Freedive News

... Bizzy Blue Hole 2009
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Showdown
So what happened. Off course it is interesting.
The nordic countries fighting just below the medals. Johan Dahlstrom who dive 90+ in depth knew that he "only" had to do 155 to keep the finnish behind in a worst case scenario. Calm and selfconfident he sets of. But all of a sudden he is up. 145 meters and fighting an LMC. Mask of, ok sign. Yes, yes... he might make it... but then he turns towards his safety and does a second Ok sign. was the the inwater CWT judge he was looking for?
Young Mikko (FIN) enters the pool and does one of the few sucessfull 198+ (202) meter dives. Throws down his goggles with a decisive movement. The finnish are now 4th waiting for mishaps from the top three.
One greek does a safe dive, the other enters a pool and does a safe controlled dive far away from hypoxi. BUT what happens, I can hardly believe what I see. Elbows on the line, and hands on googles, but instead of lifting the goggles he lowers the head to get the goggles on the forehead. Mouth dips. No one says anything. Red card. Not even Manolis 203 meter dive saves them.
French and Czeck come alive. Start counting.
Mean while Russian ladies does two easy 99 meter dives - enough for the gold. They are a 120 meter dive a part from the US ladies when all points are counted. The danish ladies would have been bronze medalists and best DYN country if Sanne had done her 120+ dive. Maria saves lots of points with one of the longest female dives 148 meters. Instead of Denmark Japan ladies takes bronze even though they lost one diver for a start beyond the 1.5 line.
This will be good for us all - now japan can "sell" freediving better for the possible Okinawa 2010 team WC
Danish men famous for their performances in the pool is overall winner in the pool with two 198 meter dives. Just a few meters away from the bronze and the finnish. "If I only had swam 8 meters more" danish Sofus keeps repeating in his head. While other wished they had swam a few meters less.
Ant (NZ) BO at 210, and in the opposite emotional spectrum UK dave doing 173 PB.
The stage is now set for the ultimate drama. Two divers swimming side by side for the gold. Stepanek CZ and Maldame FRA start last in the comp - onle ONE meter separates them. Maldame is faster, Stepanek can watch him from behind. But he doesnt - The czecks are happy with silver and teammates says he will risk nothing. Maldame is a known strong "dynamist". Martin once had a WR in this discipline, but that was long ago.
They surface at the same time. Maldame at 175. Strong. Stepanek is up at 155 with problem, fighting an LMC. The head nods several times. SP gets delivered in time. White card. The french are jumping in the pool. Champion de monde.
Greeks try to protest their surfacing and someone in the canadian team protests US Jessicas start. No protest goes through. No one bothers to protest Stepaneks nodding. I guess we all find them worthy silvermedalists. And as far as I know no Czeck has protested an other team and has no "enemies" out there.

So did the best teams win? I was there, I saw it happen. But I still do not know. If the definition of freediving is to "dive and come back concious" well then the best teams did not win. The greeks where the strongest (but not the smartest). And one of the Russian ladies was hardly aware of what side of the platform she surfaced on, and the SP looked thereafter. Protests and videos, thats what decided this WC

At the end of the day. BO with mouthdip is the only clear limit free of subjective judgement and red cards for details that has little to do with the "apnea performance".

Do look at Kimmos photos:http://freediving.pictures.fi/kuvat/2008/11%20Sharm%20el%20Sheikh%20Worlds/
Comment! | 2008-09-12 15:14:36 | Sebastian
Priorities
The captains meeting drag on. Lists are late. We are waiting for final results. Sun is going down. I am eager to go - I want one last dive. Tomorrow morning I might not find safetydivers for a deep dive. The party tonight will take its toll.

I take wide steps down to the pontoon stretching out into the bay. I see a few tiny figures still out there. Skip the suit I usually have during warm-up and swim out to the platforms in my neoprene swimtrunks. Sun is gone now. Its quite far out. My arms get tired.
I have no fins. I plan a FIM dive. Rob King is there, and Johan who today "lost" the swedes a bronze medal and canadian alternate Jenna who added 30 meters to her PB as a starter and inofficialy broke the Canadian DYN record (She turned at 150 and fought of an LMC). Davide is a shadowy head on the other line.

Darkness creeps in fast as the sun dissapears behind the reddish desert mountains in the distance. The watersurface is already black. Not inviting blue any more. I say to myself that it does not matter. I dive in scandinavian waters. Light is pretty gone down by 40 there.
The water in front of me might not be blue, but its luke warm and silent. Theres peace there.
I am afraid no one can wait to safety me so I skip warm-up, not even a short breathhold. I just breath deep for some minutes. It is a 75 meter line. I am determined to turn if I get warning signals. I wisper to myself as I breath: "Judgement Sebastian, Judgement". I am exploring my squeeze limits and I must be totally relaxed. 1 kilo neck weight, some extra 1 litre packing - of I go. Noseclip, no mask, I am beginning to get use to it. Even like it. I am intent on not opening my eyes until the surface comes back at me.
Down, down, down... I focus on keeping my legs dangling and relaxed. Arm over arm. Pushing up more air in the mouth now and then. An alarm goes of: "was it set on 30?" Dont remember. Probably. I can still bring up air. With a mask I usually cant at this depth.
Is the speed enough? Shall I stop pulling?

Oops a contraction - already. I stop pulling, hesitate on wether to have both arms behind or just one as I freefall. Strange, so many dives and I still havent decided.

The contractions are pulling at my mouthfill. Should I turn? I lost my footstrap while swimming out and my lanyard is now attached to my waist. Does the antiballast still work? How is it to be pulled up by the waist? Why am I thinking about this?
Is that the 50 meter alarm? Thats good. The Mares Nemo apneist has slightly higher sound than the D3. I realize my mouth is more or less empty. I turn feet down and continue to fall. Shall I keep the elbow like that? Relaxation or hydrodynamics? I make no choice, most things just happens during the dive. Should I turn? I wiggle my jaw opening my eustachians. Ears are fine. I try to look for sensations. Checking the lungs, the ears, the relaxation. No this is enough. My body is actually screeming for air and I am falling down into darkness, far away from life as I know it. I am such an idiot. I should have turned much earlier. Stop
I pull freneticly upwards, but realize that its not a good idea. I stretch out in long pulls. Surface some 60 + above. Open my eyes slightly and I see glittering lights. What is it. Phosfourus? My mind is shadowy. I close my eyes again and focus on sucking in against the noseclip. I need that expanding air. Black out is always a risk. I am actually surprised I am concious. Amazed at what I can do.
And there a shadow of a monofin, and another. I can safely blackout. But I try to expand my mind. I do not accept any shadows creeping in in my mind.
How deep have they met me? Will I make it? I sense the surface, some glittering of the moon, pull of the noseclip, let out my excess air from the packing.
Break the surface - I always do - even though I often doubt it. What a crazy sport. I hook. And again. And again. I take pride in always hooking more than enough, not caring if I need it or not.
Sense is coming back to me. Turn around the line and look for some imaginary judges that might have been on the platform, and feed them the SP. I am a winner. But also a looser. I swear. What am I doing? I get the urge to breath and I just continue down into darkness and pressure. Why do I do it? Look for life in a risky situation in the shadows. The only argument for being able to come back up again is that I have done it before. Not much of an argument. I look at the depthmeter on my foot. 2.43 and 70 metres. I feel fine. I feel great.

