This diary is pretty old now but if you are interested in the beginnings of my freedive career, or are just learning yourself, you might find it interesting. These days you can see more of what I am up to on the SaltFree site.
If you don't want to read the whole thing, or have been here before, skip to the bits that interest you using these links:
Dolphin - the deep blue tank
Hurghada - Jan 2002
April 2002 - Brit Freedivers in Hurghada
High and Dry - ish in the UK May-July 2002
UK Freediver Championships July 2002
Summer in the City Aug - October 2002
Nice - diving with the deep boys - October 2002
Hawaii World Cup - October 2002
Hurghada - Christmas 2002
Spring 2003 - Cold English Diving!
Spring 2003 - Cyprus Competition Looms!
Cyprus May 2003 - Sony Freediver Classic Comp
Summer 2003 - Summer with saltFree
Autumn 2003 - Back in the pools.. and Dolphin
Christmas 2003 - Excellent freediving at Soma Bay, Red Sea
Spring 2004 - organising the UK National Freedive Championships
2004 Onwards - running SaltFree
AUGUST 2001 "TRY FREE DIVE" WITH YEHIA
DECEMBER 2001 - EGYPT - Learning Experience!
DECEMBER 2001 - PORTSMOUTH - The 30m deep, hot bath and becoming a monofinner!
JANUARY 2002 - Hurghada
Well I finally have my own monofin! it fits and I can swim bloody fast in it! Made it to England for the London Dive Show. Partied with the "freediver massive". Met Loic Leferme, Pierre Frolla and Fred Buyle and joined in a couple of chilly pool sessions. Came back to Hurghada with much more idea of stretching to warm up, what to get up to in the pool even if they won't let me take the fin in and how to build up to a decent static. Visited Howard in Plymouth to see the centre of the freedive universe and got measured for my very own super sexy suit! Also met loads of the UK divers who were all really encouraging and helpful, thanks guys!
MARCH 2002 Hurghada
APRIL 2002- British Freedivers out on holiday
Shiny new suits as available from freediver.co.uk. Thanks Howard!
High and Dry - ish in the UK May-July 2002
Stuck on dry land for a while so came home for a bit, training up for a new job and not freedive training nearly enough... however I have joined a gym and pumped some iron (just about enough to combat mum's chocolate fudge cake) and finally took to UK seas with the monofin.
The Big Brown - UK Freedive Championships
Well, my ear was ok, just.... hurt like hell afterwards though! and Sue and I both went for it in Plymouth. Got there a couple of days early to acclimatise which proved just as well. Constant weight off the famous barge in Barnpool was not quite like the Red Sea. Impossibly dark and visibility of pea soup but I rather liked it. You knew once it was black that you were really getting deep, beyond 20m I could no longer see the rope so ran my hand down it to stay with it. Beyond 25m and I could no longer see my own hand! Exciting stuff, just keep sliding down until your hand hits the weight, or the bottom.... Coming back up really felt like coming back to life as the light gradually worked its way through. Actually seeing your safety diver before you hit them was nigh on impossible and made me very tetchy when I kept crashing into Sue. We had two good days practise out on the hard boat with Greg, the best skipper on the planet, intrigued by freediving and with a brew to hand (although I was a bit anal and stuck to the non caffeine stuff). Best buddies Marcus and Andy (the boiler suit boys - freediver suits need a bit of protection) and the lovely Russell also deserve far more than a mention, in fact an embarassing photo is probably in order.
Scared silly... really...
After a couple of warm ups and much internal whingeing about my safety diver (I came up under the pontoon on one and whacked my skull) I was almost ready to quit. 28m seemed a hell of a long way down. But before you know it is five minutes to your "Top" and you are in the zone. Held the life bouy to warm up and quickly realised I would have to face away from the crowds if I was to get my peace and my head together. Peter Sheard's wonderful clear countdown put my brain into some kind of automatic mode and by TOP! (echoing through the trees) I was ready. Down Down Down keeping closer than close to the line in this water and mildly amused and bemused by the bubbles from otherwise invisible safety scuba divers I was soon falling, falling into the black. Just when I thought I would have to turn without the tag a strange green glow appeared, the TAG with a glowstick on it and an eerie, alien presence, a scubie (later revealed as Mr Dangerous himself). Suddenly remembered all the hand/line rules and pulled it off right but with hands upside down so not enough power to really kick off the ascent but soon the light was coming back and with a big smile I knew I would make it. Through the surface, breathe breathe breathe then mask off and smile and ok the judges... and then for some reason I wanted to cry.... mmmm..... it is very emotional.... Relief and shivers and mmmmm better than sex....
