General thread for freediving and/or spearfishing, since I don't see one mentioning either.

My personal questions:
I've been thinking about taking a certification course so I can learn to do these things correctly and safely. I'm probably happy just doing the diving, but spearfishing seems like an easy and practical extension. I only casually skindive and rod-and-reel fish at the moment. Does anyone have experience taking such a course?
I know I'll need my own gear early on, but each instructor I can find seems to have their own equipment shops, so I imagine they wouldn't be impartial about the quality of other gear on the market. I live on the Pacific coast of the US, so I see that a 7 mm open cell wetsuit is strongly recommended. What good/bad features should I look out for on wetsuits and other equipment? For non-competitive diving, carbon fiber fins are almost certainly not worth the price, right?

I posted a thread about this about a month ago and people seemed to think paying for a course "to learn how to hold your breath" was a great joke. I think a course is a good idea because:
-I was able to dive to 100 feet on day 2; on my own it would probably have taken me months to get that deep, if ever
-They teach you about all the different disciplines and techniques; it's an older and more organized sport than you'd think
-if you have a cert then you can go to many beautiful places around the world and dive no questions asked
-having experienced people train you in breath holding is very valuable, although I suppose you could learn the same techniques on youtube
I don't think it matters what course you do because most places will accept equivalent certs from other schools.

Your instructor should provide all gear for the course; that way you can get an idea of what you want to buy for yourself. If you do want to buy gear, splurge on a nice quality low-volume mask and a snorkel with a purge valve. You can wear any old wetsuit while you're a newbie.
>7mm open cell wetsuit
I use a 5mm open cell suit to dive in Colorado where water temps are around 50-55 degrees. My hands and face get very cold, but otherwise my body is warm and I am comfortable.

>>2758167
my brain went retard when I typed that, day 2 was 20m, so 65 feet. Still, though

>>2758167
Thank you for the info. I'll try to look up your thread from last month. I had the same initial reaction to the courses, especially for beginners, but looking around the web there seems to be a strong consensus on the advantages you point out. I'd much rather spend a relatively small amount of money, considering the huge amount of time and safety knowledge it would net me versus trying to ignorantly assemble techniques and practice methods myself. Really, it seems almost foolish to not get certified unless one plans on doing nothing but paddling around your local lake with a buddy.
>purge valve
Do you use it often? I saw a lot of "simpler is better" for freediving snorkels, since you mostly don't use it once you're reading to start diving, and extra features like that just add drag or things that could go wrong with your equipment.
>5 mm open cell
Good to know that's doable at those temperatures. It would be nice to get by with a thinner suit. I'll do more research on the areas I plan on going, since some of them are mountain lakes and I think they get very chilly down below.

The ocean scares the shit out of me so I can't participate in any of this stuff. My parents showed me all the Jaws movies when I was single-digits years old so yeah nah.

Pickerel, POV diver swallowed whole in Jaws 3 traumatized me

>>2758189
I did my cert in Utila. Expensive to get to, cheap to certify.

>>2758195
Funny thing is sharks react with curiosity or indifference to freedivers. Google Fred Buyle.

>>2758195
You could dive in clear lakes. Or maybe estuaries, lagoons, and deeply recessed bays where there aren't as many spooky critters. I'm with you on the ocean being scary as hell, but I guess learning about and mitigating the dangers is part of the education you can sign up for.

>>2758253
https://www.livescience.com/in-rare-attack-great-white-shark-decapitates-diver-in-mexico-but-why

>>2758270
I feel a little better in lakes, but swift rivers are best. I grew up near a lake and we used to go to the little muddy local beach there and it was always murky and full of leeches and shit. And then the ocean is even worse.

One time at the ocean in Maine my brother and I got really bold (we would have been around 11 and 13 probably) and we swam out past the waves, and it was super peaceful even though the water was well above our heads. We started diving down to the seabed and even with your eyes closed you could grab these gigantic clams off the sea flood that were the size of a small purse. At one point while we were just floating and treading water something massive hit my legs and knocked me upside-down in the water and it hit him too. We noped the fuck out all the way back to the beach and we both got stung to shit by a bloom of jellifish that were are all bunched together near shore caught in the wave swells. It went from being a wonderful ocean-beach day to a nightmare. He still had one of the gigantic clams in his hand though and everyone on the beach was impressed while my mother sprayed the shit out of us with solarcaine

>>2758279
You definitely highlight the big issue with being in the water anywhere, really -- a sudden change in the situation can take you from comfortable relaxation to life and death within a second. I don't think I would enjoy going diving in the ocean except on days where the visibility was fairly good.
>swift rivers
As long as you don't get caught in the current. My personal understanding (out of my own ass) is that swift rivers are the most dangerous of the water types. You can get sucked under by a current that's flowing downward, and then trapped in an underwater pot hole, where the water gets stuck in a permanent little vortex that you can't swim out of. Or get your leg stuck to an old piece of rope, or a branch, or between two rocks, and then pulled beneath the surface and unable to free yourself.

It's rainy all the time and the sea is murky af -.- I'm starting to get serious spearfishing withdrawals.
>>2758279
Its better with a mask on. you can see whats going on underwater and react to animals coming close. feels less like being a helpless monkee splashing around on the surface. with a speargun, you also have a pointy stick to poke at sharknoses, if they get too curious.
but ngl, if the visibility is shit and I got a bleeding fish in the water, it's still an uneasy feeling, especially since there are bullsharks around.

I asked in the equipment thread but this place seems appropriate too, since you people swim

I want to get one of these underwater masks with an air tank, but I was just wondering what your guys's experiences are with it? how long do you usually last underwater on what volume tank?
I see aliexpress (lol) is also selling smaller scuba kits, just a 2L tank and face mask connected to it, what about those?

everything swimming/water equipment related is a clusterfuck of everyone shilling different things and there is zero sense to be made. I just want to dive closer to the bottom of the sea and see stuff.

>>2758371
lmao, looks like china junk.
I've never used something like that or one of the tiny tanks, but I'd get a proper diving mask and snorkel and a separate tank with regulator and mouthpiece. that way, you have a good mask, no matter what and can trash the tank if it sucks.
they should last you maybe like 5-10minutes, depending on you breathing and depth. dont go deeper than 10m or so and remember to full breath out before surfacing, especially if it runs out unexpected and you get the urge yt go up fast.

shortstory,,,
,done.

