View Full Version : Free Diving
Does any know anything about free diving, or has anyone done any?
Is there any books that can be recommended?
thanks
Andy
I used to do a bit of free diving with my brother. I was always petrified of Shallow Water Blackout and never used to go below 10m but my bro was able to get to 25m. The most important part is training, swimming underwater lengths in the pool several times a week and learning to relax and ignore the need to breath - well to a point!!
http://http://www.amazon.com/Bluewater-Hunting-Free-Diving-Terry/dp/0964496607 (http://www.amazon.com/Bluewater-Hunting-Free-Diving-Terry/dp/0964496607)
This is an excellent book which although it focuses on spearfishing it has alot about freediving technique and you can swap the speargun for a camera as there are some good bits about stalking fish. There is also a video by this guy.
alexmaclennan
13-07-07, 10:03
Andy, Stuart did freediver training with ?Total Apnoea in Thailand and raves about it.
alex
Lizardland
13-07-07, 10:18
I do a bit of freediving and a bit of spearfishing. I love it, so much so that I'm spending a week on Islay and Jura in August to go freediving. Usually when I go shore diving I do an hour or so freediving beforehand.
I'd definitely say do a course, it improved my technique massively. From pootling about in 5-6m I had a huge jump in the depth I could achieve after the course. When I'm diving regularly I can get into the 30's. The other thing, as mentioned above, is safety. Training raises a lot of safety issues that you'd probably miss just doing it on your own.
A good set of kit makes a difference, especially a freediving wetsuit rather than just a regular diving wetsuit. Long fins help but a decent pair of full foot fins are alright. Also, freediving masks are better than just a low volume diving mask, you get even less squeeze but they can be uncomfortable after a while. I've got an Omer Alien mask which I really like (cheap too, about £17) and an Aquasphera wraparound mask which is brilliant but causes a lot of visual distortion.
I did a write-up of the course I did:
http://www.lizardland.co.uk/free/freedive-01.htm
http://www.lizardland.co.uk/free/freedive-02.htm
http://www.lizardland.co.uk/free/freedive-03.htm
http://www.lizardland.co.uk/free/freedive-04.htm
http://www.lizardland.co.uk/free/freedive-05.htm
There are a couple of places in the UK that run courses, both dahn saff unfortunately.
Cheers,
Stuart
Brilliant blog Stuart, shame about the colours (my eyes feel all funny)
I wont have time for a course here, maybe when I'm down under.
I used to do a bit of free diving with my brother. I was always petrified of Shallow Water Blackout and never used to go below 10m but my bro was able to get to 25m. The most important part is training, swimming underwater lengths in the pool several times a week and learning to relax and ignore the need to breath - well to a point!!
http://http://www.amazon.com/Bluewater-Hunting-Free-Diving-Terry/dp/0964496607 (http://www.amazon.com/Bluewater-Hunting-Free-Diving-Terry/dp/0964496607)
This is an excellent book which although it focuses on spearfishing it has alot about freediving technique and you can swap the speargun for a camera as there are some good bits about stalking fish. There is also a video by this guy.
£40 for a book about how to kill fishes underwater, err, no.
is this you taking up free diving cause i've got your cylinders? :p
is this you taking up free diving cause i've got your cylinders? :p
LMAO. nah, the water depth around my new workplace is only 20-23m deep, and they dont have a diving compressor, so's I'm thinking after a while I'll get bored with the snorkling and surfing, so free diving my be a laugh....
is this you taking up free diving cause i've got your cylinders? :p
Does this include a 15L and a pony? :confused:
Does this include a 15L and a pony? :confused:
Dont worry dude, long story, but we're still on track for the end of the month.
now this is right up my street, Ice free diving
ji9BjZwjh_Q
thats is so cool...
Great vid -think i'd be happpier with a drysuit and a tank strapped to my back. Ice diving is definately on my to-do list, one of these day's.