Me and My Magic Blue Goggles!
And so to the static... cold bovi pool was not so bad in sunshine and the freediver suit did its bit. Kept warm ups mostly dry with just one minute in the pool first and really felt quite relaxed and happy. I think it helped that I went really early on so had no idea what I needed to do to beat everyone else. Sue did 4 mins 19 which in that pool was just bloody incredible! We came 3rd and 4th and were both selected for this years UK team so if we can get the cash together to go to Hawaii we will be there for the world champs! along with Hannah who I have known since possibly before I was born (but been out of touch with for years) who won the womens section. Other news - Rodin had his first ever blackout which was spectacular to say the least but collapsed with pneumonia a day later so he has an excuse... more pictures and news on www.freediver.co.uk.
London - Summer in the City
OK it might not be obvious free dive country, but moving back to the UK enabled me not only to curl up to who I wanted to at night but also meant I could train with some of the other UK team and top divers. Twice a week we meet at sleazy swimming pools.
Nice - diving with the deep boys
Now if a total stranger(almost) with a weird moustache(well it's gone now) asks you away for a weekend and suggests you share a room to save money... most people probably say no. But when that guy is Marcus Greatwood and the weekend is in Nice diving with the Deepest Men in the World you say Oui Bien Sur and buy a ticket on EasyJet as soon as possible.
On the Saturday we got to watch Loic train which was incredible and terrifying all at the same time. The safety arrangements were as awesome as the depths.. as should be the case. Lift bags that would have brought the sled up, had there been a problem, shot up from beneath us like the opposite of bombs once he had surfaced safely. Guillaume Nery was also diving deep that day but with such calmness and "I do this all the time" relaxation that I missed watching.
By the end of the weekend, I had changed my flight for a bit more time out there and broken my PB with thanks to Francois. I think he decided it was more my guts than my ability holding me back and lied a little about how far down the weight was.. it worked for me!
Since then we have been for a 2 mile swim in a bay later found to be described in the guest book as "shark infested waters" to see where Captain Cook died. The aim was actually to freedive with dolphins but we got up too early for them.
Rest of the posse then went off to the lines again and I opted for yoga, breathing and sunshine to give the ear a break. Sue and Lee did personal bests, Hannah got super monofin stylish and everyone else happy too (except me and my ear...grrrr)
Highlights of the last few days... Lee going to 63m free immersion, wow! More fun on the lines and Steve G being too scared to jump in off the rocks and most of all the OPENING CEREMONY!
Err Back in the UK now.. sorry
Thursday - Lee did 64m on competition, new UK record
Click Here for More Photos of Hawaii!
Christmas 2002
Took my new digital camera freediving for the first time, which was harder than I thought but got some reasonable results after a few days practise. Also finally got to see myself dive on video - great learning experience.
Cold British Diving - Spring 2003
Now busy training, mainly static in the pool and cardio stuff in the gym. Using static tables to build up my CO2 tolerance and it seems to be working as when I let myself try a long one, they are getting better. Thanks to Rodin and Amanda for all their help - we are taking turns to talk each other out of our various warm homes and into cold pools! Cyprus Comp gets closer - Spring 2003
At the moment training consists of - gym, yoga and a couple of pool sessions a week. In the gym I am doing loads of cardio and find the cross trainers the least boring. We also have ones that you can change the height on so you are working different parts of your leg. Getting scarily large thigh muscles! I am also doing weights on legs and arms and various exercises on the Abs as this is where I am trying to get my monofin ripple to come from.I have done a formal yoga course this spring for the first time in years and found it really helpful. I was kidding myself that I was doing the asanas properly on my own and can now feel them really working and everything opening up. Got to be good for the breathing and flexibility.