>>2758356
yeah shallow rivers with lots of smooth riverstone are nice but getting swept into a canyon or pothole would be a fucking nightmare

>>2758370
I would still be a little reluctant to use a mask in the ocean, some things are better left unseen

>>2758371
If you go deeper than a few meters with that you will die a very painful, and very avoidable death from the bends. At that point you may as well just hold your breath. With a little practice you can probably breath-hold dive for as long as that dinky tank would last you.
That kind of chink shit is endangering lives of the ignorant, should be illegal.

>>2758392
those eyebrows, holy shit

>>2758373
>>2758566
>chinkshit
well I wouldn't get one from aliexpress of course but a more trusted (regional) site. I know it doesn't matter but regulations and whatnot do. anyways I won't get one, I'd rather not take the risk
how should I go about increasing my lung capacity for diving? I know people breathe in a different gas than just air to help with that but besides that I have no idea. or just how do I get started with freediving?

>>2758618
I wasn’t saying the quality of the equipment would kill you, rather the bubbles of boiling nitrogen in your bloodstream. Diving with an air source should never be attempted unless you have scuba training.
On the other hand, people have been freediving to hundreds of feet for millennia to search for food and pearls. Our bodies evolved to be in the water. Under wetness and pressure, your heart rate slows, your organs process oxygen more efficiently, you are physically unable to fill your lungs with water even if you wanted to. In one breath of air there’s not enough nitrogen buildup to cause you problems, unless you’re going deeper than a few hundred feet. For freediving, the challenge is not breath holding. If you’re not a chainsmoker, most fit people can hold their breath for 2 minutes under water without too much trouble. What you need to learn to start out is the Frenzel equalization technique. Search Adam Diver’s videos on YT. Also yogic breathing techniques.

>>2758687
thanks for the sources, I'll check them out.
I suppose going the freediving way is a lot better for what I want to do. I explained here why I'd prefer not ro do scuba >>2758731

>>2758735
NTA, but if you plan on getting into freediving without formal training to cut costs (which I am just guessing you might), be careful and dive with buddies. There are a lot of things that could go suddenly wrong when you're underwater, and without safety precautions the fatality rate for all of them is just about 100%.

>>2758747
>just about
I like those odds!
nah I won't *really* get into freediving like the pros who go 50-100 meters (150-300 feet) down. I want to swim about 10, maybe 20 meters max depth. I might just go up and down a hundred times in the same place if I want to.

out of curiosity, how do freedivers know when to go back up? I imagine that if you go down and notice too late that you have no air to make it back up things would be less than ideal.

>>2758772
>cute water puppers
I was waiting for one to get curious about that hose and pull the mouthpiece out.
>how to know when to get back up
your body tells you. if your after a fish, the hunting instinct can sometimes overwrite it a bit though, so you have to be aware of your limits and your depth/time back to the surface in mind. if you're down 20m+ that can feel like a very long distance, if you start your ascend late.

>>2758371
Looks like kinda coolio honestly

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qmcgkD9RkVw

>>2758371
This is practicaly asking to get killed. Terribly unsafe.

In addition to this, that's a large volume of air attached to your face, with no BCD nor weigh to manage your buoyancy, so that will make actually diving harder because your face will want to float more. These masks are designed for surface palming and that's all.

Get good a freediving, you will be infinitely more free in your explorations, and getting to a couple minutes of dynamic apnea is attainable for anyone but the more cardiovascularly challenged landwhales, or take the scuba diving route.

>>2758195

>>2758948
Notice he's not going deeper than a few feet. I hope it at least comes with a manual on decompression sickness. These people literally don't care if they're killing people as long as they sell a product.

>>2759117
according to my research the bends sets in at about 30m (depending on certain conditions). I don't think anyone with a small tank augmenting their snorkel is going that deep.

in any case they must have proper instructions because otherwise it's basically a fucking Saw contraption

>>2758131 (OP)
Just came face to face with a 14 foot Mako....it charged me head on and I missed my shot with the speary.

Drew my knife and stabbed it to death. Took a chunk out of my shoulder. Getting surgery now.

>>2759304
pics or it didn't happen

>>2759304
That's why I always carry a spear in each hand

>>2759304
don't bad mouth sharks like this. your little fictions are harmful to the makos

How the fuck do people die from rip currents?
Literally don't do anything to not die. Chances are if you are so unfit that you get exhausted easily, you are also fat enough to float without effort.

>>2759380
I've always guessed it's because they
1) don't know how to swim and get sucked out from very near shore
2) they panic and burn all their energy trying to swim directly against the current back to shore
3) ???
I've actually never understood it either. I think being really stupid / irresponsible is the X factor. I met a guy who apparently once got sucked fairly far out into the ocean without knowing how to swim, and people had to call the lifeguards from a nearby beach over to rescue him. But if you met him, within a few minutes you'd think to yourself, "man, this guy seems like the kind of person who would somehow let themselves be sucked out into the ocean"

any specific recommendations for masks or snorkels? or just ''one that fits well''

>>2759832
threepane,,,reflections from side windows act like rearview mirrors.,
,,,seethem sneaking up!,
,,snorkel,,,straight pipe,notoo wide so easy to clear.

>>2759836
in english doc?

guys this thread is dead anyways so just help me out >>2759832
or just discuss what gear you guys use and why you prefer that

>>2759832
I'd say it depends on what you're doing. This is a freediving thread, so I assume you're freediving. You should get one with a very low volume that sits close to your face, so you can equalize more easily. You only need a snorkel when you're cruising around the surface, so I'd get a simple one without frills that won't get in your way.

>>2758195
tits or gtfo

>>2760418
so it doesn't matter much, as long as it fits well
thanks

>>2760420
I would say so, but I'm only one person. Some people that spearfish like to get reflective lenses so that the fish can't tell they're being looked at. Other people specifically want clear lenses so that if they black out or are in trouble their diving buddy can see their eyes. I haven't tried a lot of masks, but the color of the silicone also matters to some degree. White/clear will let more light in, which can be semi-blinding on bright days, but perhaps improves your vision below the surface. Black will give you tunnel vision but cuts down on that glare on the surface.

