DeeperBlue.net Forums - Blogs http://forums.deeperblue.net/blog.php DeeperBlue.net Forums - Fanatical about FreeDiving, Scuba Diving, SpearFishing and Technical Diving en Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:30:15 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forums.deeperblue.net/images/misc/rss.jpg DeeperBlue.net Forums - Blogs http://forums.deeperblue.net/blog.php Full Stomach = Short Breath-Hold Tiimes http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/parapsycho/92-full-stomach-short-breath-hold-tiimes.html Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:39:46 GMT I just tried doing some statics. but I had just eaten alot.

I found that my diaphragm could not expand as much, and this put alot of pressure on my lungs and throat. It also cut my static times by about 25% or more.

I'll have to remember to watch when I eat in relation to apnea practice. ]]> Parapsycho http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/parapsycho/92-full-stomach-short-breath-hold-tiimes.html <![CDATA[That's what i call progress]]> http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/bite-ya/91-s-what-i-call-progress.html Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:43:03 GMT Well, i did my course last year (deep tank diver) with Emma Farrell and have been training ever since. I got stuck on 3mins 20sec for my statics for ages and couldn't get past 75mtrs for my dynamics for months.

Then i finally got myself on here (deeperblue forums) and started learning from people who know.

Tonight i set a new PB in dynamic of 100mtrs and my statics times are consistently at 4mins 40sec now.

I cant find any place that i would rather be than on here....

Thanks to everyone that has given my advice so far it has taken me from newbie to not so newbie (not going to get carried away)

Thanks Deeperblue :friday

Chris Holmes ]]> bite ya http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/bite-ya/91-s-what-i-call-progress.html University Novice spearo Course http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/90-university-novice-spearo-course.html Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:55:16 GMT Well her eis the poster for the upcoming spearfishing course, hosted by two of the most experienced guys there are.... and its free. Well her eis the poster for the upcoming spearfishing course, hosted by two of the most experienced guys there are.... and its free.
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]]> RangerBob http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/90-university-novice-spearo-course.html Looking For Carbon Fins Greece!!! http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/vaggelakis/89-looking-carbon-fins-greece.html Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:36:05 GMT Ive Heard Of Puraqua! Are They Good How Much They Cost How Can I Order Them!!! Has Anyone Tsted The Corbonline Sharkskin Fins???? Ive Heard Of Puraqua! Are They Good How Much They Cost How Can I Order Them!!! Has Anyone Tsted The Corbonline Sharkskin Fins???? ]]> vaggelakis http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/vaggelakis/89-looking-carbon-fins-greece.html Looking for spearfishing buddy in Florida! http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/no-limit-roland/88-looking-spearfishing-buddy-florida.html Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:27:39 GMT Good day my name is Roland I live in Fargo ND June 29 2008 my wife and I will go down to Florida to do some snorkeling and possibly spearfishing I would like to ask if there is a chance to do some spearing with anyone between June 29 and July 6 Thank you. My phone number is 701-388-0913 Good day my name is Roland I live in Fargo ND June 29 2008 my wife and I will go down to Florida to do some snorkeling and possibly spearfishing I would like to ask if there is a chance to do some spearing with anyone between June 29 and July 6 Thank you. My phone number is 701-388-0913 ]]> no limit ROLAND http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/no-limit-roland/88-looking-spearfishing-buddy-florida.html 6 months later http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/tampabrian/86-6-months-later.html Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:50:38 GMT I've run the same "tests" 6 months later with no hypnosis at all. While lack of training may also contribute as my diving reflex has not been "excersized", i've noticed that the response is not as powerful. I'm going to try the hypnotic suggestion again and see if there are any instant changes. If not and i continue to train and notice an improvment, the outcome will definately be in favor of the diving reflex as opposed to hypnosis. More to come hopefully soon. ]]> TampaBrian http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/tampabrian/86-6-months-later.html May 31st - June 1st http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/ildiver/85-may-31st-june-1st.html Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:12:22 GMT Back in the water, what a good feeling. Jon Whopperhead and I headed out in Whopperhead's boat Saturday morning. Our goal was to get some line dives in. The water had a good chop to it, so we found a protected area to park and get our wetsuits on. We hopped in the water in an area that was only 7 feet deep. There were no fish in the area or anything. So we piled back in the boat and moved out to the point near by.