Cyprus Comp - May 2003
Well Cyprus was a wash out.. but we learn to live with these things. I burst an eardrum the week before in training - nasty explosive thing with blood and guts pouring out onto the pillow and all that jazz. Tried to dive anyway but found myself diving like a corkscrew so took a few days off training instead. Then caught flu...
saltFree - Summer 2003
Summertime was weird in lots of ways and wonderful in some others. Went to Nice a few times to dispel the ear demons, which was as gorgeous and blue as ever. Then decided it was time to put my scuba fins back on and taught my first course in a while.... and got bent... badly...joints and neurology..ouch
Pools and Dolphin - Autumn 2003
Well it's back to the winter diet of gym, pool and Dolphin when we can afford it. Joined a new new gym with a pool and getting wet with the Bristol freedivers at least once a week so it's not so bad. Plus - the mad saltFree-ers want to dive all year around so we are heading back there in December. AND then I'm going to Hurghada for Christmas again.. can't wait!
Christmas 2003 - Excellent Freediving at Soma Bay What a way to spend Christmas! every day catching a golf cart ride down the long jetty at Soma Bay, 40 mins south of Hurghada to dive on the fixed lines on the beautiful house reef. Lots of super smooth and comfortable dives with mates backed up with static sessions in the heated outdoor hotel pool - sun on your back and water at 30C. Then of course the tastiest salads in the world.. and ice cream. Deepest Bear and I had an incredible time. Mark and Sue gained the PADI Freediver and Advanced Freediver Specialties and Sue became an AIDA Instructor. Can't wait to come back!
Spring 2004 - Organising the UK National Freedive Champs Well this is a busy one - for some reason I stuck my hand up at the British Freedive Association AGM last October and volunteered to organise this year's UK Nationals. saltFree has grown unbelievably in the last year and the National Diving Centre have worked so hard to give us the facilities we need that is seemed like a perfect opportunity. To add to that, this year's World Cup is in Vancouver so we need to select a team that can dive in green, cold water - and where better than the NDC.
2004 Onwards - Running SaltFree Sorry that this diary has fizzled out! These days I am very busy running SaltFree Divers - my club and freedive school based at the National Diving and Activity Centre in Chepstow, UK. Most of my freediving is done there so most of my news goes up on that site. If you want to know what I am up to now, it's the best place to look!
"in the mountains of truth
A Master Monofinner!
Well you have already read this bit. Sue and I had our first try at freediving, making attempts at static apnea that got us both into the 2 minutes forty seconds area in a short morning in a cold pool. Also a few pathetic attempts at dynamic that we won't talk about and on into the ocean. This time reaching a PB (personal best) for me in constant weight of 22m.... admittedly cheating a little as at this stage we didn't know you are not meant to touch the rope! This with small, kiddy pool fins, far too much weight and our scubie wetsuits and masks. Which if you are looking for an excuse might do for a while....
AUTUMN 2001 - WEIRDING OUT THE SCUBA DIVERS
Both of us sadly far too busy with the scubie divers to go freediving, with one day off a week from my job as a scuba instructor (if I am lucky!) and a body full of nitrogen bubbles the rest of the week not much time to freedive safely. Had the odd go off the boat before scuba dives and got 20m comfortably without using the rope. At this stage we "ran" out of rope, most of the shot lines on our boats only going to about 15m at full stretch. Use my new breathhold skills to get eye to a eye with a monster potato cod in a moment I won't forget, and closer than close to a Napoleon wrasse. Not to mention freaking out all the scubies by tapping them on the head at 20m....Now I just want to see a shark freediving (f*** dolphins! Sharks are where it's at!).One day in this period, Sue finally cracks the 8m block and makes it down to 15m. The guys on the boat next door hear the crazy celebrations, think we said 50m and join in... we don't disillusion them.. well would you???
Static is a bit out as pool is bloody freezing (but not as cold as Bovisand I hear). Statics on the roof in the sun on the other hand start to get somewhere. After much experimentation, decide the best music to have on in the background is Dido's album No Angel and try and do breathholds for "a whole song" rather than really timing them. I reckon this gets me into the 3 and half minutes zone but haven't really checked....
Finally manage to co-ordinate a day off with Yehia and Patrick Musimu again and head down to Fort Arabesque, top hotel just south of Hurghada with a gorgeous house reef. Lots to look out on way out and then deep, deep lines dropping off to, apparently, somewhere in the 80m zone. Patrick is getting near enough to see it, Sue is stuck once more at 8m with her nasty ears. I get my 22m again and then push it for one last dive.... and here I learn my first freediving lesson.
