I am new to this thread, and am posting for the first time.
My name is Scott McClarin (AKA: TBGSUB)
I Freedive/Spearfish/UW freedive Photography and have been doing so only for the last two years every weekend in Saipan, which Is why I posted here and not in the Dive forums.
just wanted to say HI and contribute my 2 cents for Trucker Girls quesitons about Freediving
Freediving is diving not snorkelling or free swimming, but unless you have tried to stay down at 20+ feet for nearly a minute SCUBA Divers wouldnt know the difference. Asphyxiation is not Apnea, nore do freedivers particularly enjoy asphyxiation. The goal is to avoid it long before that becomes and issue. with even light training you can hold your breath past 2 minutes sitting in a chair, and with practice you can do the same dynamically moving and diving reasonably down to 70ft with the right form, hopefully in good company.
the goal is to conserve oxygen by relaxing and moving as little as possible (recreationally speaking) Some are more depth purists, others are recreational divers. I would fall into the recreational category, while the depth and time oriented record keepers seem to collect the most attention with failed magic world record attempts (Kirk Krack trainer of famed magician whose name I cant remember off hand), and 10 minute static world record times by world renound europeans with headaches and muscle atrophy issues (whose names I also cannot recall). Im more familiar with the big names of freediving the people who started it in the US: Jack Prodonovich/Wally Potts, Not the exotic highbred (oops Hybrid, or was that freuidian) Newcomers who shatter records and take names and record places.
Dont be impressed by a time record that is in most cases inherently achieved at the benefit of genetic advantage. sure it is great for humanity to bask in the hubris of itself! Lance Armstrong (expanded heart/8Liter lungs/TENACITY to match/ bored of the competition till he is met with another genetic mutation 1/2 his age), or Umberto Pezzilari (same gifts applied differently) we can't all be genetically predisposed for extremes, and we can practically hope to meet those goals. The same can be said for famous equestrian thoroughbreds (Secretariat-expanded heart and larger than normal lung capacity)
dont be intimidated by the fanatics in this sport and seek out your personal stats: CO2 Max and Lung Capacity and resting heart rate. experiment with Yoga, deep breathing and focus on exhalation. you will find that there is much...much more to freediving than the act of holding your breath and being under the water.
I hope you try it out for yourself and see the difference from SCUBA. I am willing to bet that You literally breath better freediving than you do with SCUBA and your health benefits directly from it, because you will find that breathing is more importnat than the hold. regular freediving will probably improve your air consumption when diving on separate days. (best not to mix the two activities on the same day)
I recommend "Freedive" by Terry Maas and David Sipperly, you will be amazed at the ammount of information, even for its day.
best of luck. (sorry if it was more than just 2 cents)