>>2760421
>but I'm only one person.
well I've seen plenty of people post the same ''if it fits you it's good'' sentiment before. I've also seen people post more in-depth and specific recommendations like you did after that sentence with the type of lenses and colors.
I'm not really looking for anything specific for my case something that fits would be more than enough

Does learning free diving help make you better scuba diver overall? I'm considering ditching scuba becuase it's a such a pita to haul gear.

>the water

>>2760418
>without frills that won't get in your way.
You definitely want one with a purge valve though. Nothing worse than coming to the end of a 4-minute meditative breathe-up and a wave chokes you half to death.

>>2760903
>cool_shit_to_see.jpg
>>2760974
Do you have the snorkel in your mouth while you're diving, and use it to breathe when you return to the surface?

>>>/wsg/5642557
Has it happened to you?

>>2760978
>snorkel in your mouth while you're diving
getstarted,,now.,
,,socheap,,soview!,
,,,my world changed getting 3pane mask,anda straightube snorkel, nosissy fag purge abomination!,dolphinshave purge systems?,
,STRAIGHT pipe for breathing,,smallish diameter soless water to clear.,
,,,,buyit now,,useitin the Tube.,
,,bebornagain,,,witha porpoise.

>>2762110
>witha porpoise

>>2760978
They say you shouldn't keep the snorkel in your mouth while diving, because if you're hypoxic and having a seizure when you surface, you can choke yourself or inhale water. It's just used while you're floating face down, getting your CO2 levels balanced between dives.

Not gonna read every post because I'm a lazy fuck.
But I'm pretty keen on freediving and often give it a go, as I live by the sea and swim almost every day in it.
I'm looking for some basic tips and methods in increasing the time of holding my breath.
I can easily do 20-30 seconds these days and have also managed to dive down to around 15 meters. But I find the deeper I go the less time I'm able to hold my breath. It's a lot easier when I'm diving in a lesser depth.
Is this due to pressure, also?

Bros my ears hurt real bad when I dive more than 5m. What do I do to mitigate?

>>2762220
stay on the blessed land anon and not in the filthy water

>>2762222
Quads of truth. But I like swimming with the fishies and bringing back shells for my wife from the sea floor.

>>2762188
>But I find the deeper I go the less time I'm able to hold my breath. It's a lot easier when I'm diving in a lesser depth.
Is this due to pressure, also?
Pressure and you are exerting yourself faster. Obviously, you are going to be able to hold your breath longer if you play dead on the surface than if you dive down 30ft and fight against your natural buoyancy to stay down there.

>>2762220
Equalize more. Before your ears start to hurt, not after. Use Frenzel, not Valsalva.
>>2762188
>>2762254
>fight against your natural buoyancy
He can consider using a weight belt. The weight belts make it easier to descend faster and with less exertion, although obviously he'll have a bit more resistance on the way back up. Don't die.

>>2762254
Uhm acktually I don't play dead, I'm usually around a meter underwater and swimming, full strength horizontally.
As opposed to when I'm descending, I'm alot more intentional with my force and movement.
But I also didn't think about the fact that I'm also fighting against my bouency.
I've been contemplating getting some flippers to, to be quicker on descents.
>>2762271
Weighted belt scares the fuck out of me, as some times I'm cutting it pretty close on my ascent

>>2762271
>>2762313
I like to bring a steel weight attached to a float with a line. I can hook the weight to the float and pull it while swimming on the surface, then take it into one hand to descend and stay down with less effort. for ascend, just drop it and go up without resistance, then pull up the weight with the line.
the float is also somewhere to tie the fish to, so the bloody fish is not too close in case a shark is checking for an easy meal.

What kind of fins have you guys tried? Plastic, fiberglass, carbon fiber? Angled or flat? I am wondering how significant the performance difference is between plastic and the other two. I have fairly rocky beaches near me, and I really don't want to damage or break expensive fins. I am not doing competitions or anything like that, where I need the maximum output.

I knew some beach bum in Hawaii that spear fished with an elastic band, no scuba or anything. Snorkel and just holding his breath, got food this way.

>>2762323
Damn that's a great idea actually.
Thanks!
I shant have to worry about sharks and danger, as I'm in an island in the Mediterranean. Biggest worry is jellyfish.

>>2760903
This is cool not scary

>>2762610
It's cool as photos but it's scary if you're in the water tho :[

Do you guys carry anything for safety if separated when coast diving? As in, if you get swept away by an unexpected current. Do you always tie yourself to a buoy? Carry a beacon or anything?

>>2763012
As far as I understand, fins and especially freediving fins are plenty strong enough to fight a ripcurrent.
For record-breaking dives, yes you are attached to a line on a buoy, though that’s mostly because they tend to dive with eyes closed.

I decided I should get a certification, and recently had a first session with a freediving instructor, covering theory/safety. I didn't learn almost a single thing that I hadn't already known, but I guess that was to be expected. I felt bad for the people in my class that didn't already know how to Frenzel equalize, because the technique explanations given didn't seem useful.

The one thing that stuck out to me was that, while the lungs obviously compress while diving, the mouth apparently doesn't compress, or perhaps not nearly as much. I've never paid attention to that before. What is the explanation for that? I've tried to look up information about it a few times, but haven't found anything addressing it.

>>2759040
I have asthma and high-ish blood pressure and I can now stay down for 1:21 at 25 feet after a few weeks getting back into it.
Anyone can do it with patience.
I'm just glad I found something that brings me to a relaxed space where I can forget the world. Plus I get free fish.

>>2762367
molchanovs core silicone bifins sound ideal for your context.

>>2766037
This is a good idea, thanks. I've never seen any reference to silicone fins before.