Its a magical feeling out there on the plattform. Sharing this moment under the moon with people who knows what I am doing - and why. Not much words are needed in this sharing process.

The results? The drama of the unfolding of the medals?
Who cares. Most made their dives, some did not. Some are happy, some are a bit dissapointed. It will all pass. Next time there are new winners, new loosers, new PB´s new dissapointments, new people redefining their limits, doing great things under pressure. New names but, same feelings. A Gathering of likeminded.
We learnt, we experienced, we lived a few days on this planet.
Now I am of to eat.
Comments(7) | 2008-09-11 19:53:45 | Sebastian
Dyn day 1
The face of danish Sanne speaks for itself. Hours after her dive it is still there - the blankness - the "what happened", what should I have done different?
At 130 meter a Blackout that left the danish women with no bronze medal.
Earlier during the day Japan Female got red cards moving teams as Denmark up. The japaneese got DQ for starting a few centimeters after the 1.5 meter line. Me personally I rather have BO than be DQ by that rule. Rope at 1.5 please.
Mandy had a BO at 150 meters.
Czeck women performes steady and CZ is heading for an overall winner both men and female. Greeks have the mens gold and only themselves can lose it now.
CZ and French are fighting over the silver. Would newly frenhified Winram be needed tomorrow or is Nery, maldame and Morgan enough?
Swedes on fourth place looking over the shoulder towards finnish Mikko and Timo diving tomorrow.

Mullins started the competition in a nice way; turning, turning, turning (in the shitty, warm, uneven, shallow, mismeasured pool) - how many turns? He comes up at what would have been 250 in a normal pool (this one about 247), stands up slowly testing his balance, exploring his consiousness for a second. Goes for his noseclip and we hear three New Zealanders screaming BREATH. He hesitates with the noseclip, turns slighty his head towards the teammates, lets of a small forgiving smile that said: "calm down, Why would I have to breath, I am not even exhausted". Continues with the noseclip, does a small discret Ok sign and says gently "the words". Judges looking carefully, scrutinizing his every move, the audience is dead silence, waiting for the card. 30 seconds - no card, he just stands there, awkvardly waiting. No one is saying anything. 40 seconds. The judges are set on watching him the full minute. I cant help but to break the silence and say: "just watch him, he is going to fall over any second".
But Mullins is the steadiest freediver ever to come out of the southern hemisphere (not counting Carlos :-)

It is more that clear that CWT is only a cautious prelude to when the real competition starts: in the pool.
Here is where the points are: dyn and sta still on general gives more points than cwt. We keep hearing: Time, length and distance - the essence of freediving. But wouldnt a competition with the disciplines: FIM, CNF, CWT feel like a real FREEDIVING CHAMPIONSHIP. There is time and lenght in the depth aswell. The winner of triple depth dahab is a truly good freediver, although you dont get the points you deserve for CNF there.

The executive man of AA red sea: Marco pointed out that I wrote something wrong yesterday. AA offered to organize WC depth for three consecutive years (in order to finance some investmenst improving the diving facilities), but after no coherent answer whatsoever from Aida (Bill) for 6 months they withdrew the offer BEFORE Aida responded.
I guess they where pissed of. But Bill says his hands are tied by the statutes - the location of coming WC´s is an assembly decision.

Now it seems WCteam might move to Okinawa Japan in early July 2010.
WC indoor 2009 is more or less decided to go to a small town in Denmark.

Do read Lindas BLOGG:
http://freedived.blogspot.com
Comment! | 2008-09-10 16:27:07 | Sebastian
where to?
It is getting serious. Did you know that countries are actually protesting each others performances. I know it happened in 2006 team on an ocassion, and we have the protested Stig performance in Maribor, but it looks like this will be part of future freediving on top level. So when private videofootage is allowed in the protestroom who dares not to film every performance of the team, even if we have to pay for acess.

Japaneese and Russians have a historic tendency to come "en force" with big groups. As is the french and the brittish (the later usually confusing quantity with quality ;-). NZ went for quality and sent one coach and three megastars, but it didnt pay of. In WC team the coolest most strategic teams seems to be the french and the danish. Sweden has just broken a glorious record of all white cards since the beginning of team WC.

Many more countries has discovered the trick of "underperforming" and waiting for the greedy to stagger. Seems to be a lot less DQ even though a harsh climat should have suprised many athletes, making them overating their training performances.

It is obvious that the japaneese ladies been preparing had for this, as has the whole Czecks team, and of course the Greeks, no one warned us of them.
But freediving Competition is so much more than coming fit and push against the contractions and take care of that mouthfill. If you can not handle those finer details of the rules, you will start loosing points or even white cards.
What is a toptrained body worth if you can not stay healthy - if eating, sleeping and acklimatization does not work. A hookbreath "programmed" into the deeper part of the brainfunction could be the different between medal or not.

It was only 7 years ago Herbert surfaced in Ibiza doing those strange gulping movements. And back then we lifted our eyebrows to monofins and those incredibly fast dives. No one ever heard about no warm up techniques or that temperature had something to do with the finer details of performance (why on earth did Stepanek take of his suit in that Ibiza pool back in 2001, wasnt it cold?)

"So when are the swedish going to stop overventilating" finnish Timo asks me (The finnish men won the overall static). Annelie is purging away in lane D, and we can still here the echo of Lottas breathing, soon to follow by Weines wirlwind breathing. If trying to discuss it with him he quotes Herbert: "Iknow - but it works". And sure it did - Weine best breathholder on the last day, but the Fins and the danes has caught up and are going to give us a fight for it, the danes with proven DYN ability. Can we count on Weine again - he will need more help from his mates. Johan "a man of depth" has already given us points enough in CWT to make up for a shorter DYN. Young Tobias can not risk anything in his first WC-team.