We got back in the water and setup a line in about 47' of water. This was my first time using my monofin. It was better than I expected it to go. Getting to 45' was very easy with it. I spent 30 to 45 minutes with the mono, then switched to my bi-fins. I was mainly working on technique, which I still need to master.

The dives were constantly interrupted by the scuba club that moved in on top of us. We had a line from the boat to our float. The scuba divers kept crossing under our line and getting their lines wrapped on ours. I was not impressed with their diving and decision making skills.

From line diving we went to spearfishing. The vis was not bad, it got a little worse towards the end of the dive. I was shooting Drum and a carp, then switched to getting Crappie. I ended up with 10 Crappie and finished the day with a kill on my way back to the boat by taking out another drum.

Sunday turned out to be a bit better of a day. I went out with Jon again and with unirdna. The clarity was better as the winds had died down. Once again I started by killing rough fish. I could have spent all day killing Drum and carp, mainly drum.

I wanted to take more crappie home so I ignored the Drum and the carp. That was hard, because the drum were everywhere. I ended up with 13 Crappie on the stringer by the time I got out of the water.

My best shot of the weekend was at the end of the day on Sunday. I waited for two crappie to swim next to each other. I got the front one in one eye and out the other. the crappie in back was shot through the gills. My goal is to do that shot one more time, but with a hawaiian sling.

Jon had a fair weekend using the sling. I'd like to work on the skill myself on the next trip up there. There is a trick to finding the right pull. Too much and the spear will go clean through the fish.

Overall a great trip with very nice weather. I look forward to the next trip north. Also my trip to Florida in July/August! ]]> ILDiver http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/ildiver/85-may-31st-june-1st.html Meet My Editor http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/84-meet-my-editor.html Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:56:06 GMT THis is an idea of what my boss looks like..... work is Hell. THis is an idea of what my boss looks like..... work is Hell.
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]]> RangerBob http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/84-meet-my-editor.html BooK review http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/83-book-review.html Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:07:36 GMT “One Breath” opens with a quotation by Bob Talbot, “Freediving is not about depth, (it) is about experiencing the sea” This sums up the body of this book, it is indeed a reflection of a world that few people can experience. Emma Farrell has skillfully captured the essence of free diving by demonstrating the loneliness and the joy that can be found through this little known and often misunderstood sport. As a novice free diver this book through both its words and pictures has instilled in me a desire to explore not only the depths of the oceans but to explore the journey that is oneself. Frederic Buyle is a highly talented photographer and has managed to frame Emma’s text with beautiful images, all shot in natural light, providing a fitting addition to what can truly be describes as, a reflection on freediving. This book will encourage new divers to go further and remind the more experienced divers to look back and enjoy from where they have come. This is an armchair book that has the ability to instantly transport the reader into another world. “One Breath” opens with a quotation by Bob Talbot, “Freediving is not about depth, (it) is about experiencing the sea” This sums up the body of this book, it is indeed a reflection of a world that few people can experience. Emma Farrell has skillfully captured the essence of free diving by demonstrating the loneliness and the joy that can be found through this little known and often misunderstood sport. As a novice free diver this book through both its words and pictures has instilled in me a desire to explore not only the depths of the oceans but to explore the journey that is oneself.

Frederic Buyle is a highly talented photographer and has managed to frame Emma’s text with beautiful images, all shot in natural light, providing a fitting addition to what can truly be describes as, a reflection on freediving. This book will encourage new divers to go further and remind the more experienced divers to look back and enjoy from where they have come. This is an armchair book that has the ability to instantly transport the reader into another world.
]]> RangerBob http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/83-book-review.html <![CDATA["One Breath" Book Review]]> http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/82-one-breath-book-review.html Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:53:27 GMT Well I thought I would addd this book review to my blog, as the book is a really cool. Well I thought I would addd this book review to my blog, as the book is a really cool. ]]> RangerBob http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/82-one-breath-book-review.html Hippos, Great Whites, Seals and Sards.... http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/calliecal/81-hippos-great-whites-seals-sards.html Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:21:02 GMT In the news recently in Durban has been the story of a hippo travelling south in the surf. Check out http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...to-danger.html and http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...1427890C280110).