Coming back up things start to feel a little wobbly, not sure whether to dolphin kick with legs together or do normal bi fin kick. Still in kiddy pool fins which doesn't help. Around the ten metre mark notice that both the guys have come down to meet me which is odd as usually just one, next thing I know there is strange music in my head, everything is black and warm and really quite pleasant..... until I come around on the surface flopped over a buoy with Yehia about to hit me in the face and Patrick shouting Breathe Breathe Breathe at me... my first black out... oh well... welcome to the club apparently! really quite pleasant for me in my own little other world but kind of scary for Sue who did some hilarious re-enactments of my facial contortions afterwards (NOT!). Anyway, no harm done (except for a massive scratch where they ripped my mask off and a chunk bitten out of my tongue...) did another shallow dive to get over it and headed home.
Lessons learnt - Don't hyperventilate, get your breath up sorted much more, get some proper fins, don't wear ridiculous amounts of weight, have proper surface intervals, don't try massive advances in depth just cos it feels ok on the way down (hit 26m that time) and, if you really have to black out, at least do it into the arms of two hunky men... thanks again guys!
Back in the UK for a break and happened to be there in time for one of Howard Jones' sessions in the SETT tank at HMS Dolphin in Gosport. Spent two beautiful days in the 35C warm, clear water playing, experimenting and learning in about as safe environment as you can get. Learnt a load about breath ups and warm up dives (not something previously encountered really!). Made a few long ten metre deep statics then went for it every which way we could think of. Started with free immersion and pulled myself down to the bottom before lunch on day one. Later on took the free ride on a massive weightbelt all the way down which was a mega buzz.... flying to 30m. Stopping long enough for a big smile to Howard and then swimming, breaststroke, no fins, calm, slow, graceful (if I say so myself) gently back up and loving every second.... cool..... while poor Howard finned like hell to get the weights back up! Thanks! Then it was time for some fins and a major grumbley moment when I realised Howard didn't have any to fit my small (well, Im a girl.. we dive too!) feet. Tried some that were too big and bashed into each other on every kick, got majorly mad at H, and was about to storm out in a major strop at Howard ( I had told him my shoe size, hell I had wanted to BUY some fins and I had also only arrived at Gatwick after midnight the night before...) when the lovely Mr Rodin arrived with a spare monofin, and small feet... (but its not true what they say about small feet....).
So thanks to Rodin, I was able to make a complete idiot of myself floundering around with a monofin for the afternoon, bashing the hell out of his precious fin on every sticky out part of the tank I could feasibly hit (and there are loads!). Yet by lunchtime Sunday, after some sleep and reappraisal of the situation... got to the bottom, and back up, without touching the wire... and more importantly with no hint of a samba or blackout! Cool!
After the black out a few days before, I was pretty nervous the whole weekend in Dolphin that another would come my way. Over the course of the weekend I felt I learnt to tell when things were near the edge and a samba might be on the way and could act on it before it happened. Hard to explain but well, I got a funny metallic taste in my mouth a few times and a buzzing in my brain, but once I felt that and knew what was going on it went away... weird huh? anyone else feel anything similar? mail me... If you want to try Dolphin, and you should, check out the link to freediver.co.uk on my links page.
Went out one more time with Yehia to test out my Dolphin skills but don't really wanna talk about it... lets just say I came out of the experience with another short syllable added to my name.... minor wobble this time, Sue caught me... thanks. And once more in scuba fins, loadsa weight and in the middle of nowhere in a screaming current... we'll leave that one.
More fun and more organised freediving then in a week with new buddy Rodin O Hagan who came out to Hurghada for a visit and some training. Amazingly managed to get the week off and I think we spent most of it in the water off Fort Arabesque getting to know the house reef and lines fairly intimately. Took it slow, played around a lot in the shallows, got some longer dives in first, mastered the monofin (still borrowing his, a little big) and well... lets just say not a samba or blackout in sight and down to 28.6m at the end of the week with the mono and my new freedive mask.... fab huh??? well I was pleased. Rodin in the meantime was scaring me silly by disappearing into the deep blue beneath me and not coming back for far too long.. or so it seemed.
MARCH 2002 UK
In the pool or the gym every night, the bug has really bitten now! Nearly finished Sue off with enthusiastic dynamic practice and finally broke 3 1/2 minutes static! Woo Hoo!!! In negotiations with work for more time off to freedive....