DYN is where the competition starts, where teams actually can watch each other and act accordingly to others perfomances.

Are we content with that or are there any creative ideas on how to make freediving into a competition that unfolds in front of our eyes from start to finnish, instead of on lists hours afterwards.
Comment! | 2008-09-09 16:18:50 | Sebastian
Science
Of course it´s a form of vanity. The urge to beat others. To compare and come out looking good. I ask the scientist what breath hold times the other "subjects"has been able to perform. Why would I like to know? Because it would give me some satisfaction doing something special, above the rest. Part of me wish I wouldn´t care, but fact is, I apparantly do.
Erika Shagatay in charge of the spleen, glucose, HB tests declines to answer, she can not say any thing about the others "subjects".

I am lying on a table and they measure my spleen with ultrasound. We already know it contains red blood cells that will be released during breath hold and help me carry more oxygen in the blood. I rest for 10 minutes and then I am asked to start a max breath hold without breathing up or packing. Erika wants to, among other things, know how our ability to hold our breath varies when we have time to prepare, with a more emergency kind of breath hold that surprises us. Like being trapped in a car that has fallen into the sea. A similar question we competetive freedivers has been concerned with the last 4-5 years. Warm-up or no warm up? I do 5.20 on the first breath hold, which makes the scientist crew of four a bit happy since it is the longest so far. Vanity fed. Contractions and 2.15, surprisingly late considering I had eaten 70 minutes before.
I would argue that no warm up, would not necessarily mean no increased ventilation. I would have prefered to take some 6-8 deep breaths before. After a rest of 10 minutes I am allowed to prepare myself in what ever way I chose for a second max static, but only during 10 minutes. Long enough. I do an exhale static for 1.45, rest for 3 minutes and then start some deep slow breathing for 5 minutes, blocking the exhale slightly to retain lung pressure and hopefully push some O2 atoms into the blood. No packing (some of the first subjects did that and several blacked out). Packing is trickier on land, specially in Sharm with outside temperatures above 40 degrees celcius, threatening heat strokes and falling bloodpressures. Contraction at 3.45 and I stop at 6.20. I feel an LMC in my arm, O2 saturation down to 53 at its lowest. That was a max alright. On both breatholds I had saturation O2 70 at 5.30. Most likely I could have gone beyond 6.20 in the first breath hold, but 3 min contractions was well enough.

Erika is also going to correlate glucose levels, and HB levels and other stuff to the athletes performances. Glucose levels will show who is fasting and who is not.

I and Johan Dahlstrom (doctor, aswell as our at the time strongest athlete) has convinced our two other male athletes (both body builders) to cut down on meat before the upcoming static. Very reluctantly they have done so. Asking Weine to stop with coffee and sugar seems to be asking too much. He looks a bit agressive when we start talking about these things. I have been clearly told that he needs not analyzing or strategy thinking from me as teamcaptain. He decides weeks before the WC what he will deliver in points and then he just comes here and does it. Hyperventilate and go. He seldom fails. He´s more like a natures force. Just go with it.
Comment! | 2008-09-06 21:25:49 | Sebastian
Team Static Relay
I can happily announce that the Czeck male and female team in Team relay static LOST. The worlds at the moment deepest divers did not have much to offer.
Good, that makes it more fun for the rest of us in the upcoming static discipline :-). Swiss team with current Static world champion Nicolas joined in (although reluctant at first). Germans gave a good show, although disturbed by the Czeck ladies trying to blow bubble rings in Richard Wonkas face. Team relay static accepts these kind of strategies.
Swiss finished third. Slovakia second (with Juraj doing a good long static) even though the Czeck ladies again gave their "lost half" nation a tough time.
Since verbal abuse is allowed, even from the judges, I reminded Juraj loudly during his static about his failed 100 meter dive. Most jokes from the competitors eventually turned into something of sexual nature.
And winner team Finland finishing with world class breathholder Timo had to take a lot of heat. In the end around 15 minutes total Sta time the "no touch" rule was suspended and Timo had to hold his breath with people sitting on him. Well actually riding him :-) Static pool 35 degrees during day time. Lower during night. Static starts 6 pm.
Comment! | 2008-09-06 21:24:21 | Sebastian
Protest
Yesterday I joined the miserable crowd of protesters. Tears and despair (yes actually both).
A russian, a french, a New Zealander, A brittish and a swede (that I was teamcaptaining) - all feeling that we had been misjudged. In my case, me personaly I did not know what happened down there in the depth - I never trust any freediver when they speak about what happened or did not happen during a dive.
A good dive always involves a certain detachment. But I was there helping my athlete to protest a grab. And was prepared to give her the best defence possible.
I call the protest crowd miserable since obviously they have not done their dives clear enough for the judges to judge.
Two hours we wait: a crying russian comes out smiling, a surface grabbing brit a bit sadfaced, a kiwi guy who just paid to see the bottom camera and is still not sure there was a grab at the bottom.
The french athlete makes the movement of a firing gun in the back of her coach, which I guess means the protest did not go through.

My athelete is charged with grabbing. There is no official video of the happening. But the judge who in this case chose to swim down after her down claims to have seen a grab, and rumour has it when he makes a claim he is sure.

We are informed that we are allowed to show private videos that can support our claim. I repeat: ONE CAN SHOW ONES OWN VIDEO TO THE PROTESTJURY!
This was a no-no in Maribor about this, but now it is allowed,and I hope you realize the consequences of this.

Stig Severinsen, danish coach filming all dives by the line, offered to give us the tape of what he filmed so we are comfortably seated with the judges and start watching a video none of us has seen.
And oops there is an arm movement just a long the line, one arm goes up to the nose. Was it a grab - I look at my athlete in a "did you see that" way.
And just when she covers the line with her body there is a jolt with the elbow as if there is a grab somewhere there and the arm is pushed up.
I start saying in swedish to her: if you cant explain in a very good way what that arm is doing, we loose 50 euro.
With a lot of words she gives an explaination which I translate and narrow down to what I feel are the essentials.

Her gliding hand catches up with the carabiner and the lanyard line and with swift movement she tries to entangle hers self and have the hand gliding free on the line again.

We are shown out while the judges talk. I feel that the only way this explanation will fly is if the diving judge actually remembers the dive and the movement and realizes that he saw wrong.

Protest went through. Swedish ladies are side by side with the canadians
Comment! | 2008-09-05 13:00:22 | Sebastian
Deepest divers
The Czeck are the worlds deepest nation. Put female and male points together and they are the best.
Followed by Sweden and Russia.

