MURAT Clinic

[cebaztian]

There will be only one Sebastien Murat Clinic in Europe this summer.
In Lysekil on the west coast of Sweden. 12-14 august.
210 euro. Accomodation and local transport will be arranged.
http://www.fridykning.se/arkiv/murat05eng.html

Two more praticipants needed.

regards
SebastiAn
Sweden

[Alun]

i returned from Sweden earlier today... having attending Sebastien Murat's clinic.

the journey there and back was gruelling to say the least. it took me 25 hours to get there and had been awake for 40 hours by the end of the first day. it took me "only" 12 hours to get back. it's only the other side of the North Sea! i travelled by nearly all forms of transport!:
foot
car
taxi
bus
train
plane
tube
ferry
tram
seriously! i only needed hovercraft, jetski and helicopter to complete the set!

anyway, the clinic was excellent and i learned a lot. i would definitely recommend it to any freediver - it will really open your eyes. however, i would add that this form of freediving is probably not everyone's cup of tea... simply because it involves essentially unlearning a lot of things and totally changing the way you dive. inevitably you also have to take a couple of steps back before progressing in the long term. not everyone would have the patience for it.

the theory and experimental results indicate that exhale performance can exceed inhale performance. this is great, but what i like most of all is that it just seems to make more sense than inhale diving. it seems more natural. i'm beginning to think i'll turn my back on inhale diving for good...

the only problem i have is adapting it to cold water because it's best suited to warmer waters where you dont need neoprene and weight.

alun

[laminar]

Hi Alun,

I think it works in cold water as well, perhaps even better. But only for 2-3 dives.

Pete

[iceselkie]

Have you taken the clinic too, Pete?

[laminar]

Hi Brianna,

Not exactly. Sebastian explained his ideas to efattah and I a few years ago and we tried them out in Vancouver. First, with suits on, lots of ballast, and diving on partial exhale sinking from the surface. What was neat about that was the rapid progression of chest flexibility and the absence of narcosis at depth (30-40m).

Next step was the no-suit part, which we use now at all our competitions and when the mood strikes for fun diving. Chilly, but exhilirating. We use a noodle float to be able to relax on the surface under the waist, otherwise you sink below the surface while breathing before each dive.

It's a great way to dive once you learn to deal with the cold and how much you can handle because all you need to go diving is a mask and snorkel (bathing cap helps, too) and you can pretty much dive anywhere and in any water temp - at least for 1-3 dives before getting hypothermic. Great for travel.

I have not tried out the breath hold before dynamic excercise. It seems obvious to do now that I've heard about it, since that's what is so nice about diving on an exhale in the first place. What I'm interested in is the implications for training on land since apnea walking/hiking on its own seems so effective. I would like to talk with Seb to learn more about the physiology behind his theories and practices. Hopefully, he'll stop by in Vancouver.

Hope to meet you soon at Ansell sometime!

Pete

[iceselkie]

That would indeed be cool (no pun intended) if Murat came to Vancouver. I've been meaning to come down there for Kirk's course, and seeing Murat as well would be a bonus (but would they contradict each other?!) Anyways, I've been pretty busy this year, but I really look forward to coming to Ansell again as well, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was not to mention how awesomely lucky I felt to meet most of the Vanapneist group in one shot.
Learn how to deal with the cold... so what sorts of things should I do? Because I was thinking I'd have to have an Elios suit or the like before I came down there again, but maybe I won't! J/k I didn't keep track of how long I was diving around for, but I probably could have stayed another hour.

TTYS!

[cebaztian]

"it makes sense"

When Sebastien Murat describes his ideas about breathhold diving it has a clarity to it - that is, once you penetrate the high level of academics - this is usually done once we start the practical tests and trials. Murat himself has achieved remarkable things with his new techniques that has influenced quite a few freedivers by now.

