Am I crazy or is this realistic?

[gbrandon]

I was recently scuba diving off the menocino coast in california and saw some great size abalone. Since you are only allowed to free dive for abalone, I had a question.

I found the granddaddy of them all around 45-50' deep and 200 yards offshore near a rock formation jutting out of the water. What I want to do is try to freedive for it. (or one of the many large ones that were around the "biggie". Does anyone have a good link or info for learning to freedive to greater depths? Currently, i freedive for abs to about 15 or so feet. Ive been running alot more to increase my cardio (I already work out at the gym 5 days a week so Im in great shape) but I think I need some actual water work to help my breath holds. Anyone have any suggestions?
Does holding your breath repeatedly help increase breath holding?

Also, do you think the following scenario would work;

float out to the rock formation with my ab float. anchor down.
take a piece of rope from a reel or spool and attach it to my weight belt and attach the spool/reel to my ab float. Dive down with my ab iron, get the ab, ditch my weight, and swim to the surface. When on the surface, use the reel/spool to retrieve my weight belt. Do you think surfacing without the weight belt is a bad idea due to too fast of a ascent? Since im breathholding at the surface, I shouldnt have to worry about air expansion injuries correct? What about a air embolism? Am I out of my mind here?

 

[joens]

http://www.freediver.net/freedivelist/index.html
and there is a freediving and a california hunting section on http://www.spearboard.com/forum/ .
Joens

 

[SpyderTek]

gbrandon once bubbled...
Also, do you think the following scenario would work;

float out to the rock formation with my ab float. anchor down.
take a piece of rope from a reel or spool and attach it to my weight belt and attach the spool/reel to my ab float. Dive down with my ab iron, get the ab, ditch my weight, and swim to the surface. When on the surface, use the reel/spool to retrieve my weight belt. Do you think surfacing without the weight belt is a bad idea due to too fast of a ascent? Since im breathholding at the surface, I shouldnt have to worry about air expansion injuries correct? What about a air embolism? Am I out of my mind here?

This is almost exactly the meathod used by the record breaking freedivers. They use a giant weight with a hand grip on a pully system to pull them down ultra fast (record is over 600' at this point) then use a lift bag teathered at the bottom of the pully system to rappidly carry them back to the surface.

Still, I wouldnt even THINK about trying this or any "assisted" free diving below what I was able to do comfortably un-assisted unless I was already in the same class as those who do this sort of diving.

Spydertek

 

[crispos]

Better free-divers than I can respond to you. But having spearfished alone off many many reefs to 70 feet depth, it is apparent to me:

1) This is a serious thing, doing assisted (variable ballast) free-diving.
Yes, this is the classic way of sponge or pearl divers. Grab a rock, jump off, and equalize like crazy as you go down. But the chance for error (tangling your foot in the line just as you push off) is great. Bring a buddy, preferably one who is an experienced free diver.

2) At 33 feet your thoracic cavity is shrinking and filling full of blood to compensate for the 2 Atm external pressure and 1 Atm of air you took in. The partial pressure of N2 has doubled and yes, you are in-gassing.
But given the relatively short exposure time and shallow depth, you do not saturate enough to risk bubble formation on the way up. Embolism?
I suppose that risk is there any time when we rising going from pressure.

3) The chance of shallow water blackout is high. This is caused by consuming O2 at depth and dropping the PO2 enough, so that on ascent, the PO2 drops below a hypoxic level (12%?). Very dangerous. In addition, the chance of rupturing an ear drum on the descent is there. Bring a buddy (on scuba?) who is in the water and watching you closely.

I think if your maximum depth is 15 feet now, you should practice doing a length in the pool underwater, then two lengths, etc, before you attempt this.

Is abalone that good to eat? I always wondered.

 

[Straggler Dave]

crispos once bubbled...
you should practice doing a length in the pool underwater, then two lengths, etc

...But do NOT try this without supervision.

IMO, just go freediving. Find a buddy and a site with a depth of around 10 meters. Make your next session 15m, then 20m. Then you should be right for 15m with a little extra exertion on the bottom.

 

[jiveturkey]

I'd be wary of the weight thing too. Unless you can equalise very quickly, you could really damage your ears.

 

[kelpdiver]

If you bring a buddy on scuba, don't bring up the Ab or you're asking for a major fine! And don't think Fish and Game would buy your story about a safety diver.

Crispos, sounds like you're a better freediver that many of us who take abs. You should come out to CA and taste them for yourself!