Had a week off to train with some of the Brits and went like a dream. Broke my PB by enough to keep it to myself for a while as did quite a few others. Made some dream dives on my own, tandem with Rodin and one real laugh of a group one where we were all crashing into each other at about 20m on the turn around. Dove every day at Fort Arabesque, and newly discovered freedive heaven - Sharm El Naga with lines to 10m, 21m with a wreck at the bottom to explore and for the more ambitions - 47m. Also spent a day on the boat playing on some reefs, getting friendly with the fish life and teasing the scuba divers. Borrowed the scuba class's underwater hula hoops for a little stylish monofin showing off and generally had a laugh and a half. Evenings were spent on statics (and dinners) and being introduced to the rather scary but very productive idea of statics training tables... 2 minutes on a single breath, no warm up, no problem! Here are some photos. To see more follow the link below. Thanks to all the gang - Roger Burton, Ed Hines, Rodin O Hagan, Amanda Williams, Sebastian Koerner, Hannah Stacey, James Hills, Sue and big hugs to Howard for getting my loverly new freedive suit here in time.. stylish, smooth, warm and super sexy too... I WILL go deeper now... just as soon as I recover from a hole in my eardrum from too much scuba.. ouch!
Link to more photos of our week - click here!
Had a few good laughs messing around on the house reef off Porthkerris in Cornwall, chasing the wrasse and hoping for a lobster without any luck. Don't find the green and the cold too much problem but the currents and waves are another matter. Spent one miserable morning trying to freedive off a scuba rib but didn't get far... too much current, not enough safety cover. Meanwhile Sue is going great guns with new buddy Rowan (Im just not good enough with no ears!) out in Hurghada. UK comp in a couple of weeks... we will see!
Sue and I are also certifiably nutters based on the fact that we chose to practise our statics in the pool at Fort Bovisand which was a mere 18C or even less and decorated rather interestingly by Howards "bin bag and bubble wrap" approach to insulation. Both almost in tears after first attempt but the practise paid off.
And so to the comp itself... much soul searching over what depth to put down. How on earth do you know? I went on one in the middle of what I had been achieving over the days before. 28m was considerably less than my PB out in Egypt but seemed a sensible choice after 6 weeks of no training and the cold dark sea. Sue pushed it a little more with 21m. Andy and Marcus based theirs on what number their favourite chocolate bar was in the snack machine but none of my potential numbers were represented...
Said hello to the tag on the table in the morning and looked forward to seeing it again. And so to the barge... lying around in the sun for a while (YES SUN! in England!) with my walkman on and my brain turned fully inside itself whatever that means and by the time it was my turn to get down onto the warm up pontoon I was quite seriously... not yogically calm or in touch with my inner karma... just bricking it.... badly... as the photo shows....
Sue of course did her 21m and Andy and Marcus and Russell fine too. A bit of controversy as the people who put 35m only actually had to do about 31m which made us wonder if they had known that to start with (if I had, would I have pushed it.... have done more than 31 out in egypt.. probably just as well not too! Black outs on video did not look attractive...).
Sue and I are back in Egypt. My ears a mess and her monofin technique needs some attention so we are keeping it easy for a little while.. but it wont be long.. there's Hawaii to think about after all! Thanks to all the Plymouth freedivers for a fab weekend and I can't really send any more hugs to Howard or he will get the wrong idea...
Spent most of the summer training with dynamic and static tables with Rodin and Amanda. Dynamic is hard work but good training, cutting down our recovery times to a minimum to build up the tolerance to apnea and swimming faster and faster which has helped my general fitness (and given me rather large thighs!).
Static is not so easy as the pools are chilly but we do our best. Worked initially on two minute tables (repeatedly doing 2 minute breathholds but with less and less recovery until you end up doing it with one breath in between) but then got in a bit too much of a hurry to beat my PB.. which I did...
Pool sessions are also of course a bit of a social event. A chance to meet up with other weirdoes and talk about anally retentive issues such as the best colour lenses (dark dark dark) to have in your goggles or what to think about during static (mad crazy thoughts).
Its also a chance to bring some new people into the sport so if anyone is reading this and wants to come and give it a try we meet at Richmond Pool, Pools in the Park every Thursday at 8.30pm. Email me if you want to come or just turn up.
