Hi guys. I'm writing exams now till the 25th. SO keep posting and I'll post as soon as I can again.
Keep posting your fave stories. Chewrio guys!!! cheers
Keep posting your fave stories. Chewrio guys!!! cheers
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What's the deepest dive you've done???
- Thread starterMozSpearer
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
I have to quit biting my tongue.
What is the purpose of this thread? All I can figure is that its to make those of us who don't dive very deep feel bad. Frankly, I'm disappointed that so many responded. I thought people knew better than to engage in irresponsible discussions such as this one.
I got to the bottom of the pool once, but I wasn't wearing a watch.
I'm 75 and have been spearfishing since I was 13. I didn't last this long by trying to match the claims of young studs about their deep dives. Your deepest dive is really irrelevant to me.
If you want to hear about my most memorable dive, it was when I had to recover the body of my friend who seemed to have exceeded his depth limits that day. I really remember that one.
How about we let this kid find some other diversion while he studies for his exams.
What is the purpose of this thread? All I can figure is that its to make those of us who don't dive very deep feel bad. Frankly, I'm disappointed that so many responded. I thought people knew better than to engage in irresponsible discussions such as this one.
I got to the bottom of the pool once, but I wasn't wearing a watch.
I'm 75 and have been spearfishing since I was 13. I didn't last this long by trying to match the claims of young studs about their deep dives. Your deepest dive is really irrelevant to me.
If you want to hear about my most memorable dive, it was when I had to recover the body of my friend who seemed to have exceeded his depth limits that day. I really remember that one.
How about we let this kid find some other diversion while he studies for his exams.
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Agree in principle Bill. But I also think a lot of this threads demonstrates the cultural prejudice many spearos seem to feel towards pure apnea and/or depth & static training. Its somehow 'uncool' to talk about depth, or even depth training, in spearo circles - but 'cool' to talk about wrestling a 'XXX kg' fish out from under a rock at 10m even if it pushes you right to the edge. I have a cobwebbed speargun under my bed, but prefer the depth disciplines for reasons of my own. But the reality is that almost all the physiological and mental techniques and intel that freedivers, - including spearos - rely on has been generated by the selfsame 'depth junkies' the spearo board tends to take issue with. Take a dive t0 30m: a spearo stops and hunts laterally from there, a depth guy pushes on to 'X', each surfacing under the similar stress. Logic dictates that the best policy is to get both to that 30m junction (and back) as efficiently as possible, and this relies on generally established principles. No, what's been missing from this thread - at least for me - has been any calm, unbiased advice telling this kid to go and learn HOW to dive deep/long properly before he hurts himself. And that's a pity. Cheers & dive safe
"Cultural prejudice" caused by the tragic loss of life, which those who have been around longer than a few years (& tears??) "HAVE" real life experience with? Yes, it is uncool to discuss depth or time in my own clique, it has been since some tragic deaths in the 60's & then since the emergence of "apnea ("extreme" self promotion)" down here in the late 90's. It is discouraged, particularly if it is boastful or likely to encourage new or young spearo's to take risks. We concentrate on teaching fishing skills & explain that depth & breath, is something that will come with time, with experience & with "PATIENCE!" I could mention names of some of those lost & many of these fine folk did have the very BEST access to expert advice & training, but out of respect, I won't. Each one is a tragedy, moreso because it takes our best.
How are you going to get "calm unbiased advice" on an internet forum, when its difficult to distinguish between those who have some real life experience & those who have just been around for a couple of years ? What in your opinion is "deep/long" ? Personally I have very little interest in spearing fish below 20m these days & most of the fish which I'm the most interested in can be speared in the top 10 m of the water column so long as I'm "fishing" wise & well.
I have already said on this thread that there is no way that I would ever support a spearfishing organisation to formally become involved with apnea type events. If folks want to participate in this recreation then more power to you, but please stay away from spearfishing. IMO apnea is a "poison chalice" to spearfishing. Fortunately, I also see the "future leaders" in spearfishing sharing the same outlook on apnea as the previous couple of generations, so thankfully its not just us "grey beards".
Cheers Sharkey
It is sadly funny that you are blaming apnea as the cause of many death in spearfishing. I would "blame" the player not the game to be honest.
you Don t talk about depth in your spearfishing group to avoid people getting tempted to emulate. well I think it looks like putting your head under the sand and pretending things do not happen just because you don't mention them. last I find it amusing when you say spearfishing and apnea should be kept separated. its like talking about winter biathlon and keeping the rifle separated from the athlete. my two worthless cents.