>>2764880
>Anyone can do it
quadrapalegics?,,
,,youlucky lazy Blessedivers,,,getting tofloatabout weightless,,Most bizzare creaturescurring everywheres!,
,seesmall cave,,divein narrow edge,,see tunnel outhe back,,late in day cowardice.,
,,,nextday, wake upto nakey Hot girlson the beach,,Kepple island islikethat.,
,,fresh on the reef,,,see tunnel entrance,Macho Mod!, hugh breath andive aiming straight for tube,,3 feets wide(1yard foryou Euros),,covered in weird posibly deadly corralystuff,,no problem just dontouch ANYTHING!,
,,,,ease halfinto back of cave,,hang lookingout feeling smug,,large rock floor,?,,wasnthisand yesterday?,and this rock HAS AN EYE!!!,
,,HUGHEYE!!,whathe,,??,shock float up againsthe ceiling,,over there the rock has Gills?!?,
,,,,scan the whole thing,,itsa GIANT stingray,,like,,HHHHHUGH@!,wasleeping,,now pissed.
,flexing its 12 inch barb on whipy tail outside cave,,wanting to Spear me throughtheart!,lowcave saves,, TRAPED!,noway out!!,
.....thatswhen i learned to swim backwards,,outhe tube,,mashing every creature inthere flailing.,
,,,airwasnever sogood!

>>2758566
no nothing here, you can get the bends from diving a few meters?

>>2767738
Pressure builds very, very fast underwater (the entire atmosphere from space to sea level presses as much on you as the first ten meters of water), but I think it's a slight exaggeration on his part, depending on what "a few" means. It is very, very dumb to breathe compressed air underwater unless you've been scuba certified and understand exactly what's going on in your body when you do that. Holding your breath from the surface involves other risks, but not the bends unless you're a world-class competitor.
>>2767734
That's horrifying. I'm glad you didn't get impaled, or that you didn't reflexively jerk back into some venomous urchin or whatever.

>>2767764
>but not the bends
asingle,,tank hasnorisk.,
,,onehour at surface/thirty minutes athirty feets.,
,were confusing "nitrogen saturation/embolism",
,fizzy blood or lungsquirtingoutyour nose?
,,,,,surface breathing isonice!,unlimitedelicious!,
,,sodump the Weigh beltank cluter!,always floatowhere theairis, haveto Meanito dive,,,worthy.,
,,,im talkinglike you allready have a fitted wetsuit.,
,youdo have oneright?

>>2770002
a life jacket and a wetsuit
they'll save your life

is a 3mm wetsuit good enough to extend my season freediving in east coast rivers? I've never owned one but I can stand decently cold temps and want to stay in longer and later in the fall (~50-55 being minimum temp for me to stay in longer than a dip, with difficulty)

>>2764694
I don't dive so just tell me if I'm the idiot here, but isn't it obvious that the mouth can't be compressed the same way the lungs can because the lungs are soft bags that inflate and deflate and are not made of/tied closely to bone structure, while the mouth has bone all around it to maintain the shape? Even the fleshy parts like under your jawbone is covered by muscle that's anchored to bone very nearby.

>>2770813
Well, the ribs surround the lungs partially, and on the bottom they're basically wrapped by the diaphragm, so, muscles and bone. Your mouth is like 30% surrounded by your cheeks, which feel less structurally sound to me than muscle or bone.

>>2770841
Right, your lungs are surrounded but not actually structurally supported. Your cheeks are backed up by your teeth. I think the mouth is better supported from inside and thus won't compress as easily, whereas the lungs are surrounded on the outside but not actually supported by muscle or bone. The lungs are just flimsy sacks, the diaphragm doesnt firmly support them, it just moves down to stretch them open. The ribs are outside of them and not stopping them from getting compressed. Plus the actual space inside the lungs is much larger than the empty space in the mouth, so when the air in the lungs shrinks there's a bigger difference in volume than the small amount of air able to exist alongside your teeth and tongue.

What a bizarre discussion to have on this board. Like I said though if you do any free diving at all you're surely more experienced in this than I am

bubble,,,

Anyone here have a blackout before? Or see someone have one? I wonder how common they are outside of depth competitions.

I've been diving in the Mediterranean the last couple of days as a complete beginner, and I always wind up with tiny cuts or bruises from the slightest contact with surfaces.
Do I need to git gud, or should I invest in webbed gloves that double as minor protection?

>>2778419
I don't know what you have there, any coral? It's cold where I am, so layers are a given, but I think a lot of people wear something or other as appropriate for their environment. The water might be warm where you are, but I wear protective gloves/socks and a suit that has pads on the knees and elbows. Even then, the last time I went out I ended up with a minor scratch on my thigh somehow.
In short, yeah, if you consistently get banged up I'd look into gloves, and a rash guard or something similar.

>>2778419
Booties and gloves are the way

>>2778473
Yeah, it stays warm throughout the fall.
Picture related, a sponge that cost me a few drops of blood.

>>2778672
A malicious looking fellow, to be sure

tattoed,,,in theknee.,
,,watchout for those urchins.,
,,,thicksuit helps,,,helps.

bediediving,,,solo,,north of LahinaMaui,
,,,innereefull of redfishs,,socool!,sunset BLUE!,
,,why the wall going sofast?,notice im in the outflow channel topensea?!SHEET!,
,,,just holding,,notadvancing?,
,,have to adjust pitch on blades manualy to go fasterush!,finger gets cliped by blades,,,,now bleedingin Shark feed zone!,
,,,justiny bit advancing with batteries already low,,sssslowly make it back into innereef!,
,,,,,WEW!,thanks Jesus.

>>2781040
You've had a lot of close calls, man.
>have to adjust pitch on blades manualy
Did it have to be while they were spinning though? Spooky situation either way.

>>2781114
>while they were spinning though?
thoughthey,,stoped,but lowlight and spooked.,
,,sorta,,Lotstupid!,
,,,,was dark when ifinaly goto stairs,,haulout,,upto wheelchair and find help hauling my torpedo.

>>2781118
Oh, I gotcha. That's a great example of a simple decision going very bad very quickly. Glad you made it back despite the panic you were probably in or risking.
Just don't manually adjust the blades on that chainsaw with the battery in there, eh?

>>2758195
i always thought my fear of the ocean also came from seeing the jaws movies at an early age. those movies really did damage to us

>>2781946
it's not irrational at least

Sounds interesting. Go for it!

>>2774393
At the dive school I trained at there were a dozen dudes who had been diving every single day for years and pushing their limits. Not a single one of them had ever blacked out (though most had seen it happen to others)
Spearfishers don't think twice about diving alone; I'm confident that me, a casual freediver, can get away with it.

>>2774393
>>2782771
My instructor had seen one once. He also saw a guy, and once himself, come close (starting to lose muscle control). I think all three of those cases were in competition settings.

