Free Diving with Scooters - The test series

[Mo2vation]

We did a series of test shots back in July when we were on Catalina. I haven't done anything with them until last week when I was sick and I wasn't diving.

The water wasn't clear at all - so much schmutz in the water, and the current was ripping. I was on OC Scuba, kicking against the current in the dirty water, breathing pretty hard, etc, etc... OY.

We're gonna re-shoot these in March with some major modifications to the snorkel rig. I can't wait. She's gonna be a sleek black rocket in the water.

Here's the preview of things to come in 45 days....

Many thanks to Claudette for being the world's perfect underwater subject. Nearly all of my favorite shots have YOU in them.


Ken


==============================

The Drop - Getting down to depth is so smooth and so FAST when in just a wetsuit and a scooter.





Cruzin' By




The day before (in perfect conditions... figures) we did the camera-less trials with weightbelts. On this day we tried the weighted plates we use, just pulling off the wing. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!






Cruzin' Back





Chica coming around the kelp. I love this shot, as it really shows off our SoCal Kelp. This summer was cooler than most, so there was no big Kelp die off. These were shot in late July and the kelp is still lush.





There she goes. Buh Bye!

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

 

[Cacia]

thats not DIR

you have too much fun

I hate you

be careful, don't want to leave those bunnies without a breadwinner

 

[Mo2vation]

Having fun is not DIR?

I choose fun and give up my decoder ring.




---
Ken

 

[TSandM]

Dive X-tras really ought to buy some of these, Ken.

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Dive X-tras really ought to buy some of these, Ken.

I need an X-Snorkle! Black (obviously), and one that can withstand the hurly-burly of 60 lbs of thrust hauling my neoprened carcass around at light speed. Check the outward wrenching-bend of the snorkle in some of the shots!

It probably needs a second snorkle keeper holding it to the back of my mask strap.

I want to do this again so intensely that my vital signs are badly skewed.

oh, baby, that was fun.... :14:

Thank you for these summer surprises in the depths of winter, Ken!
Wonderfully composed photographs, and gorgeous you-are-there, true-to-life colors.

~~~~
'Chica

 

[Kevfin]

Many thanks to Claudette for being the world's perfect underwater subject. Nearly all of my favorite shots have YOU in them.

Claudette's enthusiasm bubbles through on every photograph you have ever taken of her. The scooter'ing ones are no different.

You both are very fortunate.

Now I have to apply at Domino's and save my tips for an X-Scooter.

 

[OceanObsessed]

Nice pictures!
I just got into scooter freediving too. It's really a blast! I also took a camera with me last time but my pics did not turn out nearly as nice as yours. I've been using a Mako scooter and something tells me that x-scooter is much faster.

 

[Mo2vation]

Nice pictures!
I just got into scooter freediving too. It's really a blast! I also took a camera with me last time but my pics did not turn out nearly as nice as yours. I've been using a Mako scooter and something tells me that x-scooter is much faster.

But I know this - there is a HUGE difference in the speed of the scoot with a drysuit and full kit and a free-diving wetsuit.

Its so fast in the Wetsuit. You gotta try it with the weighted plate if you can. It made such a difference in the drop (I only have an 8# weight belt - my weighted plate weighs about 13.5!!) and I was able to get to depth (25 to 30 feet) faster and was just more stable.

I also learned something else - I a SO not a free diver. The people that do this regularly and train for it are very special. My total time on each breath was very, very short - so having the scoot made me feel more like a free diver, as I was able to get deeper and travel further on a breath hold than I ever could just finning it.

I can't wait until March - we're gonna have 3 days to get into some clean water and really do this right - black wetsuit, clear mask, smaller fins, rash guard over the plate, and more.

It is fun, isn't it??!!

---
Ken

 

[Cacia]

I might need to buy one.

Do you use a spotter?

I'd be afraid my friends would borrow it and kill themselves shooting for 250. It would be an alternative to a sled, yea? oh no, I think a new x sport was just birthed. this solves my issue of having to buy two, though.

 

[Mo2vation]

I might need to buy one.

Do you use a spotter?

I'd be afraid my friends would borrow it and kill themselves shooting for 250. It would be an alternative to a sled, yea? oh no, I think a new x sport was just birthed. this solves my issue of having to buy two, though.

We sort of spot each other when we're together. We don't go to great depths or anything - mostly because we can't (speaking mostly for me here) breath hold for that long. The Scoots are fast, but not brick-on-a-cable fast.


When we're both free diving with scoots:

Never, ever, ever freedive UNDER the kelp. We only breath hold in the channels of the kelp with a clear, large and unencumbered access to the surface.

Always dive (better: drop) together. We may surface at different moments (she can hold her breath longer than I can) but we always drop together - so we always know where each other are (nice sentance, Ken - but you get the idea...)


When I'm shooting and she's free diving:

Again: never, never free dive UNDER the Kelp.

I always watch her descend. I may be underwater on Open Circuit so I can get the shot, but I will always see her descend. She may never drop if my eyes aren't on her. In fact, I usually cue her drop.

I always have a scooter with me when I shoot her. I have it clipped off, but I have it with me. Its a pain, and it acts like a sail in the current, but if anything was to happen I can get to her much quicker with the scoot



Apart from that, its all about getting the shot and having fun.


---
Ken