So off we went. Quick briefing on the plane - beware of Frenchmen making you laugh while you breathe up, suggestion of bondage - get used to diving with a leash, it's safer and a trip to Submarine, alias Freedive Heaven to buy an OFF THE PEG - ie NO WAITING - CHEAP, GIRL'S freedive suit (that kind of thing just does not exist in the UK) we are ready to meet the chaps.
Francois and Cedric work for Loic Leferme and run freedive trips out of Nice Port every day. I opted to train rather than play so got full on coaching from Francois for the whole time I was there. All in the safest of environments and to the highest standards.
First day was a warm up and chance for them to see how I dived then we moved on to making some "performance " dives - dives that are not necessarily to your PB but which are a challenge. Each "performance" began with a bit of drum roll type fuss and plenty of safety divers. This helped me get used to count downs, competition environments (lots of people) and the dreaded leash (now an old friend).
In between training we had a chance to play on the sled but I didn't want to go any deeper on that than I could Constant Weight (it still feels like cheating). And for the record... the sled ROCKS!!! so much time to swim up slowly, all you've got to think about on the way down is equalising... as long as Francois was driving it of course.
My mascot, now known as L'ours, le plus profond du monde (look it up) repeatedly did 35m or more on the sled much to the amusement of the Finnish team who were there training.
L'ours, le plus profond du monde - click on him if you dare!
Me and Marcus in the Med
Want to live in Nice... now... anyone reading this who can offer me a job, flat, and all that unnecessary stuff please let me know.....
Thanks Francois, Cedric and Loic and see you in Hawaii.
Hawaii Diary
27 October
Aloha from Hawaii! this is Sam's diary of events. We had a long long journey, more than 24 hours door to door for most of us but things are going well so far.
Arrived Wednesday night and in the sea Thursday morning, how's that for commitment! but too tired to do more than a few warm ups. Getting in and out took up most of the energy. The training lines are accessible only by a short hike over a lava flow followed by a leap of faith off the black rocks into the kinda rough sea below (this is the surf capital of the world!). Once you get out there though it is DEEP and BLUE SO BLUE! and warm...mmmmmm. Getting out after was more amusing. Hannah and I, just wearing swim suits, went first and made a few valiant attempts at launching ourselves and our fins up a vertical rock face before giving in to girlie instinct and waiting for the boys to help.
Sponsor Us Please!!!!
Today things got serious with static training in the gorgeous, but a bit too deep, Kona pool. I beat my PB which was cool as things in the constant weight are not going too well after bursting an eardrum in training just before coming out. Going to have to do a long long static to make up for what might well but an embarrasingly pathetic dive.
Training Dive
The afternoon as usual was on our local beach where the rollers are huge and the kids with boogie boards are covering every inch of them. Body surfing was more our style, an activity now described as "going through the washing machine" and providing a handy all over body exfoliation at the same time.
Feeling grumpy as my ear still hurts and Sue has a dodgy one too but as they say tomorrow is another day and the sun continues to shine.
29 October
Sorry this diary is a little sporadic, depends on when I make it to the mail. Anyhow things are getting better. Since then I have had a couple more personal bests. Finally cracked 4 mins static and made it down to 36.5m today even with weird ear!!! cool huh!
Static - Sue and Steve, Sam and Rodin
Not so much a ceremony as a beach party, the freedivers of the world gathered in Keahou Bay for an evening of Hawaian music, barbecue and rice, the perfect sunset, and unusually for a party but not that unusual for us, lots of water and no beer! On arrival we were all given a Lei which is apparently made of sea weed, very appropriate. Took lots of group photos and started a trend. As soon as we had our team together with the flag the whole world started taking our photos. Then we moved on to take theirs. James Hills was media man extraordinaire. Photo of the night was Tanya Streeter chatting to an 82 year old Ama Oyster Diver who has dived 4 hours a day for 60 years... as Marcus would say... phenomenal!!
I found a great way to meet the stars. My mascot, the Deepest Bear in the World (TM) came to the party and got photographed with all the famous divers from Bob Croft to Guillaume Nery. We had fun and the photos are all on the bear's own website (link at bottom of the page).