PJB: "No, what's been missing from this thread - at least for me - has been any calm, unbiased advice telling this kid to go and learn HOW to dive deep/long properly before he hurts himself. And that's a pity. Cheers & dive safe"
I do not think it is helpful to tell inexperienced people they are kids, claiming a superior position. What usually results is either quitting - another smothered interest, or going to experiment alone - being alienated by the brotherhood's etiquette where one does not speak of forbidden and tabooed joys.
Unbiased Advice.
Use the search function, there is Unbiased advice teaching new divers how to dive deep, long and safe, on the freediving forum. Though I must say most advice is limited to: " never dive alone, do a freediving course ". I partly agree with this advice, because safety is a very practical thing that needs to be learned by doing.
Still there is room for safety instruction through a forum, explaining how the body works, and explaining what to do and not to do before and during dives. For example what is hyperventilation, and why modern freedivers avoid it. This simple tip increases safety with the novice. Just like the one of having a close buddy and how you watch each other, what to look for how and what to do.
There are many more insights and questions that help novices greatly, they just need to do some searching and asking. I believe that a welcoming and respectful of their needs forum ambiance contributes greatly to safety and more skilled buddies to share our passion with. I believe experienced divers should help create a safe and inviting environment for new people to experiment in. In my view condemning beginners for their need to explore and measure their limits is not a respectful and productive way to get more and safer diving buddies. I think it's a knee jerk reaction that assumes young people cannot carry responsibility for their own lives. To this I say maybe they cannot because they have not been given the practice of assuming response-ability? Or maybe they do not value their lives, because their choices where not theirs?
Another personal story.
I now have been freediving for close to a decade, I've experimented lots, have done courses, freediving competitions, national records, tv appearances, instruction. From the beginning on I had a difficult time knowing my limits, in combination with strong will to improve my abilities. I trained with the help of buddies, allowing me to push myself, and improve and experiment. However I had a hard time knowing where the limits to BO where. Slowly I got better at judging my body, and now I can go to the limit and return just under the edge of samba if I want such a dive. I know my sensation trajectory well and have enough consistency to feel safe and confident. Had I simply had no instruction, and no room to explore, I would have learned a lot less, and I would not become passionate or skilled at freediving. I'm glad I did not listen to my parents, and others who see diving on breath-hold as a mental disease thrill seeking suicidal endeavour. Freediving has taught me much more then how to dive, it did so through having me experience extremes. Visiting extremes has value. Let's not become afraid of them, let's appreciate and use these joys and pains to learn and teach, not avoidance but to raise our attention in presence of dangerous situations.
I don't know if anyone likes the stuff I write, but it helps me to formulate and structure my thoughts, and hopefully it helps others too.
I do not think it is helpful to tell inexperienced people they are kids, claiming a superior position. What usually results is either quitting - another smothered interest, or going to experiment alone - being alienated by the brotherhood's etiquette where one does not speak of forbidden and tabooed joys.
Unbiased Advice.
Use the search function, there is Unbiased advice teaching new divers how to dive deep, long and safe, on the freediving forum. Though I must say most advice is limited to: " never dive alone, do a freediving course ". I partly agree with this advice, because safety is a very practical thing that needs to be learned by doing.
Still there is room for safety instruction through a forum, explaining how the body works, and explaining what to do and not to do before and during dives. For example what is hyperventilation, and why modern freedivers avoid it. This simple tip increases safety with the novice. Just like the one of having a close buddy and how you watch each other, what to look for how and what to do.
There are many more insights and questions that help novices greatly, they just need to do some searching and asking. I believe that a welcoming and respectful of their needs forum ambiance contributes greatly to safety and more skilled buddies to share our passion with. I believe experienced divers should help create a safe and inviting environment for new people to experiment in. In my view condemning beginners for their need to explore and measure their limits is not a respectful and productive way to get more and safer diving buddies. I think it's a knee jerk reaction that assumes young people cannot carry responsibility for their own lives. To this I say maybe they cannot because they have not been given the practice of assuming response-ability? Or maybe they do not value their lives, because their choices where not theirs?
Another personal story.
I now have been freediving for close to a decade, I've experimented lots, have done courses, freediving competitions, national records, tv appearances, instruction. From the beginning on I had a difficult time knowing my limits, in combination with strong will to improve my abilities. I trained with the help of buddies, allowing me to push myself, and improve and experiment. However I had a hard time knowing where the limits to BO where. Slowly I got better at judging my body, and now I can go to the limit and return just under the edge of samba if I want such a dive. I know my sensation trajectory well and have enough consistency to feel safe and confident. Had I simply had no instruction, and no room to explore, I would have learned a lot less, and I would not become passionate or skilled at freediving. I'm glad I did not listen to my parents, and others who see diving on breath-hold as a mental disease thrill seeking suicidal endeavour. Freediving has taught me much more then how to dive, it did so through having me experience extremes. Visiting extremes has value. Let's not become afraid of them, let's appreciate and use these joys and pains to learn and teach, not avoidance but to raise our attention in presence of dangerous situations.
