Static or Dynamic?

[ickledevil]

As most of you know Im more a spearfisherman than an out and out freediver, but love the water as much as anyone here. Well Im finally doing some training again after the winter, injurys etc.
My question is whats the best way to improve my downtime and depth ability? Does practicing statics improve dynamics and indeed vice versa, Im not bothered whether I can only do a 3min static as long as I can perform underwater. I generally dive no deeper than 15m (Im in Britain, after that theres no light and nothing to see) but would like to be confident of more. My down time is usually only about a minute and this I want to improve on, Im getting some tuition as such on technique but are there any exercises that fit into my life that I can do while dry? (see last post). Cheers Joe.
n.b I try to9 dive most weekends but usually manage every fortnight as I live 200miles from the coast. DOH!

 

[Walrus]

Hi ickledevil,

If you had to pick one I think practising dynamics should help you improve better in general. Having said that Statics are a really good starting point helping you to focus on proper breathing and relaxation. Once you get the hang of statics and start doing some longer times ie have built up some CO2 tollerance and can relax underwater then I don't think it's as critical to do them all the time. (Unless off course you are practising them for a comp)

One thing I do is combine them, after all when spearing you will spend some time on the bottom either not moving or moving very slowly. ie at a pool, after I have warmed up doing some 50m laps under water, I do a minute to a minute & half breath hold and then do 50m.

It's not as difficult as it sounds, I find that after a 30 second breathhold my heartrate has come down and so then when I do the swim I'm more relaxed.

I also live inland, about a 2 hour drive from the coast, the dynamic training I have done in the pool has helped heaps. You should really concentrate on proper breathing & relaxation under water, quality not quantity !

I remember in the beginning I used to force myself to try and do at least a minute on every dive. This is stupid as the last 15 seconds I wasn't really enjoying it so what was the point of it ?

Later I just tried to stay relaxed and not worry too much about the time and just enjoy myself. To my suprise within a year of diving, 1 minute dives became 1 and a half, but a comfortable, relaxed and enjoyable minute and a half....

Now I keep a timer to make sure I don't stay down too long, rather then not long enough.

That's my 2 cents worth,
Wal