Today was the first day of official training. Lots of hold ups getting out there and then the boat felt very busy and stressy to us newcomers but the old hands reassured us the arrangements were actually pretty good. Once we had got used to the lines being ridiculously close to the boat we got into a thoroughly efficient routine. Diving one by one in the same order, most people reached their peak in 3 or 4 dives and I made 36.5 for the first time. Lee had put a tag for me at 35 but I had to go for the arm stretch!
Few casualties at the moment, Hannah has a cold and took the day off and looks loads better. Sue has a sore ear but we both played a visit to Doc Pro Plugs who didn't seem too fussed by either the hole in my ear or the nasty rash in hers and gave us some Pro Plugs into the bargain. Thanks Doc!
Evening and a few of us tried to do static in the dark but bit chilly and pool full of kids who just don't get it. Hannah was practising dynamic as we have all decided to enter the Optional Dynamic portion for a laugh and to keep Haydn company. There is currently no UK womens dynamic record so whichever of us does the furthest will get it. Maybe I should practice soon.
Off now for some food. More soon... Sam x
My Competition Dive
Many apologies for not keeping this diary up to date. You know how it goes. First you get far too involved in actually competing then you get far too involved in actually partying and then before you know if you are back at work. So in summary...
One UK Team on the Rocks - Shaken not stirred
Friday - Rodin 50m, Kev 46m, Hannah 43m (new record and lots of blood.. sinus squeeze ow!), me 36m, Sue 33m. Lots of sun burn from being on boat all day!
Saturday - few hangovers, lots of unhappy attempts at static practise but mine was ok.
Sunday - static comp - new record for Lee 5 48min. I did 4 03, Rodin did 5 03 and I dont remember the rest. Most importantly we were clean of sambas/BOs. More major partying at Lulus, French boys singing "we are the losers". Happy times.
Monday - Dynamic. Hannah new uk record 99m, me 83m (first go at dynamic), Sue 54m. New UK no fins record for Steve F (50ish but Im not sure). Haydn did over 150m but sadly ended it with a samba. Shame for him. Aussie guy did piss-take dynamic - huge breath up, dive in, took fins off, crawled a few metres along and back then faked a huge samba. Even judge Fred was in fits!
Evening - rather tame end ceremony and party that then moved to the beach.... beers, bears and wine boxes.. evicted from beach then from apartment and then from another apartment and then from another beach... police out in force!
Back home via horrible long flights to LA, NY and then London... sad its all over but roll on Cyprus!!
Back in the Red Sea, more for a holiday than any serious training so nothing too exciting to report. Spent a few days freediving with Sue and Andy Laurie. More "extreme snorkelling" than real diving but with some nice long swim arounds looking at the fishies. Lack of buddies who were not too hung over made anything beyond that a bit risky but so what, after Hawaii we needed a break.
Gorgeous House Reef at Soma Bay
On the other hand - my new mascot - The Deepest Bear in the World - break his PB with a magnificent dive to 101m. Read more about it on his website, the link is at the bottom of the page.
Back in London pools now, training with Team Deepest Bear for the Freediver Classic in Cyprus. Time to wake up after hibernation and train like nutters... once the last bit of christmas food has gone down. Happy New Year!
Team Deepest Bear were out in the cold on New Years Day for a dip in Wraysbury Lake - 7C! Here is the evidence!
Have also made it to HMS Dolphin a few times. Here are some of the photos...
Tired!
Lee and bubbles
Tank Top
arty shot!
Well I have booked the flights and the time off work so time to think seriously about the Cyprus competition. At this stage, we are still in the pools regularly but the sea can't wait too much longer. I've had a week in the red sea on scuba and took one day out to freedive - but wore my scuba fins and managed to do something nasty to a tendon in the back of my knee so not such a great idea. Here is a BAD photo...
In the pool - nearly all static at the moment. Rodin and I are working mainly on hypercapnic tables. These involve a breath hold you are comfortable with (usually set at the point at which your contractions start on your longest hold) and less and less time in between them to recover. Usually we go down to 15 seconds. If we are feeling brave we go down to 1 breath but that's scary. Recent discoveries - I do better with a seal mask than goggles, it helps if its dark and warm in the pool and my heart rate always drops just before I give up if trying a PB. Am I about to black out or is it the drop that makes me give up? Trial and error will hopefully find that out but I am working hard on not samba-ing or blacking out (it has been a little while now and that has helped my confidence).