100yardsnakecrawl from chair,,,1 footat atime.,
,,single pocket for both legs madeit easy to get suited., used topunder arms crossing HOT sand.,
,,,lift hipush,,shuffle topand toss mask ahead,,,very amusing to beachys.,
,,,geto watersedge,,STRUGGLE getting into top, had attached hoodand extra long skirt so sitting wason double thick.,
,,,turtle into murky water,,,floatall day, if i hauledout kids would Mob me, moms" ohh he's so good with kids.",
,,,,mostdays would see less then 3 fish,,,,butheres always the chance to beaton shark/squid/stingray/crab......
,,suit fullofsand,,goodtimes.

I gave it a try in Australia spear fishing is way to hard for me I can't hold my breath that long now if I was allowed use a scuba tank another story

>>2784780
Some sort of special monofin suit? Why'd you put it on 100 yards from the water?
>>2784785
Just gotta practice, man. Even a couple weeks will boost your breathhold a lot.

What're the best diving/snorkeling mask or even swimming goggles? Is pic related a meme or practical in any way?

>>2784870
Looks like a dumb meme but it’s probably fine for snorkeling. For swimming to any depth you need a mask that allows you to pinch your nose or wear a nose plug; also the lower volume the mask is the easier it will be to equalize the pressure inside the mask; pic related will crush your skull.

>>2784870
these look cool, but do not work as well as traditional setups.

Mall ninja is what these are.....

>>2784870
>Just swimming
Get goggles.
>Snorkeling at the surface and checking out fishies
Get a snorkel (potentially a semi-dry) and some larger, flat-fronted goggles for high visibility.
>Mostly snorkeling, with some shallow freediving
As above, but you might want goggles with less airspace inside, to prevent pressure on your face.
>Moderate depth freediving
Regular snorkel over semi-dry. You'll probably want freediving goggles with low volume at this point, including curved lenses. You'll have some slight vision distortion from the curvature, but the pressure will be less of an issue.
>Significant depth
You'll want more specialized stuff at this point, you'll know what when/if you decide to go for this level.

>>2784929
>freediving goggles
youmean,,amask?,,,side windowshow behind you in reflections.,
,straight snorkel alltheway.
>>2784786
>100 yards from the water?
yyyyyyaa,,,trying to make it sound cool,,,pathetic wouldbe a stepup., jellyfish would pass meswiming.,
,,,,spent mostime arms depth pullingaround by hand., currents would rapeme.,
,,seaislove.,sealislife.

>>2785300
>amask?
Whoops, yes, I meant a freediving mask, not goggles. A generic mask or one for scuba would probably have a larger volume or bigger lenses, but would be harder to equalize. It's a trade-off against visibility though, you're right.
>jellyfish would pass meswiming
Hahaha... I'm sure all the beachgoers, at least, were deriving plenty of enjoyment from your predicament.

how long can you hold your breath?

>last 3 times I went out, couldn't equalize left ear, even though it seemed fine on the surface
>stuck to ~10 m max those days
I need to drink a ton more water, or something, I don't know. I'll have to research this later. Still fun days, but very frustrating after a long drive.
>>2786529
Only 4 minutes, static. Could probably get it up fairly quickly if I practiced more consistently.

does anyone here hunts European Seabass?

>>2786541
>Only 4 minutes, static
how do you improve your breath hold? I want to get into spear fishing but I can hold it for only one minute, can you still get fish like that?

>>2786600
On land, relaxed, you can only hold it for one minute? That doesn't seem quite right -- you might want to look up guides about freediving from instructors who can explain this in depth (pun intended). But a quick place to start would be CO tables: spending half an hour a day getting comfortable with apnea and using proper techniques will get you in the 2-3 minute range in short order.

>>2786603
>On land, relaxed, you can only hold it for one minute?
On the pool

>>2786610
Being relaxed is the main thing, as opposed to trying to time your breath hold while active. If anything, it should be a little longer in water, since cold water on the face helps trigger the mammalian diving reflex.

>>2786529
justdidone,,,minute., and itwas ruff.,but>>2786603
is right.,im justout of shape.,lazyboy.,
,,,have had 4 lungsurgerys for collapsed lung inthe lastyear,,sotheresthat.,

>>2785360
>all the beachgoers, were deriving plenty of enjoyment from your predicament.
notyou,,,You.,yesyou,,youlive closeto water?,socialy stressed?,
,,getin theWater!,0 talking,0 weighting,,0 effort,,,,maybe BOOBA?!,
,,,why/out/isntin,,whoknows?

>>2786611
will try

>>2786612
You had four separate surgeries? What caused your lung collapse that was so difficult to repair? Hope you're feeling back on top of things by now.

>>2786924
theyused,,,glue,, thenstitchs,thenails,,,,,finaly,senthe robot in with woodscrews.,
,,robotook 4 hours,,,now have HorseLung!,
,,,,thanks forasking.,
,,,general question>who makes bestwetsuits?,
.nothat IM thinking of getting 'in,,,mostly.

>>2784870
These are shown to be linked to IPO deaths. Do not wear these.

Looking for dive buddies!
Bay Area CA

>>2786996
disc: sister.ray

>>2786946
Seahorse lungs it sounds like.
>>2786996
Lots of divers around the bay, I'm sure you'll find someone. Though you might want to indicate what type of diving you like to do or where.

>>2786999
Looking to freedive spearfish! North Bay/Mendocino coast areas.

do you guys eat the fish you spear?

>>2787931
Nah, I usually seal them up in a freezer bag and set it adrift

>>2787968
why?

>>2759321

>>2759304
>Mako shark top speed: 46mph

damn

>>2792973
Perfect thread pairing -- surf 'n' turf

>>2759304
prove it

dreamdives,,,still yummyearslater.,
,,i havent even Seen the ocean ina decade,buthe memory of my littlefriendstill warms my heart.,
,or those flash incounters with,,,,?
,,,onalong sandy reef edge,,,sunseting,,see Fast moving shiney shape 12 feets long (thats 4 yards foryou euros),,swoopingin andout contours,,FAST!,
,,,trippppy shapeshifting,,long/FAT/flat,,cant figure itout so just defaulto chiiiiicken!, back into slot in rocks,,'thankyou no urchins!,
,,,???willbe onme ina second? WHATISIT!? keeps morphing like a chinese droneshow~
,,,,,brace asit pass's,
,14 teen baracuda,,in tightattack formation?,or was that Coward formation as they passed me?,wayfast shifty,,,,,someone was abouto get anassriping!