Violant waves rooking the plattforms, tossing the freedivers (and the crew) back and forth. Minutes after the last diver the doctor/crew boat lost anchorgrip and ripped the plattforms along. Hot hot hot but the wind kept us somewhat cool. Many freedivers dove without suits and in "swimsuits".

17 male teams
10 female teams
Total 27 teams, some 80 athletes, nearly 240 performances (as many as Nordic Deep ;-)

A small WC.

Still the record from Ibiza has not been broken, probably because there was no fee on that WC.

Frederico (ITA) added 1 metre to the national record and did a clean 90 dive. Johan D (swe) put one meter onto his own NR 84.

Juraj looked strong until five meters from the surface when he tilted his head and looked longingly towards the light. Missed to grab the line and fell back with a BO. Slovakia is out of the top five.

Mullins turned, as did Ryozo. Ant grabbed, as did Alexey.

Notorius safetydivers had to nag at the audience to get back.

The "only-one"/ AA team are getting good at this. Freediving is evolving. Judges in sportive yellow rashguards. All safetydivers marked in rashguards guarding each warmup line.

The organization has proposed to do more WC´s but RUMOR has it that Japan might be next (2010).
If that is not well sponsored it might be as in Canada 2003 where very few teams showed up. Japan is a long way away for most of us.

RESULTS so far (next comp in three days).
1. Fra 260
2. Greece 257
3. CZ 247
4. Swe 226
5. NZ 206 (Trubridge lost some 30 pts).
6. Fin 193
Jessica Wilson (US) turned two meters from the plate at 60 and saved her ears, Swedish Weine got broken eardrum at 40, but got the tag from 72 anyhow.
Nathalie A (Rus) came up disoriented with LMC and failed proper SP got red card. Protested and later somewhere on a video some kind of OK sign was seen = white card.

FEMALE
1. Russia 205
2. Japan 183
3. Usa 171
4. Can 163
5. Swe 160.


Last years silvermedalist Sweden has had some problem. Lotta allergic to deep diving. Annelie nearly breaking her foot a week before and Isabelle not having trained any freediving for two years.

Next a story about protesting
Comments(1) | 2008-09-04 20:22:49 | Sebastian
First deepdiving day
Flags hanging from the balconies, many old faces. Faces that has been around for some seven years now (since the first Ibiza 2001 WC).

One of them D. Carrera (ITA) got DQ BO on a 90 meter dive.

The expected goldwinners from NZ has met some problem. Trubridge used a lot of grabs while down at 90 meters and got penalties, lots. Mullins is not fond of Static and Trubridge is not known for ecelling in the dynamic.

Greece has emerged as a topcandidate with 90,90,100 dives. Manolis is back after som years in the army.

Six guys over 100 meters tomorrow Juraj,

Bogdan here with his fins, discussing stiffness with the greek who seem to go for soft. Stepanek is trying out the glidefin.

If everyone does their dives tomorrow the mens results will look like this:
1. Fra 260
2. Greece 257
3. CZ 247
4. Slo 244
5. NZ 241 (Trubridge lost some 30 pts).

Five protests, one went through: an LMC mouthdip that got benefit of doubt since the athlete was turned away from the camera. Stig S (den) did not fail to mention this at captains meeting. Advice: turn away and get benefit of doubt.
Comments(1) | 2008-09-03 21:30:09 | Sebastian
Coming Team World Championships 2008
1-12 september in Sharm el Sheik Egypt. Teams of three from each nation compeeting in three disciplines: deep dives with fins, as far as possible in pool, as long time as you can without moving.

F.BIZ will be reporting daily.



last WC team:
the whole story... more or less

JUDGES FOR WC:
Bill Strömberg, Sweden, 30 votes (Judge President)
Grant W. Graves, USA, 24 votes (Judge Vice President)
Kimmo Lahtinen, Finland, 23 votes
Marcello de Matteis, Italy, 23 votes
Ute Geßmann, Germany, 16 votes
Susan Kluytmans, Netherlands, 15 votes

Comments(2) | 2008-07-07 23:34:13 | Sebastian et co
Results 2007

results


more photos


BEST NATIONS

BILLPOINTS (1st place 15p - 2nd place 13p - 3rd place 11p - 4th place 9p - 5th place 8p - down to 12th place 1p)

1. FRANCE 36 points
2. AUSTRIA 30 points
3. FINLAND 28 points
4. CZECK 24 points
4. RUSSIA 24 points
5. SWEDEN 21 points
6. NEW ZEALAND 18 points
6. UK 18 points
7. CANADA 13 points
8. ITALY 12 points
9. DENMARK 10 points

116 CWT dives 10 DQ (only one of them female)
76 CNF dives 18 DQ (five of them women)
Totally 16 BO.s out of 194 dives = 8% Totally 28 DQ which gives = 14%
CNF was a very blackouty competition. And four of the five top women fell out of different reasons.

Comment! | 2007-11-05 18:54:51 | Sebastian
The poker game
There is something deeply wrong here. I finished in 5th position in the last WC - but I am not the 5th best CNF freediver in the world this week.
Well you might shrug your shoulders and say: well you announced well. These are the rules of the game. It is the same for all athletes.



But I say NO! Change the game. There must be better ways to find out who is the best. Just because we have done it one way for many years does not mean we cannot change.

In The Nordic Deep. competition you have TWO tries in every category: length, depth and time and you chose your best performance in each category. More dives and room for a failure.

WC could do something like this, have higher criterias and let fewer athletes compete with more dives.

SUGGESTION:
1) Only one person per country (sex/discpline).
2) Add on all persons CWT 80+ (65+ women).
3) Maximum 50-60 athletes.
4) Each diver has three dives.
5) In the end they only count their deepest.

COMMENTS:
If you BO, you must repeat the same depth (or shallower) again.
If you have two BO in a row youmay not start a third time.
No penalties for turning early.
Let the newbies train in smaller comps and give more room for the best to compete more times.

And the rules - there are too many of them. Makes no sense for media and audience (I know we talked about this before). In april 2008 we are a group of people that will try a freedive competition under totaly new rules. Less than 10 rules - more info on that soon.

It would also be very easy to have two extra local E-judges: handling dopingtests, videochecks and update ranking. The five judges have their hands full and are tired.
Comments(6) | 2007-11-04 07:56:05 | Sebastian
CNF results...updated and confirmed
Herbert, always Herbert... he came out on top this last day of the championship, claiming another gold medal with a 77 meter dive.

And Sara showed at last that she is human and was brought up unconcious after her 60 meter dive that lasted some 3 minutes. When back in reality again in the arms of the safetydivers... she greeted us with a merry and cheerful... hello.

