training or lack of...

The last two attempts at getting to Lake Taupo to train in more than 20m of water have died a miserable death with pretty horrendous weather. Who ever heard of a lake with 1.5m swells due to 50 knot winds! Next weekend we have a competition in the lake over three days with an opportunity to do constant weight with and without fins as well as free immersion. I haven't dived deep for about 5 weeks and have no idea what to nominate - whether to go safe or just trust myself to pull out some big dives that I haven't done before. I know I've got the breath hold and have been practising my equalisation by doing exhale dives to between 10-20m around Wellington. I'm also getting a bit more confidence at depth: my point of anxiety is now at around 40m rather than 15! The national records are all easily within reach now, which is nice. We're also going to have the 20/20 film crew there so I don't want to do anything stupid and have it recorded and shown on national TV. I've never done free immersion past about 10m so if I have to repeat one of the other events then I can leave the FIM for the Bahamas. I guess I'll decide over the next few days. Hopefully the weather will finally be good for us next weekend - all our depth competitions seems to be held in cyclonic conditions!!!

Can't wait to get to the Bahamas where I won't have to worry about the cold, the thermoclines, the swell size, etc. I'll probably overheat instead, like in Slovenia! Just wish I could spend more time there! Although, I think I was lucky to get any time off work at all after last year's 10 weeks in Europe. My boss is very supportive. Hopefully I'll be able to do some work in the afternoons and on rest days in the Bahamas so I don't need to take so much unpaid leave. It just depends on what projects come up in the next couple of weeks. Luckily Braedon is going to stay home and pay the mortgage while I'm away.

I did a very comfortable 151m DYN with new (broken/repaired) fin yesterday in a 25m pool, complete with horrific turns in the shallow end (something to work on - I wouldn't say my general fin technique is particularly good either). I expect the replacement fin will be here on my return from teh Bahamas. I'd like to have a go in the 50m pool (it was meant to be 50 yesterday but they didn't bother to move the bulkhead for us). It's amazing what getting the right equipment can do for you. I'm still using my old fin for depth as the pool one will be too soft. I've also done a few more DNFs around the mid 130s, so I just need a good day to push it out a bit more. I'm working on technique past 100m at the moment, so need to do a lot of big swims.

Feeling a bit nervous about my repeat attempt for the 7 min static. I hope it becomes a regular feature in my training sessions.

We didn't win lotto last night and I haven't discovered a big financial sponsor, so no big life changes in store for the near future. :(

I should also mention that Kerian and I are doing some demonstration swims at Naenae Pool, 6pm Saturday 15 March if you'd like to come and watch. We've got Frankie Stevens coming along to announce it and will be looking for helpers to run around selling raffle tickets, t-shirts and beginner courses. Our partners are going to "judge" it so it looks realistic. They're both judges but we haven't announced it so I won't be breaking any records. We're also looking for some bits and pieces to raffle off in some quick fire draws if anyone has anything they'd like to donate!

Logo

So I made up this logo, which you should have all seen by now (it's above). I must admit that I'm a bit disappointed by everyone not picking up on the imagery within it. Can you see me swimming along in the pool (without fins of course)? The line of text is like the line on the bottom of the pool. You can also turn it 90 degrees and I'll do depth! I also go up or down or left or right. If you still don't see it the spirals are bum & head. The koru design (spiral) in Maori (native New Zealanders') mythology represents new life and new beginnings: my freediving life. The motif also provokes images of water like small pools of disturbance in a quite pool. I was hoping it would be clearer and you wouldn't need the explanation!!!

Bahamas

I'm going to the Bahamas! Freediving is a fabulous excuse to travel to wonderful places.

We'll be diving in Dean's Blue Hole, which has pretty perfect conditions for freediving. I worked out that I've only trained for depth events over about a dozen weeekends and I've only ever done three deep dives in competition, so it'll be a good opportunity to try to bring my depth results up to a level similar to my pool results. I wish I had more time there, but will have to make do with the three weeks I do have. Some very big names in freediving are are going to be over there so I should learn a lot! I can't wait to dive in warm, clear water! What a novelty!

