam

room share?

Emma Farrell is looking for someone to share a room with on the Friday and Saturday nights of the comp

If you are interested please email me

thanks

Sam

LATE ENTRY

Informed sources have revealed to this journalist that an ursine competitor is making his way to the UK Nationals even as I type these words. Travelling incognito, and incommunicado, and by unconventional means. This is a formidable contender - depths and times well beyond any achieved by the others on the posted list.

MIght also be looking for lodging on arrival - I don't have details on this as my source was rather terse. Does not snore, or monopolize the loo, so others looking for a roomie might see a ray of light here.

Question is - will this dark horse, so to speak, get there in time ?

Stay tuned.....



Paul Kotik
Medillin, Colombia

LANYARDS - IMPORTANT

As you will know from having read the Rules on the www.saltfreeopen.com home page, every constant weight dive must be made on a lanyard. Details of how these should be constructed are included in the rules.

You will need to make absolutely sure that your lanyard can clip and unclip easily on to a 14 ml rope. This is quite a thick rope and not all of them do. You will need a large carabiner with a wide opening gate. If in any doubt, bring your lanyard to a training session and try it. You can always buy a new carabiner at NDC. Judges will be checking lanyards at the briefing on the 21st May.

any questions - you know where I am

Sam

i've checked the AIDA rules... it seems that AIDA do not require a quick release mechanism near the wrist? AIDA seems to think it's good enough for the release point to be the karabiner around the rope?.... :head

I've thought about that to Alun - personally, and not knowing an awful lot about freediving, I would have thought common sense would suggest you should have a quick release, ie an easily breakable connection, around/near the wrist. I thought maybe I was just being silly and ultra cautious so I'm glad you raised the point

Donna

all the ones we use have a slip noose around the wrist so you can either clip it off the rope of slip it off your wrist

those were ok with the judges in Cyprus - I'd like to see how you have rigged yours with a clip on the wrist as I haven't yet worked out an easy way of doing that

thanks

Sam

here is the lanyard i now use...
1m thick strimmer wire crimped onto two steel rings. velcro wrist strap (made for DIY - hanging ladders) with quick release shackle and toggle. the toggle sits in the palm of the hand or between thumb and forefinger. you can release it with one hand without even looking. this set-up has worked very well for us....

the large steel ring could be replaced with a karabiner. the most important part is the quick release clip near the wrist.

you'll notice that the velcro strap doesn't sit flat. there is white taped 'tab' which you can pull should you need another way to release yourself from the lanyard.

Thanks Alun
looks kind of complicated... if anyone wants to make a batch of these and sell them at the comp let me know
Not sure I have time..

Sam

LANYARDS

hi everyone, as you know you will all need to supply your own lanyard for the competition. Alun, as safety officer of the BFA has asked me to share his thoughts on lanyards with you - here it is..

Hi all,

I've asked Sam Kirby if I could forward an important message to you all regarding safety. I'm doing this in my capacity as the Safety Officer of the BFA and as one of the competition judges.

Current AIDA rules state that a lanyard must have a karabiner around the rope. Unfortunately AIDA does not require lanyards to have a quick release mechanism. In my opinion, this is inadequate and I speak from experience! I would like to ask you all to consider modifying your lanyards to include a quick release mechanism that is located near the wrist. Rather than releasing the lanyard from the rope, you should aim to release yourself from the lanyard. Before I go on, I must stress that this modification is not compulsory, but is highly recommended.

Although lanyards are a great idea, they drastically increase the risk of entanglement, especially near the bottom of the rope. It's vital that you are able to release yourself from the lanyard if necessary. You should be able to release yourself using just one hand (the one the lanyard is attached to). Furthermore, you should be able to release it within 1-2secs and without having to look to see what you're doing. This is a drill that should be practiced on shallow dives on a regular basis.

The problem with having to release the lanyard from the rope is that it means you have to reach/swim down to grab the karabiner. Opening the gate and removing the karabiner requires dexerity, which could be very difficult in cold and dark water, especially when panicking. It is also likely to be a two-handed task and you will need to see what you're doing. Furthermore, the karabiner is likely to be at the point of entanglement, making it even more difficult or even impossible to release the lanyard.

I'm not suggesting that you do away with the karabiner - only because the lanyards must still satisfy AIDA guidelines. I've attached a photo of the lanyard that I use myself. It shows the type of quick release clip I recommend, combined with a chunky plastic toggle. The lanyard is designed such that the toggle permanently sits in the palm of the hand making it easily accessible at all times. (As you'll see I choose to use a steel ring around the rope, rather than a karabiner. This is not an option for you as competitors. The lanyard itself is made from thick strimmer wire crimped onto the steel rings. This is all attached to a heavy duty velcro wrist strap.) These steel quick release clips can be found at most chandlers/yatching shops.

Another option for quick release clips are those plastic clips often found on rucksacks that can be squeezed (I forget what they're called). These are ok providing the clip is of very high quality and made from very tough plastic. The clip should be used in such a way that it can be released by the hand to which is attached, and that the clip can be accessed easily. In other words, it shouldn't positioned next to a surface (like your wetsuit). These requirements of course limit the ways in which they can be best used effectively. Overall I would recommend the steel clip rather than the plastic clips, simply because the steel clips have a true quick release action and they offer the quickest and easiest way of releasing your lanyard.

There should be some spare lanyards which have quick release clips available at the competition. However, I would recommend that you make your own. As I said earlier, be sure to practice using it on shallow dives and check the lanyard over for any defects at regular intervals.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, then please email myself (alun_george@hotmail.com) and Sam.

cheers

Alun

There is a picture of such a lanyard higher up on this forum. I made one and used it this weekend and it was great. You can find more info on lanyards in the Rules for the championships which are posted on
www.saltfreeopen.com

Judges will be around to check lanyards at registration

Sam

HELP!

Would you like to help out at the saltFree UK National Freedive Championships 22/23 May? If so please drop me an email. We urgently need safety freedivers for the warm up lines, safety "watchers" to sit on the pontoon and look over the warm up lines and various other jobs.
If it is like it was this weekend, you will get a great sun tan
Sam x

I'll help out working around my dive of course... Don't want a repeat performance

Donna