GOLD Herbert 77
SILVER Winram 75
BRONZE Alexey 65 meters.

(Morgan had a rope violation)

GOLD Jarmilla 50
SILVER Susanna Finland 40
BRONZE Anna Germany 38

Natalja entered the water but decided not to dive. Lotta BO, Annelie turn.

Martin Z BO surface after 63, Maldame big BO


The guy who has lived CNF for the last three years leaves the first CNF WC empty handed. Trubridge has a brief BO at the surface after breathing. Tried for 75.

More pictures and stories soon.

And yes I made my dive to 56, like in a dream, doing everything like on program. photos
Comments(9) | 2007-11-03 14:49:57 | Sebastian
56

I wake up and spend two hours trying to fall asleep. Might have gone into dreams twice... dont know. Does not matter... 8 hours is enough.
I do my morning ritual...check temperature...not good...37.2... thats 0.8 fever. I go on checking my pulse... 63... way above normal resting pulse of 54. Finaly I do the contraction test... no ventilation... just abig breath and check the time to the first significant contraction... 2.14... thats very good... strange.
I take my towel and D3 and walk down to the grass as I do every morning here... 45 minutes of light yoga... waking myself up... waking muscles... energies... telling the body that there is work to be done in a few hours. I focus on not overdoing it.
It is 9 o clock now. I am diving at 13.40. I eat half a powerbar. Some vitamins, some aloe vera that seems to gone bad .. dont realy know how it is supposed to taste. Take a C vitamin extra. There is something going on in the body... but it might be to late to set it right... I just have to dive with it.
I walk to the restaurant, avoid looking at the starting list. I have some fruitsallad with honey in. Trying to chew thoroughly without stress... does not realy work. Chose a table by myself ... talking takes so much energy ... mental energy. I dont want to talk about announcement, I know nothing about other peoples announcements. I thought my 56 meter CNF would put me at around 15th, I might be wrong, my TOP seems a bit late. I was down to 55 three days ago, quite easily, 56 shouldnt be a problem... but what about the fever?


So this is the reason for me not speculating about other peoples performances today. I am compeeting myself and I dont want to set myself into a context... it is me and my 56 meters.
Now I am of for a 40 minute session with the medical scientists... good that will take my mind of things...I avoid people as much as possible. Spending my time watching the film Fifth element. 2 hours before I do a visualaztion while holding my breath. Let go of the rope, 7 strokes, fall, relax, fill mask, take mouthfill, cheek against chest, grab, take tag, remember not stress, pull, long strokes, forget about the contractions, no stress, grab pull glide, first safety, second safety, remove hood, open eyes focus, Look for the bouy, surface inhale fall on bouy, hook, hook, remove mask, look for yellow t-shirt, OK sign , I am OK.
Comments(7) | 2007-11-03 08:43:42 | Sebastian@ fridykning.se...
Rest day









More wc photos

Comment! | 2007-11-02 12:20:48 | Sebastian@ fridykning.se...
More photos




Here use to be a very dramatic photo of a blacked out freediver brought to the surface by the safety. Now it is gone. The WC competition saw nearly ten of these kind of blackouts. No need to let one freediver represent them all.

More wc photos

Comments(2) | 2007-11-01 18:02:18 | Sebastian
Rescue breath

A bad habit is spreading among divebuddies and safetydivers - they go for a rescuebreath (blowing into the mouth) within seconds.
It is my belief that this is less effective and even contra productive.

1) When a freediver blackout under water the laryngospasm kicks in (the epiglottis seals the throat).
2) This muscle is very strong. VERY strong.
3) No air pressure (a blow) can open it.
4) It will open when oxygen supply for this muscle has run out, or...
5) When the subconscious of the victim decides to open it.
6) It will open when the victim feels safe and know there is air on the outside.
7) The victim becomes aware of this (even subconsciously) when they feel air BLOWN into the face, when they feel they are being touched, when they hear they are being talked to, when they feel safe.
8) Blowing into the mouth might cause small amounts of air drip down the throat and cause the epiglottis to seal even more ... delaying a revival.
9) IF a rescue breath did open a laryngospasm it would be enough with one ... in some cases it has to be done many times (why does it not work the first time?) ... in these cases it is my belief that it is not the blow that eventually revives the victim, but the actual touching.

The frustration over an unconscious dive buddy that stays in black out makes the safetydiver wanting to do MORE ... a rescuebreath FEELS like a professional thing to do, something very decisive ... it is not.

The correct action is MORE blowing onto face, More touching/tapping of face.

This conclusion I have come to after talking to anaesthesia doctors, emt- personel and scientists.


Comment! | 2007-11-01 17:41:27 | Sebastian@ fridykning.se...
First results of CWT day


Carlos did his 103 meter dive and is back in the world top again. This dive gave him a bronze medal.

Weine Sweden suffered one of the blackouts this day, this one was quite severe and he had a squeeze that impaired his breathing for a long time.

Top ladies:
GOLD Sara 88 meter clean
SILVER Annelie 77 meter
BRONZE Maria Denmark 63 meters
Natalja BO at 10
Linda turn around 60

Top men:
GOLD Herbert 112
SILVER Mullins 110 (105 points)
BRONZE Carlos 103
Guillaume 99
Juraj 98 (94 points)
Ryuzo turn early.

More photos and stories in a while.
Comments(1) | 2007-11-01 15:54:44 | Sebastian@ fridykning.se...
First day of diving - CWT
men and women



WC photos

Weather the same, wind and wavy, but the two plattforms are taking away alot of the waves and the big boat behind protects from the winds. French Adrien out as starter 75 meters no problem (PB 80).
Timo is not feeling very well and Stig is more or less retired, mostly playing around with a camera. Deron has joined the safetyteam. Will & Will go without fins

Comment! | 2007-11-01 09:43:36 | Sebastian@ fridykning.se...>
Deep guys
Mullins 114
Herbert 112
Carlos 103
Juraj 101
Guillaume 99
Ruyozo 96


So, I was wrong about Guillaume, he was not ready for an attempt (he had it 2006 at 109, been doing 105 (?) in training here). I do like his choice of numbers, the nines are usually not popular numbers (only one nine this year) ... there is something modest about 99 ... respect.

I think we officially can conclude that Carlos is back in business... after one full year of fighting with post DCS symptoms.

And Juraj has moved up and is one of the big guys. In Nordic Deep 2005 he did 72 and was the only diver that showed no squeeze symptoms in the tests that scientists were doing there.