Links about Dean's blue hole:

• http://www.stellamarisdiving.com/blueholefacts.html


• http://www.stellamarisdiving.com/bluehole.html


• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean

Link about competition:

• http://www.verticalblue.net/news/

First up though we have a depth competition in Lake Taupo, where I will double the number of depths events I have partaken in by doing three more! Should be fun, and great preparation for the Bahamas.

: )

I did 7 minutes!!! :)

big DNF

I put the video of my 138m DNF swim (6th Feb 2008) on youtube today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=longg_M3SJM

Wasn't feeling the greatest for this swim - my muscles were feeling a bit stiff and I was quite light-headed: I almost had a packing blackout after about 8 packs, but got it under control and took in a bit more air before departing the wall as you can see. You can also see that there are still a few bits and pieces left for me to work on like keeping feet together and straightening arms better. I get a bit sloppy with technique when the muscles start hurting which normally isn't right through the swim like this one. I need to work on my swim past 100m, where I start losing strokes: 3 became 4 in the 5th length, and then I'd done two by half way in the 6th - probably why the foot came down as I expected the pool to be shallower by that point. I'm also seeing if Orca who sponsored my wetsuit will provide me with a better fitting suit (my body shape has changed a little over the past few months). The streamlined weights are new too. On Tuesday I felt really buoyant and had to increase from 3.5kg on the waist to 4.5, so I think the lungs are still growing. I also wear 4kg around my neck. The bicycle tube is doubled over and then taped together to ensure that it sits in nice and close and is pretty streamlined. Normally I also have a thick rubber band holding the strap of my weight belt is streamlined, however it perished just before this video was taken, so I'll have to replace it. I had a tiny samba at the end of this dive but it disappeared straight away on the first inhale. Any other thoughts on how I can get to the end of the pool people?

Fantastic dive

Tonight I had the best dive of my life. It was truly amazing, and it was a static (unfortunately). I've been practising some of the exercises that Will taught us on the course, namely dry static negatives while trying to work through the pain barrier, stay totally relaxed and put off contractions. Tonight I did some body stretches and one full lung stretching breath approximately 20-30 mins prior to my dive and no further warm ups. I managed to really block out the world. First contraction was about 4:15. I should note that I had about two little flutters that I wouldn't really call contractions prior to this. Evidently I blew out a little air with a contraction around 5:45 and buddy/coach Chris told me to come up. I was also evidently swaying sideways a little, which I think was more about being in a great meditative state rather than getting to a samba. I eventually came up at 6:12s, but still felt I had a lot left (very encouraging for the future!). I felt very clear and in control for the entire dive. The whole dive was a pretty amazing experience. Now I just have to work on the contractions once they've started, as they still pretty huge...

Lung Tests

My lungs grew, which explains all the pbs...

June 2007:

• TLC 6.35L (no packing)
• RV 1L

Last week:

• TLC 7L (no packing)
• TLC 8.4L (with packing)
• RV 1.4L

Normal for my size:

• TLC 5.3L (I'm 158% of normal).

Residule volume increased, however the doc reckoned this would not be the case, and that there is some margin of error in it, so give or take a little. It'd be nice for the RV to be under 1L. :)

Dive course

It's been a while since I posted...

The Lazy Seal Freediving Club teamed up with Vertical Blue when William Trubridge came home for Christmas, and held a 5 day advanced freediving course at Lake Taupo. We hired a bach for the duration of the course, where we all stayed and ate tremendously well at minimal cost. The weather was amazing (for here) and we had sun every day with only a little wind. Will shared an enormous amount of freediving knowledge with us - much more than I expected and it's already making such a difference to my diving. Everyone on the course managed personal bests.


Our typical day started with a good breakfast, followed by body stretching, lung stretching, lake diving, lunch (very important), theory lessons, breathing exercises, dinner, dive videos, then bed, all pretty much non-stop, but it didn't feel too full on.


I focused my diving on constant weight without fins, as apart from being much more at home in the water without fins, this is Will's speciality, so I was able to pick his brain and get the most out of his coaching. After figuring out how to get off the surface with much less effort than I've used in the past I managed dives to 36m, 38m and 40m (no warm up on different days). The 38m dive felt the best, but I hit the bottom plate so had to come up. I still have a few things to work out: I'm falling to the right while free-falling, I have to learn to deal with the pressure on my throat, and try to stop contractions before they start. There's so much to think about - I think I just need more time at depth. But good news, I've booked tickets to the Bahamas for three weeks of dive training and competition in Dean's Blue Hole in March/April.