>>2760903
>a bunch of awesome shit
Do you have any idea how much of a privilege it would be to hang out with a right whale?

>>2758371
Dive master here.

Don't do it anon.

I encourage you to go get open water certified in SCUBA diving. It's the most basic certification. And after that, you'll understand just how dangerous these things are.

Google;
Decompression sickness (arterial gas embolism etc), Boyle's law (tension pneumothorax).

I don't want to make diving sound like an impossible hobby because It isn't. But there is definitely a right and wrong way to do it.

>>2797997
I do anon, I do. I'm fascinated by the ocæn and I really do love creatures and mysteries of the deep but I also have a fear of that boundary between our world and theirs. I don't go in the water, nothing in there wants me there.

>>2758371
Dive Lord here.
go for it anon.
anyone with a brain knows you're not going to be underwater long enough with that tiny canister to suffer decompression sickness.
I don't worship PADI, so I don't need to blow a bunch of smoke up your ass.

>>2758371
>>2798067

Water rescue technician and rescue diver in training here! Hi :) This is retardedly stupid. There is a reason there are diving certifications, doing equipment dives without training is asking for death. These things work like shit, you have to guess how much air you have left, you will do things never thought dangerous because you have not the training.

imagine you dive down 20m, exhale carelessly and suddenly the thing breaks. an experienced freediver and swimmer will be able to make his way to the surface since he knows how to stay calm and surface. you think you can stay that calm that far down if that happens to you?

>>2762188
do a course. if you don’t wanna, do a co2 table ir whatever it is called in english. do it carefully, don’t be retarded, don’t hold your breath underwater alone. but anyways.
1) get your body used to low O2 and high CO2
2) do a shitton of cardio to get your body more efficient. especially biking is great because your legs are your main propulsion.

>>2762188
>the deeper i go the harder it gets
yeah no shit because you have to spend more time holding your breath

found this online.
maybe worth a shot.

>first time putting on an open-cell wetsuit
>harrowing experience

What do you guys use for wetsuit lube?

I just got pic related, hoping to get some crayfish (rock lobster) this weekend

>>2801721
Yeah, it's an odd experience. I use cheap hair conditioner mixed with water, although I haven't tested anything else yet. Seems like there's room to improve on it, though.
Hope you find your rock lobsters. I doubt I'll be getting into water until it starts to warm up in the spring, so I'm envious.

>>2801721
j-lube

>>2801721
I wonder if you are doing the same retarded thing I did at first: I used to just rub the lube on my body and then tried to get the wetsuit on, always needed a friend to help me and it took about 15 minutes. Then I learned the correct way, which is to put a tablespoon of lube inside the suit itself, scoop some water into it, pinch all the holes closed and shake it all up for a few seconds. Then i just rub a little lube on my feet and the suit slides on fine.
I use Stream2sea hair conditioner as lube.

>>2758371
seems pretty retarded. one of the benefits of freediving is that you don't need to worry about lung overexpansion like you would with scuba - the air in your lungs is at its maximum volume at the surface. breathing compressed air underwater like this shoves more air into your lungs than they'd be able to handle at surface pressure, meaning if you hold your breath while ascending to the surface the air in your lungs will expand and pop them.

scuba divers deal with this problem by exhaling as they ascend, but it's not recommended for freedivers since there's a risk of blacking out. not to mention whatever issues you could have with an aliexpress compressed air tank.

>go in ocean
>die

you are insane and stupid if you spend time in a body of water full of man eating sharks
simple as

Winter slowly closing down, bringing diving season ever closer into sight.
>>2806412
Prey mentality. I present myself as a raw, physical beast and king of the undersea domain, and the sharks are (appropriately) intimidated by it.

>>2806629
doubt

>>2806852
,trust.

I only had time to get started with freediving at the end of last year, and then it got too cold to go. I'm really excited to get back into it soon. Spearfishing sounds awesome.

>>2758276
Considering a trip to Norfolk Island to swim with the XL tiger sharks. There’s never been an attack there despite the sharks being bigger than normal and having one of the highest tiger shark concentrations in the world but I also haven’t seen much about diving there. Apparently they only visit the island to eat seabirds during nesting season so I don’t think there’s much risk of an attack. Will update if I get decapitated

>>2758772
I'm a freediver. Lots of people think the main danger comes from running out of air while at the bottom or accidents happening at the bottom and that's false. The majority of accidents happen near the surface during ascent. Some people blackout when they get to the surface and the body's natural way of collapsing during ascent is to fall forward, meaning you're face down floating at the top and you drown.

I'd say take the beginner course regardless because you will learn in a short amount of time, learn safety procedures and you pick up a lot when learning from 1-on-1 or within a group. After that then you can start going out on your own (but let others know where you are)

I gave up on freediving, feeling too old now at 37 to do it. I still fish here (Hawaii) but I prefer to do it from my jet ski. havent been underwater in like a year. Kept getting sick from all the shit runoff here in Oahu waters.

Where should I be getting gear at?
I had a 6ft brass pole that broke into 2 sections that I really liked but my brother borrowed and one of his friends lost it in the lake.
I go on Amazon and it's all fiberglass Chinese shit now.
The brass pole was much sturdier for things like catfish and poking it into the mud/rocks.