Tody the organization has replaced one (two?) ropes that chafed and nearly broke. The bottomplates have had the edges softened. All CWT dives tomorrow... the a rest day... and all CNF dives on saturday

And Sara has alerady made the calculation... turning at 84 will still give her silver.

Comment! | 2007-10-31 17:52:43 | Sebastian
The philosophy of announcing
1. How would you like to feel when countdown starts. Relaxed? Well then do not speculate about what others are announcing and just deduct some 10% from your fresh PB.

2. If you are very experienced you might be able to do some relaxed training dives of about 85% of your PB and then announce 100%.

3. The gambler. You want high ranking, you want to beat a certain other athlete, you want to stretch for a NR. You might have a good day – question is how much do you want to play with probability. Is it OK to accept a 30% failure chance?

Is Natalja happy about 95? Did she think Annelie or Sara was going for 92-93? I do not think she cares – she just want a dramatic figure that knocks all out.

Sara probably counted on Annelie going for the WR, so why did she announce 88 then, when she knows Linda can not pass 80? Or did she think Annelie was going to operate in her PB area (86).

Of the top 5 women Sara and Natalja are playing with probability. Maria from Denmark have most to win : an advancement into the top 5.
Linda (never thinking she could medle with the top three) can relax and dive and maybe wait for a bronzemedal.
As can Annelie having taken of some 15% from her PB, if she makes her 77 her bronzemedal might turn into more precious metal. In a few hours we know.

SOME SPECULATION about the mens CWT. If you can not afford a record attempt : well this is your chance. I think the top three will go for the record (out of different reasons).

My guesses:

Guillaume is already working on the pressphotos – he will announce 112. Training has been going well since he arrived. But it will be a close call.

Mullins does not care for medal, he is in a way a rookie and wants to se what he is made of - he will stretch for the WR, announce 112 or 113.

Herbert will, if he feels well, defend his record and announce something crazy like 115, he has so much depth in his body – after 214 he probably lost all respect for depth. And by now he is so relaxed about these things – there will be lots of chances in the future, he´s in - for life- in this sport I guess.

One of them will probably fail and this makes the bronze medal a very interesting fight.
Lots of divers touching 90 (Juraj, Timo, Carlos, Ryouzo, Maldame´??, Alexey, Pedersen, Trubridge...). My money is on Juraj.

Check Simos page for results and lists:
results

Stig and others spotted an oceanic white tip by the divelines yesterday.
:
stigs homepage
Stig will soon show more of the shark on his homepage.
Comment! | 2007-10-31 10:40:41 | Sebastian
It has started
Natalja 95 Sara 88 Annelie 77 Linda 72 Maria (den) 63

As you see some athletes might feel they announced too much, or too little.
Diving starts 9.00 wednesday

TEAM RELAY STATIC Five teams started their breathhold at noon in the WC pool. Three man teams. In the beginning it looked like Trubridge-Vaerbeck-Winram was going to give Molchanov-Kurra-Severinsen a fight, but finnishing man Stig did an easy 6 and took his team to a gold medal (17.45 total time). Second place a danish team with Sanne-Jesper-Henning.
Next edition of the team relay will not allow sexual harrasment.

Winners interviewed

team static


MISHAP AT TRAINING - Pat Schnorf asked for 71 meters - the line was placed on 81 - he did the dive and came up with a bad squeeze.
Comment! | 2007-10-30 20:05:43 | Sebastian
Adbucted cat
Over the years Stig Severinsen has developed a close relationship with a ragcloth-cat which has accompanied him to several freediving events. Now the cat seems to be gone - escaped or more likely kidnapped. Stig received the email below from the adress: stigscat@yahoo.com.
"The guys I'm hanging out with are cool, letting me climb trees and hang out in the pool on a funky red floaty thing. I don't think we need to worry about the people who took me, they seem like cat-lovers, although I did hear them whispering in the corner this morning something about ransoms or randoms, not sure".



Comment! | 2007-10-30 13:14:00 | Sebastian
Advice needed
Let us say you arrive to Sharm WC with a PB of 57 cwt. In just a week or to you manage to do 85 meters. The national record of your country is 86 meters. You feel strong and healthy - should you go for it?

The sweet problem is that of finnish Simo Kurra. And no he is not as fat as he looks on his deeperblue avatar - the guy did two marathons this summer. So what would you go for - a safe white card at 81-82 and maybe if you are lucky a place among the ten best - OR - when you have the flow go for the record (Timos record - they share the same room here).

For Simo this is a question of having your mind catch up with what your body has been able to do. Almost 30 meter increase in PB i short time is hard to handle mentaly. Narcosis is a new feeling for him and there are doubts in his mind during ascent when the lactic acid sets in... WHERE ARE THOSE SAFETYDIVERS?
But Simo confesses not remembering much of his safety protocol after the 85 meters.
Comment! | 2007-10-30 10:09:05 | Sebastian
Cunning
Is it a secret?
What?
Your depth?
What depth? You do not know what depth I have been down to?


Well that is true, but I know at what depth the plate was when Dave Mullins did his training dive today. Its hard to keep anything secret with so many people around the lines all the time. So is the silent NEW ZEALANDER so cunning that he might put the line deeper than he is aiming for? And if he has been down to 115 meters on one (14 litre?) breath, what signals will that send to Herbert?
I am going for your record - or - I want you to believe that I am going for your record so you better anounce 114 if you want to keep it. But he might only be here for the goldmedal and would be happy if Herbert goes over the top with his announcements.

At the end of the day - freediving is much more relaxing if you push yourself in training and the announce something you are totally relaxed with - and without glancing at your competitors.

There is anyhow a hunt for infomation going on. As Mullins was surfacing Guillaume was closing in trying to read the depth gauges - while Mullins was shaking of the confusions of narcosis and breathing hard - But countryman Trubridge put his hand over the gauges.

Trubridge and Peter P certainly have to deduct a few meters from todays training dives if they want to be relaxed on comp day - or at least find out why it did not work. Since this was official training days, Peters BO might make the judges stop him from dives they think is too deep for him.
Comment! | 2007-10-29 18:01:46 | Sebastian
Its all speculation
Today the wind is ripping the waves and the club sharm flags. The sea feels hostile, one athlete says. The platforms are bouncing in the sea. Lotta E got attacked by the bottom plate when she was down there. The rope can lift 1 even 2 meters and move the bottomplate. If you are the type of diver that feels the line with one hand - well then you are in trouble - it is very distracting feeling the line go the other way.