Every few sessions we both go for another PB and building them slowly but surely. Static was always weaker than constant for me but it looks as if it will be up to scratch in time for Cyprus (which is nice!). Worth while using the winter to get static times good as I know I won't have the will power to do anything but dive dive dive once the sea warms up.... not long now.
Plan for the next few weeks - well I've got to move to Bristol so not so much training in London. Planning on getting in the pool at least once a week with Bristol Uni freedive club plus making the London session at Richmond every other week. On top of that I will finally have more time to get to the gym, swim and do dry statics. Weekends will mean SEA or LAKE with the new UK National Diving Centre 80m deep, welcoming freedivers and about half an hour from Bristol...... got some warm gloves in anticipation! more photos and news as it happens
In March, Ben Gowland flew south to teach a few of us how to be AIDA Trainers. 14 people attended the course and we all worked hard and had a great time. This was the first course of its kind in the UK so all a bit experimental but genuinely judged to be a success. You can see more on this link
Ignoring medical advice, a death bed style temperature and shivering I dived anyway. Subscribed 35m, a bit under my PB and went for it. Warm ups were terrible, it was rough and I couldn't chill out or clear my sinuses. So after three very angry bashes down to about 15m I found myself on the line.
Simon, my buddy on Team Deepest Bear did his best but it was not really to be. I made it down to 35m and indeed made it back up to be greeted by Deepest Bear and Loic at around 15m. Got to the top but the judges declared it a wobble.. now I didn't need any help and did little more than shrug a shoulder but I really could not be a****d to argue so Nul Points it was. Other Brit team girls Sue and Hannah both bowed out sick a little more gracefully and did not compete, maybe I should have followed their lead.
Static was just then a chance to get some points. Declared 3"30 and came up on the nose. I had done 4"15 the day before but did not want anyone declaring me samba'd again.. besides I was bored.
Still there is always next year... and I did a good dynamic.
11 trips down in the chamber later I could feel my leg again, stand up straight without toppling and could claim to have watched the Big Blue at 12m. I missed two weeks off work but more importantly missed a weekend with saltFree, our new freedive club which has evolved over the summer.
saltFree was born in May when we first went to train at the National Diving Centre in Chepstow, but not named until the end of the summer. We are a bunch of freedivers and our scuba support team and I guess I am the boss. We dive in the cold hard fresh stuff hence the name and have had a coooooool summer heading down towards the bottom of our lake. I am doing depths in there that I am very pleased with given the circumstances and getting more and more comfortable. Deepest Boys have made it down to about 45m and with a sled on the way for next season we are on our way down!
The whole thing has been a great learning experience in how to open water freedive safely and most importantly had been the best laugh in years. Check out the saltFree website for more - even better come along and meet some of the best mates and freedivers on the planet. Thanks guys : )www.saltfreedivers.com
Besides that I have been training,not nearly enough, with Alaric Smith, the UK National Monofin coach in Swansea, got used to a new fin and well.. you wait and see... next year is going to be much tougher to make the team but I'm gonna try! The finswimmers have lots to teach us and we should stop being so damn arrogant about them! Style, speed, technique but most importantly sheer fitness are on the agenda for the next few months... and if the world cup is going to be in Vancouver next year then where better to train than our cold green lake!
I am also busy writing some freediver courses which I hope to e able to offer next summer, not really to make any money or get any more work but just so that those of you who turn up at saltFree knowing not very much and wanting to know it all can have some sort of structured way to get there.
Here's a pic of me trying Constant No Fins in Dolphin on my birthday.
Several months of paperwork, rule writing and checking, recruiting of helpers, athletes, safety bods and scuba angels and Laura and I were more than ready. The champs took place on the 22nd and 23rd May 2004. In the end 28 athletes competed in both Constant Weight and Static Apnea. We had beautiful weather, beautiful dives and only a small smattering of sambas.... All went well and we hope to do the Nationals again in 2006. More news on their own site
www.saltfreeopen.com
Click here to visit the SaltFree site!
See you down there
Sam xx
Be sure to Visit the Bear's Site!
once you've finished here
Sam x
you never climb in vain.
either you will get higher today,
or you will exercise your strength and get higher tomorrow"
Nietzche on Freediving (well.. it works doesn't it?)