For those who don't know, the ocean isn't a hippo's usual habitat - they prefer fresh water lakes and slower moving rivers without rocks on the bottom and with fresh green vegetation nearby. The areas in which this hippo has been seen lately include some very rocky ocean floor with limited food. Not to mention surf...

Though this is not the first time this has happened (in the late 1920's Huberta the Hippo made her way from St Lucia in KZN to King William's Town in the Eastern Cape), it certainly is the first time in my lifetime....

Naturally curious my buddy and I changed our plans for a South Coast dive and headed North to Tinley Manor in the hopes of spotting this beast. We had a good look out at every diveable spot that we know of (and found some we didn't!!) along the way. The swell was resonably large and the water mucky so we decided against jumping in lest we inadvertently swim into the hippo - they have a bad temperament and are prone to create injury in others when startled. Brings new meaning to 'biting your head off!'

After more than 3 hours of driving we took our very dejected selves to the Bluff to check out the water there and get at least a consolation dive in (and maybe some bugs or garrick). We weren't very hopeful considering that the swell was running south/north but we thought, what the heck... better than going home. Our determination wasn't well rewarded and the sea there was just as bad as we expected it would be so we went to Beach Club at Vetch's for lunch and a beer.

Well, the water at Vetch's was perfect! Relatively anyway. Flat and serene with the viz on the inside not looking terrible. We quickly kitted up, our spirits lifted. We were going to dive after all!! Just before going in my buddy took the car keys inside for safe keeping and returned looking a bit pale and somewhat less excited than before. He only committed to telling me the story he'd just heard after the dive. Hmm...

The dive wasn't that exciting, the viz wasn't that great and there really wasn't anything to see or shoot. I took it as an opportunity to practice and really enjoyed myself anyway. As for my buddy? During the dive he stayed well clear of any murky water and wasn't as gung-ho as usual. Rather fidgety too... Perhaps he was tired and after the short absence from the water due to an injury just needed to get his confidence up a bit? Or so I thought. Turns out that the day before a 6m Great White had been spotted nearby! Glad he didn't tell me? You bet ya! At least one of us got to enjoy ourselves :)

After checking out the paper online today (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...102615840C5696) I'm pleased to say that 'nearby' was really more than 3km away, which I know is only a hop skip and a jump for a great white but at least it wasn't nearby as in it took a chunk out of some fisherman in the harbour as one did about 4 years ago the night before I was wading knee deep less than 100m away into that very water with a heavy rowing boat on above my head and 7 incredibly twitchy girls making nervous splashing noises alongside me... And a week later I was acting as a dummy (quite literally in my opinion) for search & rescue training and was floating at night on the wrong side of the shark nets waiting for the trainee skipper to 'find' and 'rescue' me and a couple other souls. Nothing like floating around on the surface acting like you need rescuing and potentially mimicking a meal knowing there's a big bugger around somewhere waiting to eat you...

So anyway, perhaps the great white was looking for the seal that had been spotted a week before? Or perhaps they were all (hippo included) after the pilot shoals of sards that have been spotted along the coast recently... I know hippos are vegetarian but then again, wildlife experts say "Hippos are not known for their fondness of seawater"... perhaps we just don't know as much as we think we do about the world around us..? ]]> calliecal http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/calliecal/81-hippos-great-whites-seals-sards.html 2 June 08 http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/80-2-june-08.html Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:16:58 GMT Ya well, Sundays diving was not the best, a SW front had moved in and althoughthe sea was divable a low tde and medium swell all but out paid to most dive sites, eventually we settled on a relaxed dive at Vetchies basin, which is well protected. Just prior to the dive a mate came up and asked why we were diving whern in the mornings paper there was a report of 5M GREAT WHITE. swimming around. Well a dive is a dive a what a way to go I thought so I kept it to myself and dived with my two mates only telling them when we returned to the beach, ha. Of course the vis was shocking and I was continually glancing over mt shoulder. It looks like the whites have moved in to take advantage of the annual sardinre run which is MANIC. Ya well, Sundays diving was not the best, a SW front had moved in and althoughthe sea was divable a low tde and medium swell all but out paid to most dive sites, eventually we settled on a relaxed dive at Vetchies basin, which is well protected. Just prior to the dive a mate came up and asked why we were diving whern in the mornings paper there was a report of 5M GREAT WHITE. swimming around. Well a dive is a dive a what a way to go I thought so I kept it to myself and dived with my two mates only telling them when we returned to the beach, ha. Of course the vis was shocking and I was continually glancing over mt shoulder.