Igor Liberti, an Apnea Academy Instructor from Switzerland joined us too and took some brilliant photos, here are some of his pics (the last one is me!):

Dynamic improvement

A 151m dynamic in the pool (50m outdoor at the Lido, PN) this morning just finished off the acheivement of my goals for the year (with 4 whole days to go!). :) It was a good clean dive, but a real struggle right from the start. Looking forward to the new fin arriving soon.

more pbs

Just realised that I haven't updated this for a while. I think that Christmas chaos has really taken hold. I have discovered that I've been doing much better when I have a big steak and a glass of red wine the night before, which seems to go against a lot of the info I can find.

I've had a few weekends away. The first to PN where I caught up with Rachel who is back from the USA for a few weeks. Her grandmother is not doing particularly well, and Rachel is pregnant and suffering from pretty extreme morning sickness, not to mention that her hubby is in Afganistan cooking for the troops. It was nice to catch up. Mikey has grown so much and is much more like a real person now (he was about one last time I met him, he's three now).

The following weekend I went up to Auckland to do a bit of diving in Lake Pupuke. I had some airpoints and got a pretty cheap grab a seat fare. It all was looking to go a bit pear shaped when I arrived at the airport a mere 8 minutes prior to the plane departing though. However I managed to get on. Was a bit worried about the fins that they just totally ignored being fragile and came out on the conveyor belt with several bags on top, but they were ok, thankfully. Training probably would have been better in Wellington where the sea was dead flat. There always seems to be a storm when I make plans to go anywhere to dive. Didn't do anything fantastic. I forgot how horrible the lake is. Got to the end of the 31m line with my monofin on and to about -26m without fins. Worked on technique, but have a few issues to work through. Haven't really ever used a mono for constant weight before. We really just got blown around in the intense wind (while I re-iterate that the "windy capital" was dead calm). Mono made quite a good sail in the wind after.

Last weekend we went up to Taupo. It was absolutely stunning. The lake was dead calm -don't think I've ever been there in such good conditions before. We drove up Saturday morning (it's 5 hours away), set up camp, dived, did dinner, a game of rhummy, slept, dived and drove home. Luckily there were four of us because Kerian got a tummy bug and couldn't dive. He had a go on Sunday, but threw up a few times and couldn't go past -25m as the pressure was mving things around inside him. The sun was shining and I'm now sporting a pretty flash sunburn beard from the gap between the hood and the mask. I decided to work on constant weight with fins to try to help my hheadspace, and just do one big no warm up dive, which seems to be working for me in other disciplines. I did -43m the first day and -47 the second. We had the rope set to 50 and I'm a bit disappointed I didn't make it to the bottom as I could see it. Probably means my head was in the wrong position... Didn't have any real issues. Did hit a thermocline, which I reckon is the reason why I turned. Had a lot of negative thoughts around 20m but managed to stop myself from turning back. I definitely feel there's more in me. Pleased to have gone that far as I need to calm my brain for constant weight without fins. Did a few technique dives without fins but nothing over 20m. Having problems with the freefall - falling to the side. Also I'm incredibly buoyant in my 5mm suit (and being a floater, and learning how to pack). It's taking forever to get off the surface then I keep losing my mental space. Hopefully I'll sort that out soon as it's mostly in my head. I've ordered some fluid googles too, which should help a lot. The lake is fairly warm at the moment. We had 21 degrees in the shallows, 18 on the surface, 15 at depth and probably a couple of degrees less past that -45m-ish thermocline. I'm looking forward to trying my Orca suit for no fins as I don't think I'll need any weights. Goal for Jan is -45m no fins, 55m with mono, and to learn the mouthful equalisation technique (and remember to do it on time!). I'll be doing a national record attempt on 13 Jan for no fins (currently mine at -31m). Just need to work on my fitness a little over the next few weeks as it's pretty shocking at the moment. I think I was puffing for about 5 mins after my max attempts, depite feeling fine while diving as far as having enough air went. Looking forward to Will's stage in a few weeks time. It'll be nice to be coached for a change.