>>2758772
>how do freedivers know when to go back up?
Practice. You gradually improve your breath holds (even on land) and dive times, so you know where your limits are at, and then don't approach/exceed them. Unless you're competing, but then you're definitely familiar with what you can do.
>>2814016
Old in what way? Merely being 37 in and of itself doesn't seem significantly limiting.

ufo,,,Ufo?,,,UFO!,,,andangerous!,
,,Cessna out of Fullerton airport,,callos Alamitos naval station to go thru airspace topen ocean practice area.,
,,,skiming puffy clouds edge(breaking visual flight rules,,but Whos looking?),
,zzZZZZZIP! small red UFO flashs past under wing!!?,
,,,,,turnback easy,dont annoy thET!,
,THERE! ahead!, strange, transparentiny UFO!,
,,,flying to it ready for Unlimited Power!,
,,,'ahh ummm hello'.
,whathe?, its just a fancy Mickey Mouse ballon!,
,,,and ithink hesmirking at ME!!,
,'you lookin at me,,,YOU looking at ME!?, im notaking that from a Rodent!, YOUR going DOWN!'
,turn plane to chop that smile off his face!, line up for the kill,,,,annnnnd MISS!,tricky furball!,
,,spend next 40 minutes air battle,,balloon was very skilled,swops,loops,rolls avoiding my spining swords!,
,then like the coward vermin heis,,he sneaks back into the cloud!,
,'COME OUT AND FIGHT LIKE A RAT', yelling out the window as i circle the cloud!,
,,,ohay,whathat?,see something in the water,,maybe the new offshore buoy., id read aboutit buthoughtito deep.,
,power off,glide in like opening scene of "Thunder Dome,,pass over pole buoy,,current istrong,leaving a wake.,
,,turn back over for closer look,,so high tech,,fancy stuff,,big lenses,,very cool.,
,,cut for another pass but lower,close., WOW its realy go the stuff, but seems,taller then before?,
,get REALOW and CLOSE onext pass,,maybe somewhere someone is monitoring thiso i Wave.,
,turn back for another passee,,?What? a whale pushing it up higher?,,WwwWWhatheck?,
,brain ingages-thatsnot a whale,thats a Conning Tower,,,,that means its a periscope,not buoy!!!,
,RUNAWAYrUNAWAYYY!!.fly out a mile,slow,respectfull turn back to see the LLLLLong back of a Nuclear Killer submarine breaking the surface.,,HHHugh,i could land on that.,
,BOOMer sub could waste citys!,
,,,,,fly for home,,call navy base to cuthru home,hear Laffing,,guy keeps cracking up as he clears me.,
ufo.

>>2758131 (OP)
Posting here because I didn't see a Scuba thread. Just got my PADI open water cert and it was a blast. Live in florida so I'm looking forward to diving some of the springs/caverns and then later some wrecks once I get my advanced.

Going to do my first post-cert dive at rainbow river next weekend. Can't wait. Don't really need it for this dive since I'm using rentals but picked up a Cressi Leonardo computer.

Question: My last certification dive I was underweighted and it sucked. Couldn't stay on the bottom. My next dive is a rive drift dive and only has a max depth of 20ft. Don't want to wreck my dive by being underweighted again so i'm thinking I'm going to err towards more weight vs less. Is this generally an okay idea?

>>2819294
I've never done Scuba and can't help you besides maybe making this thread a bit more visible. I'm envious of all your aquatic life and destinations there, though, it's vaguely tempting to move out that way for those opportunities alone. I've only really driven through the state so far, and I have to say, it seems like you might be paying for the water with how incredibly boring the land is. At least where I drove; hopefully it's not all like that.
>>2817854
Another great tale. You've lived an extremely storied life, man.

>>2819743
>At least where I drove; hopefully it's not all like that.
most of it is. I think if you really want to love living here you have to love the water and the world below it. I've free dived many of the springs. If you ever get the chance you could probably fill a whole week just diving springs.

30feetsailboat,,,(thats 10 yards for you eyro.)
,,bumming a lifton boato Dana point,,from Newport CA.,
,,,,,heard about Baby grey whale lurking by the jetty,abandonded by mom,,sosad.,
,,we swing pasto say 'Hi.,,theres probobly alaw against hasseling whale,,,but Hi!,
,,,,,,slowsailing Baby swims near,,like,Near,,,we Hi,,Baby snuggles on our Side like WE are now,Mom?!!,
,swingsouth,,Baby tight onour side,,,verynice.,
,,,geto my drop off>Laguna beach,,,wrastle thathick suiton.,
,,,,budslow sail as i slipinto liquid holding a bumper,,,
,,,,draging along Baby seemed somuch, LARGER!,
,deepwater,,,gives methe Willys,,reluctanto let go,feeling Babys need for cover,,,roving squid,,Giant octopus,,CRACKEN!,
,,,,ive,,,,,had afew freakouts,,nothing to hide behind but my divebud,,,he was understanding.,
,,so, let go,, Baby swiming past,off into the murky water,,,100yards,(300feets) for me to swimashore.,
,,,,scaresobig!,any passing seamonster,, ive seen the movie!,,,zzzZZZI{P BITE!,,or crocodiles.,
,first sight of bottom was a RELEIF!,
,Baby stayed Dana pointill another sailboathelped himigrate.,
,,,i hope he has a cutewife and many kids.

>>2801721
If you put a skin suit on before it, you can just slide in without any lube.

>>2784786
>special monofin suit

Got to do the first "diving" of the year recently. Just in a river swimming hole with some friends, ~30 feet, but I'm glad the coldest part of the year is over with.
>>2821714
You should write and publish a short story collection. I'll be your first customer.
>>2823956
This is hurting my brain to try and figure out.

>>2824015
>figure out
feets goin together,,zipper startsat right knee up to left nipple,can see added patch getting Fat!(noweight125 chubby!),,top was attachedhood ,zipper wrist,knee length halfinch thick material.,
,,,,oooya,COMPHY!,,,butit fit my nephew toonice,nowits living in Kauai everyday swimming free.,sigh.memorys.

>>2821724
You mean a second skin suit or do I have to take off my human one?

>>2824015
3 whalestorys,,,2sealstorys,,,1sharkstory,,1 magic dolphinstory...gone.
,,ifonly, i wasexy maybe wouldnt get hammer?,

,no, its the Jesus talk gets mebanned.
,,,,my favorite story,,Shep, the sheephead., loved that fish.

>>2827974
The mare is alert

>>2819294
Freediving instructor here. Do with this info what you will. Darwin will weed out the weak.

The weight your told to put on in the class is basically to make sure you're neutrally bouyant at 10m (33ft). So go deeper than 33ft and you begin to sink. So....above (shallower) 33ft your positively bouyant and begin to float.

In competition freediving, weight is a variable. You add more weight to dive down easier, but then coming up is harder. Less weight, the beginning of the dive is harder, but you are neutral then positive deeper, making the surfacing easier.

Weighting for spearfishing is extremely dependent on the depth your hunting.