I don't know if anyone likes the stuff I write, but it helps me to formulate and structure my thoughts, and hopefully it helps others too.
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Kars, Sharkey, you both seem to miss the core of my point - which is that a relatively inexperienced spearo innocently asked OTHER SPEAROS to share experiences on deeper diving. Instead of answering him in a balanced way or offering advice on how to approach depth and training, most of what he got was a barrage of comments about why his very question 'had no place on the spearo board'. Yes Kars, there's lots of info on depth on the apnea board - but he asked his fellow spearos. Maybe because it would have been 'uncool' to take advice from depth freaks, perhaps? Unhelpful to say the least, and all I've tried to do is question the unfortunate and misdirected prejudice behind this pressure. Advances in understanding the physiological effects of apnea is being driven by depth athletes, and everyone benefits. I just can't get my head around the seemingly fashionable prejudice against understanding depth training better even when it's no different to chasing fish right to the limit. Or wait, maybe THAT'S the 'cool' part. ..
This is not "prejudice" against apnea. It is an opinion based upon actual experience, not preconceived ideas. The empirical evidence is that we loose fine young folk whenever there is an increase in the popularity or profile of "APNEA" type events. Down here when spearfishing was at the height of its popularity & participation I can't recall a single death from shallow water blackout. With the arrival of apnea in the wave of new "extreme sports" in the mid 90's, we started loosing divers for the first time since the 60's when "apnea" was also a fad for a while.
Cheers Sharkey
I do agree that we shouldn't call people kids just because they are inexperienced, but this kid's profile says he is 15. Sorry, but from my perspective, that's a kid. And when the kid starts a thread by telling us how deep and how long his best dive was, then that makes me very uncomfortable.
Hi everyone. Thank you for you input everyone. I agree that I am young and relatively inexperienced. I wasn't trying to get super deep secrets all I wanted was people to share their special dives. But I agree with the big safety issue. I wasn't trying to mix apnea with spearing. Sorry for that. I didn't mean for this thread to become such a ''heated'' discussion. SOrry about that everyone.
I'd prefer if you all could STILL post your favourite or special SPEARING stories for enjoyment of all without mentioning figures of course.
Thanks guys!
Hey 'Mozzie'. No need to apologise - to anyone. Your request was an innocent attempt at getting some discussion going about how to approach depth. Pity it got the treatment it received when all you needed was guidance and perhaps some mentoring. Here's what I recommend you do: if you ever get a chance try make it to Port Elizabeth. There you'll find a (seemingly rare) duo in the form of an apnea instructor that's (what????) joined forces with a world class spearo and spearfishing mentor to deliver exactly the message and training you need. Got to Umberto Pelizzari's 'Apnea Academy' web site, click on the 'Instructor' tab and follow the directions to find details for a guy called 'Bruce Mills'. He's the apnea guy who'll teach you how to dive and train properly, and safely. He'll then hook you up with his partner 'Gletwyn Rubidge', who'll teach you how to hunt. Best of luck and keep safe. Cheers!
Sorry Mozzie - a final PS before I quit this thread for good: there's no such thing as 'mixing apnea and spearing'. Spearos are apneists by definition (though it seems some forget this). Spearing is a task-based form of apnea - ie a hunt. And the 'numbers' you spearos chase are in kgs or centimeters of fish shot, whereas a depth apneists generally chase 2 things: most of them seek out the special physical and mental sensations that only come with deeper dives (and training for depth), but a relatively small number seek out competition either in the pool or the ocean, which is purely numbers and a different matter altogether. But let no one tell you apnea and spearing are somehow 'different'. The sport needs more, not less, crossover.
Not really. What it said was
"So I'd like to hear from as many spearos and freedivers what is the deepest they've dived. Under what conditions? It can also be a dive you did under difficult conditions..."
and then went on to say "tell me your stories."
There was no request for information on how to approach depth, no request for advice of any kind. It was just "tell me how deep you dive." And that is why it concerned me. It was just a kid asking for stories.
I think that most of us who have stories that we are willing to tell have already told them. If you want to read my stories, then do a search for my name. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm not willing to take the time to repeat them all in this thread for your convenience.
Hey Manalive. Sorry, seems I inadvertent perpetrated identity. Tell you what, if you were born before '69 I'll defer to prior rights! If not then I'm gonna hang on - even if just to deflect the barbed comments your way... Cheers!