People are beginning to talk about announcements. The organization first wanted announcements two days in advance but that is going to change to the night before (as customary). I was all wrong yesterday, maybe no one is going to either go for ot try to protect a WR. As Trubridge told me: a world record might last a couple of weeks, but getting a gold medal here will stay with you for two years.

So it is all about how much gambler you are. On the lower levels of the comp it is about how close to a red card you want to swim - if you fail here you can get onto the ranking list in the next comp. But at the top five - it is more of being a poker player and having information about your competitors training.

If we take a look at the women. Natalja has set world records with big margins nearly every time she turns up at a comp. But she has proven to be "human" aswell, in a Triple depth she had BO at WR CNF attempt. She most likely will try to break Saras 90. Sara on the other hand is more likely to look behind her: how much can Annelie do? She has done 86, but has she improved since then, how is training going? And Annelie is thinking about how Sara is thinking: will Sara think 86 is enough for a silver medal?

<


And does Annelie have to be worried about the ones behind her? Where Annelie failed in Triple depth Linda Pagianelli delivered a strong 75, can she improve that. And is it true that Linda has earinfection - if so and if she gets in to the water after many days on land she will most likely be very conservative and wait for a "free" bronze medal if the ones above stress each other to high numbers.
And what about the weather, will it calm as promised until the ladies CWT, and at what time will I dive, will there be a current?
As we close in - there will be more thinking and less diving.

Will we see this again?
Comment! | 2007-10-29 09:57:50 | Sebastian
A rising moon
Will Trubridge is doing serious and modified Yoga pranayama in the dark towards the rising full moon. It took him two years of these kind of things to reach the level he is at.
Now he has a world record to take back and since he has failed during some training dives he will have to focus and leave nothing to fate.
Question is which of his two records will Herbert focus on keeping, probably the CWT. Herbert was last athlete on the training lines this evening - darkness was all around, sun long gone and visibility down to 10-15 meters. This is when he choses to set the line to 100 and do his dive. It is him and six safetydivers in ring around him. Faces can not be detected any more. Training is not allowed in the dark - but hey - who would refuse Herbert.

So who could take Herberts 111 meter WR from Hurgahada a year ago?
Carlos is not ready, Ryozo maybe, Guillaume more likely, and what about Mullins? Mullins have a few failed dives and would not be a safe bet.
staying healthy is crucial at this point.
Health

Will on his morning yoga 2005 Sardinia.
Comment! | 2007-10-28 17:58:29 | Sebastian
Three days before the start of the WC
"Where you part of the swedish samba festival". The question is asked me by a french freediver. It is hard to keep anything secret here. Two swedish divers comes up and blackouts in a row on the training line. They breath, but hypoxi catches up with them and they are out for a couple of seconds.


A picture of the dive site facing Saudia Arabia. Its full moon and high tide and the lines are shaking in the strong currents. I abort my dive and swim in and take a rest for a few hours.
Comment! | 2007-10-28 10:05:53 | Sebastian
Aida meeting
Lots of heated discussions at the aida meeting in Sharm.

- Who wants tags? Can we trust the modern depth gauges? Get rid of the grab the edge rule? Why do we have separate WR attempts? Why not only competitions? Why is there no media here? Why dont we use survival rules? Why can a World record be invalid due to a tiny detail that does not realy have en impact on the performance? And what about the scereaming coaches? Is it not suppose to be a one-man sport? But can one enforce silent coaching? Wha if the audience is kept outside a 5 meter competition zone, where they can yell all they want, but keep the coach by the athletes ear silent.

A freedive comp is half poker, half freediving. Half of the drama and job is done when you announce. Why not skip the early turns penalty and get som drama back into the sport.

From the board only Bill spoke, and mostly 5-6 people in the audience. TC is not fully operational, many sleepers there.

We can expect some kind of vote in december regarding rules.


Unknown diver popping pills before his dive:-)
Comment! | 2007-10-27 15:26:00 | Sebastian
Training days at WC Sharm
Training lines ranging from 55 to 100. Saftydivers on standby. Two antiballast systems with lines to 120. Oxygen available. A line to pull on to get to the dive site 100 meters out. All acessable from your hotel room.

The webpage and information from the WC team might have left us somewhat dissapointed, but the training facilities are top standard.


Will have done 88 with these (probably the second deepest with bifins ever).

We see a little bit of everything: early turns, failed mouthfills, bad ears, blood from sinuses, LMC shakes, two breaths followed by BO and some new PB and applause.

And of course rumours and gossip: An italian diver put the line at 75 CNF and had a major BO, Carlos is said to have had a failed dive involving a BO, Herbert came up smiling from a 95 m dive wondering why he had no contractions, Mullins tells a story from a narced dive where it took 6 seconds staring at the tag wondering what to do with it before he started his ascent, Ryouzo did an easy 100 sprinting to the surface, Guillaume is said to have good shape. Last WC´s fifth place Johan has found his limit on a 90 dive. Winrams ear is not healed yet.

With 30 euro a night (all inclusive) it is a good set up (I try to spend as much time a possible in my room since it costs me more than a euro an hour :-), but shops with decent prices ar far away and drinkingwater is not freely available (to take to your room).

Doctors are here to do lungtests on the athletes.
Comment! | 2007-10-27 15:19:30 | Sebastian
Top results Triple depth
Sara Campbell - 81 - 90 - 56 = 227
Linda Paganeli - 40 - 75 - 48 = 163
Jarmilla Slovenc... - 46 - 52 - 43 = 141

Ryuzo Shinomiya - 81 -90 - 50 = 221
William Trubridge - 90 - 88 - 77DQSPLMC = 178
Herbert Nitsch 90 - 70DQpull - 83 = 173

Trubridge 88 meter was done with plastic bifins, maybe the second deepest dive in the world with bifins.

Worth noticing is that F. Mana announced 63 DNF and 80 CWT but did not start.

Four BO, one was deep.


Herbert in his younger years.
Some old stuff written about Herbert:
Herbert at Ibiza


any bloodspitting Hamsa?


Anna (Germany - three national records. Pictures by Roy Bungert
Comment! | 2007-10-22 15:58:38 | Sebastian
Sarax3 and a little bit of Herbert
The last day of the Triple depth competition will be remembered for two things. Sara Cambell setting her third world record in three days. “That woman can not blackout” I heard one of the safetydivers say. 81 meter FIM, 90 meter CWT and 56 meter CNF.