Super deep Mediterranean spears do variable drops, using over weighted belts with ropes attached to get down super easy and then having someone on board the boat pull the weights up after they surface. Those guys are hunting between 30 and 50 meters (110-160ft).

Rule of thumb is set weight by suit size: 3mm suit. 3kgs of weight.
5mm suit. 5kg weight.

Then take a few extra 1lb weights with you on your buoy and add them as needed. Make small adjustments. Take into consideration the weight of your gun, and any fish you're hoping to pull to the surface.

Be smart. Never dive alone. No fish is worth dying for.

>>2828766
Correction:

Super deep Mediterranean spearos do variable drops, using over weighted belts with ropes attached to get down super easy, take the belt off at depth, and then having someone on board the boat pull the weights up after they surface from their dive.

>>2828766
First real post in this thread since May, nice one.
How do you feel about your choice to become a freediving instructor? Is it you only job? What's the best part?

>>2828862
Instructor was just the next level in what is a ladder of challenges that is freediving at a high level. There are only a few places in the world a freediving instructor can make enough to survive on only that income, and they are mainly tourist towns in SEA, along the Mediterranean, or Hawaii/California/Florida. Even then it's constantly chasing new clients on Social media or opening a dive shop. Neither is appealing to me. And when I personally turn my passions into work, the passion dies.

I also hate the general population. People want to pay money for spoon-fed info just to say they did it. I only ever took classes to personally progress when I couldn't get deeper myself. And after living and working in said tourist towns, all over the world, and seeing the horror that is the modern middle class tourist, I'll never teach a freediving class again.

What you learn in the classes is the safest way to do everything. And no school system (padi, molchanovs, SSI, Fii) teaches the techniques or training style needed to get deeper than 40m. Their insurance just won't allow it. regardless of the (nearly) spotless record of competition freediving, we just don't have enough info for insurance companies to take the risk of teaching people to dive past 40m. Plus the majority of normies that take a level 1 class, have no desire to get level 2 or 3. 98% of freedivers will never hit 40m.

For me competition freediving is much more worthwhile. It's hard to get info on what the pro's do to get deeper and finding a training partner that has the will to dive that deep, consistently, with access to that depth is a real challenge. But it's so worth while. You get a small nugget of info from a mythical freediver, and it helps you break through and open up 10 more meters of depth. Truly feels to me like learning ancient Kung Fu techniques from a master in a monetary in the mountains of china.

Open to go into details on more. Ask away.

>>2828869
Have you tried holding your breath
Secret ancient chinese kung fu tip for you

>>2828871
Have you tried diving below RV and felt vasoconstriction force the blood from your extremities to your core? Nothing like the increase of the partial pressure of oxygen to give me hypoxia while I'm just visualizing this 2:00min Farrah Frenzel dive with a hang at 25m.

>>2828906
Doesn’t exhale diving simulate passing RV at relatively shallow depths? I really enjoy doing FRC and hanging at 10m. I’m pretty green so even that’s a lot for me.

>>2828869
>>2828906
>ancient Kung Fu techniques from a master
Evocative analogy.
>98% of freedivers will never hit 40m
>diving below RV
I am determined to join the 2%, barring some yet-unknown physical disability preventing me from getting there. I moved to a new place right after getting into this hobby, but I'm really excited to find a partner/group here and continue learning. I wish I'd known about it earlier in life. It's surprising to me that people would only want the level 1 knowledge/exposure out of this. I guess just to get to a state of "Snorkel+" and then do SCUBA for anything more?
My question is: what is your personal motivation for going deeper? Competition, self-improvement, raw enjoyment of the feelings at depth, ability to explore when vacationing, ...?

>>2828993
Yep.Thats how higher level divers train depth adaptation without needing buddies that can safety them to 70m+.

Pic is a table used to show what depth your simulating depending on your initial lung volume percentage and the depth you diving too.

Example: at 40% lung capacity and a depth of 20m, your simulating a 65m dive.

>>2829243
Freediving is fantastic because it's more mental than anything. Like extreme endurance sports, being young gives no clear advantage. Experience, mental resilience, and fortitude are all that matter. The world records are set by people that would be considered ancient if they played soccer or did track and field.

It's really all mental. Not a joke. Managing expectations and not stressing are the main factors of success.

I say it's closer to extreme meditation. When I did my deepest 68m dive, It was an out of body experience for me. Like I was a calm narrator observing my movements and sensations while they happened.

I still pursue deeper depths because I'm drawn to the feeling of falling and being underwater is my happy place. I was high lining for years and after I discovered freediving, I would imagine myself underwater when ever I highlighted. It made me instantly calm and focused in the extremely stressful situation of high lining. That made me move to HI and realize myself.

What's holding you back from going deeper? When was your best experience and how did it feel?

>>2829248
The age factor is great to hear confirmed, though I am not all that old yet. It's more that I could have used this skill a lot years ago, when I happened to be spending more time around good places to dive.
I'm an exceptionally low-stress and calm individual, so it seems to be a natural fit for me. Your description of your (mind-bogglingly) deep dive reminds me a lot of "Le grand bleu". It's one of my favorite films, even apart from the diving connection. It does seem dangerous to be so deep though, when your buddy is likely quite far away, and you're starting to go third-person. Molchanova just disappeared one day, and at only ~40 m or so. It won't stop me from diving, but the ocean is a horrifyingly powerful entity to put yourself at the mercy of. I'm also way too much of a wuss to do high lining, though.
I'm only a beginner, and changed cities just after having completed my initial certification. So I've only dived to ~17 meters, because that was farther than my instructor had asked us to attempt, and I didn't want to get in trouble or go unsafely beyond some threshold depth I wasn't aware of. It was awesome though, I had no troubles at all and was totally ecstatic to be alone in this unique location. I'll go deeper once I am finished settling in here and find people to dive with, since I don't want to violate the never-alone rule. I would like to get into spearfishing, since I already enjoy rod-and-reel and I get to explore underwater habitats at the same time.

Besides once tapping a fish in open water that didn't sense me behind it, I clearly don't have anything interesting to talk about yet. How long did it take you to work up to 68 m, and did you feel like most of that progress was from lessons? Do you also dive just to sightsee underwater, and if so, what are your favorite environments?

>>2758131 (OP)
Has anyone spearfished in Michigan? The license is free for both residents and nonresidents.