It looks like the whites have moved in to take advantage of the annual sardinre run which is MANIC. ]]> RangerBob http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/80-2-june-08.html Finding Tim http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/79-finding-tim.html Thu, 29 May 2008 08:17:30 GMT Two days ago I posted a notice under The Beach Bar looking for a mate I had met a year ago in Moz. Two hours late Island Sands responded that he and his Cousin had just been staying with her in the UAE, I have copied my reply below.

"Ok I have to admit thats pretty freaky, I met Timbo almost a year ago at Ponta Mamoli (great place) and did a little diving then two weeks later on a SCUBA trip to Sodwana... there he is swimming (from shore) to shoot fish in the highest boat traffic piece of ocean in the country.

I loaded him up onto my dive club boat "Stella" the following day once the bubble blowers have departed and we set off for 9 mile reef.

He jumped in and in no time had loaded up with few fish, i dropped a quick line to see whats down there and hooked into a beauty on a small bait stick. The wind was prety stron and by the time I landed it (10 minutes) I was 1.5km off Tim and he was nowhere is sight, I headed upwind and eventually found him (possesively) holding two fish whilst fending off a rather large Grey shark with his gun and he didnt even break a sweat.

All in all we landed about 10 fish in 30minutes .

Anyway the weird thing is that Island Sands was the first point of contact I had on this forum and is somehow linked to Tim enabling me to make contact again.

Thats too weird, but thaks for hooking us up."


Tim has a brearthold to rival that shady David Blane character. So the good news is now I am hooked up with his email address, apparantly he is somewhere in Mexico, diving of course, what a luck. ]]> RangerBob http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/79-finding-tim.html Tuesday 27 May http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/77-tuesday-27-may.html Tue, 27 May 2008 06:37:17 GMT Well last night a a few of the Dive Club members decided to make an attempt to hunt some Garrick, which are a winter game fish species in South Africa. They predate in the foaming white water area from the back line shorewards and as a result are easier? to shoot. Of course being a new spearo I have still to bag one, but Sunday can't come soon enough.

As an added bonus it is still crayfish season and whilst lying suspended on teh floor it gives me a chance to fill my bag with some crawling critters.

The great thing is that there are a number of novice spearos so each trip the group comes back a little more exited than the last, even with empty bags..... you just know that sooner or later you will be hauling a beast up the beach.

The garrick are heavily concentrated on the South Coast and slowly make there way Northwards for the enevitable mating fest somwhere in the Indian Ocean. Although not the best eating fish the can be if prepared right, they are super powerful though and put one to the test (so I am told). I am used to catching fish off a boat with rod and reel so this should be a lot more interesting.

It still gives me the shivers when we kit up tp spear and swim out on some remote point and my mind thinks back to how many times I have fished this type of point with the sole purpose of catching sharks, (that was a long time ago). Well its the sharks revenge because its hard to het those thoughts out of ones mind but diving is a control sport and its a lesson in mind over matter. ONce you settle in though there is not much to distract you, expept when yor fish are missing of the stringer... GULP.

As part of the UKZN Underwater Club's development & training (we are primarily a SCUBA Club) we have Rob Allan and Jeremy from The Dive Factory hosting a free diving course during the month of JUly. This course is aimed at the novice and will cover the important basics and include some site visits, shore entry and boat dives.

Well we have not decided on a venue yet but will assess the variables through teh week. A good dive depends on a good location, but an excellent dive begins with preparation and research. ]]> RangerBob http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/77-tuesday-27-may.html <![CDATA[Ranger Bob's Adventures]]> http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/76-ranger-bob-s-adventures.html Mon, 26 May 2008 11:21:49 GMT Well I thought I would start this as opposed to keeping all the adverntures to myself. I am fairly active and outdoorsy and things tend to happen a lot (to me) rather than to other people. I will begin my blog by painting a picture of the previous few years (mis)adventures and injuries as well as some highlights when things did'nt go wrong. First of all I need to work out how to get pics onto this blog as I am a technophobe of note. Stand by ]]> RangerBob http://forums.deeperblue.net/blogs/rangerbob/76-ranger-bob-s-adventures.html