The Triple depth competitions in Blue Hole has turned out the be THE place people chose to set their national records. Its warm, its clear and its weathersafe – and the TP crew are getting more and more experienced. Anna from Germany also did a rookie hat trick and set german records in all three disciplines. Annelie regained some lost pride when swimming down to 42 meters CNF and coming up with a Swedish record. Something Weine and myself failed to do. The second thing this day will be remembered for is Herbert Nitsch swimming down to 83 meters CNF and coming up getting a white card - and decided in the end he wanted to pay for the doping test.
It is always a good show with some surprises when he is around.
Comment! | 2007-10-21 19:06:02 | Sebastian
Sara
What is there to say about Saras dive – I guess she will tell us – but for the onlooker it was impressive in a new way. 180 meter under water, she was gone for 3.47, alone with one breath that seems to last longer in her than in others.

She returns to the surface so slow that one might think she is putting on a show. At ten she slows down so much the (probably out of breath) safetydivers close in ready to grab her. Johan D and Peter P took care of the deeper safetydives. At five she sort of slows down in search of new direction, lifts her hand, and we see it shake. A hand longing for the surface, but without a mask and low on oxygen the surface is hard to estimate. She is up and the habit of hanging on to the buoy saves her. I believe not many thinks she is going to pull it through. Her deepest dive ever and it is done in a regular competition. If she would black out right here she would still earn heaps of respect.

But the hand comes up, a bit unsure, looking for the way to perform an OK sign – the mist of the mind lifts and she delivers a verbal OK towards the two judges in the water. 90 meters on 3.47 by someone starting serious freedive training only some half a year ago. Sara Cambell is not only the best deepdiving woman in the world right now – she is one of the more interesting freedivers. How has she trained and what are the principles behind her training?
Comment! | 2007-10-20 20:33:50 | Sebastian
The best performances FIM
Well the best performances could have been one of the beginers doing a PB in a discreet way.

But let me focus on the (NRs):
Seamus 45
Anna 50
Wendy 50
Negumi 54
Hamza 60
Marcus 61
Martin 62
Sebastian 73
Deron 75
Ryozo 81
Will T 90

Comment! | 2007-10-19 17:45:12 | Sebastian
Triple depth news
The overall winner of TP will be a truly great freediver – delivering depths three days in a row.

Since Mulins turned early (51) in an attempt for 90, we might find the winner between William and Herbert (both doing 90). Herbert swimming down to freefall instead of pulling.

Sara surprised us all with a world record in FIM (81 meters) did not look that hard - but her technique is as bad as mine (which I had the ill manners to comment on) - but it means that there is room for improvement.

Oh, mustn’t forget to tell you about the Knife incident some days back. Peter P set the line at 85 and hits a trimixdiver holding on to the rope at 60. Peters arm takes the impact, but the shock is quite big. Peter has access to a lot of anger and he is totally furious at the surface. Meanwhile a second scenario has evolved. Before Peters dive a scubadiver has ventured too close to the line. Annelie goes down and does a friendly push on a scubadivers shoulder and takes eye contact and points away from the line. This is seen by the groups divemaster Sayed from Sunsplash. Touching one of “his” divers obviously pisses him of so he returns to the line, as Peter is about to start, and the divemaster hovers there to provoke someone to come down. So I go down and without touching him points away from the line. He points at me and looks really angry, and I point again and he grabs my hand and bends my fingers.

When Peter returns to the surface (swearing) the divemaster is swimming towards our line at the surface demanding to see the freediver that pushed his scubadiver (later he claimed the scuba lost his mask, and another rumour started that the reg was lost). I try to speak to him but he is mostly shouting continuously. Peter in his “furiuated” state of mind thinks this is the trimixdiver he crashed into. Face to face like male bulls ready to go at each other a screaming contest starts. Peter says he wants to kill him, and I try to tell Peter this is the wrong guy (to kill). Soon they are pushing each other escalating from verbal to physical (Some one from shore saw Sayed push first). Soon Sayed is also ready to kill and pulls his dive knife and waves it. I find myself more or less in the middle of these two and decide it is time to pull back and try to get the attention of the sleepy tourist police.

Now that people are watching, the argue subsides. However provoked , the divemaster from Sunsplash divers was (or felt he was), a lot of us find the knife threatening just too much so we want to make a police report. But we are informed that this might involve more than a day and a 200 kilometre ride to El-tur and back. We drop the issue.


Peter - the smiling version.
Comment! | 2007-10-19 17:41:55 | Sebastian
You should have been here…in Dahab
It’s a busy Blue Hole - sometimes eight ropes stretching down into the blue, freedivers going up and down, some stroking forcefully, others just hanging or falling slowly. Everyday there is a new personal best. 40 athletes are gathering here for the Triple depth competition.

Annelie Pompe has set a personal best.

Thomas Grindevold seems to have “throwed in the towel”. After saving a lot of money on a student budget he finally could set aside many weeks of training in the Blue Hole. He had the ambition of leaving 80 behind him and pushing on. Since he was on his oxygen edge he stayed around 80 for some days. He started of one day with two 73 meter dives. On the following four days he was diving around 80 which gave him DCS and he had to go to the pressurechamber. This experience seem to have put him of, and deciding not to take part in TD or WC.
Winram had some tries at the WR CNF in September but health held him back, he did though succeed a 76 meter dive that put him on the top of the ranking. Now Winram is back, but bringing an earinfection with him, staying out of water, hoping to be cured before TP.

Swedish Weine from the Swe-team Hurghada got fooled by a badly measured rope and the dive he thought was 70 was actually 76 and that spoiled his habit of only adding 2 meters to any successful dive. He moved on from there and now he has placed himself on the list of 80 meter divers. Finally he switched from his Samurai to a Sphera.

Myself I came here with the ambition of hitting 60 CNF in training. Surprisingly this was done on my second deep diving day giving me lots of unexpected time to do other things like training with no mask (which seems to be a hard nut to crack), so far 70 FIM that lasted like forever (2.55). The trick seems to be to never open your eyes (Dave Mullins seems to be of the same idea).


Mullins is inspecting the bottom of the BH. And Natalja is here smiling as usual looking fit, brining Russian students crowding the BH with byous.
Last time I saw Littlefreediver Sara do CNF I suggested (jokingly) she might benefit from focusing on CWT where she showed great talent at the time. She very happily have informed me that she now has passed 50 in CNF, I will think twice before giving such advice again. She and others are being very secretive with their training results - which is a good idea –no use helping the others with their announcements.
With Sara, Annelie, Linda, Nathalie and Lotta and of course Natalja – Triple depth is really interesting on the ladies side. So many on a similar level (below Natalja). Linda seem to have regained motivation that had been lost for some time.
Comment! | 2007-10-16 18:42:10 | Sebastian