Now there is a new clinic by Murat on the west coast of Sweden at the end of this summer (1-2 september). The same place where 12 participants took the course last year - since then some of us have improved remarkably.

http://www.fridykning.se/freediving/...ratclinic.html

SebastiAn
Sweden

[laminar]

Hi Sebastian,

Nice to hear that Seb's back in Sweden again. I'm glad that his methods are gaining more recognition.

I met Seb last summer in Vancouver and had a great talk with him with Eric and Tyler. For various reasons, I decided to start applying some of his methods for my own diving, primarily as a strategy to avoid lung squeeze. I haven't done any line dives on FRC below 35m (that was done in 2003 when he was talking to us about his concepts and training), but someday perhaps I will when I have some time to increase the depth gradually. Nor have a tried the static+dynamic approach, but I'm curious about it.

I've been diving for fun both with no suit and with a suit. Sinking directly from the surface is impractical for being able to relax completely on the surface, so I weigh myself to be able to get down with one gentle monofin stroke and then sink the rest of the way. Of course, it is easiest without the suit, because of the nice 10C thermocline at 12 metres and the water exposure overall.

Diving recreationally in the old days, with full packing, I believe that most of my dives were in the 1'20" to 1'50" range, with the occasional 2'00" dive and the rare longer hangs.

At first, diving FRC without a line was nerve-wracking since I had no sense of my limits. It was a new sensation and at first I couldn't go beyond 1'15", at which time I had an immediate urge to breathe. While equalizing was never a problem, I would feel crushed at 25m.

Recently, I realized that I was diving as if I was still packing and that I really had to relax more and let the dive response kick in fully before moving.

Now I'm diving recreationally FRC to 20-30m and my dives are in the 1'30 - 1'50 range (with a suit). These dives are all without a direct spotter (buddy is on the surface). I don't feel crushed at depth anymore either.

The difference in diving style and performance is amazing

Old style (packing):
-stressful descent
-feeling of being too heavy on ascent from deeper dives
-discomfort in chest after diving
-occasional very mild lung squeeze symptoms
-high C02 at the end of the dive (sometimes I'd get contractions on the longer ones)
-limited functional bottom time
-narcosis
-erratic movements during dive (buoyancy change)

New style (FRC):
-completely relaxed descent
-reduced buoyancy change (easy ascent)
-no discomfort in chest after diving
-no symptoms of squeeze
-little breathing reflex at the end of the dive (mild urge)
-increased bottom time
-no narcosis
-much calmer diving style, mind more relaxed overall

I haven’t pushed my FRC dives into the contraction zone, since I'm essentially diving without a direct spotter. I prefer to increase the dive times gradually and only on "good" days. I don't mind waiting a few months before seeing an incease in diving ability.

I don't do any one rep maximum dives anymore, just serial dives to look at things and take photo graphs. FRC diving is awesome for underwater photography, since you can pretty much prep the camera and keep it ready as you sink, no need "swim" and then collect yourself at the bottom.

I don't really try to initiate "fear and anxiety" as Seb advocates, since I'm looking for a relaxing and fun experience over a few hours of diving. But Eric's been experimenting with a more stressful form of facial immersion that seems to help his recreational dives.

Recently, at the Canadian Nationals, I volunteered as a safety freediver and did all my spotting dives sinking from the surface. It was great. I arrived at depth to meet the competitors feeling completely clear and ready to assist, no energy wasted with packing or kicking.

Anyway, it would be interesting to hear of anyone else using this approach in their recreational or competitive diving. I know that "Evita" on DB did her national records in dynamic with a static first. Cool!

Looking forward to your report about the clinic, Sebastian.

Best,

Pete

[BennyB]

Hi Pete,

When you say you're diving under FRC with little breathing reflex, when did you get contractions on inhale before starting FRC, and when do you get them now on inhale? Likewise, when do you get contractions on FRC?

How full are your lungs when you dive? I guess when I was trialling it we would take a big inhale then let roughly half out, perhaps a little less. It was comfortable up to a point, then when the contractions started they were quite vicious.

Also, is it wise to be doing safety diving on FRC? I recall Seb saying on our course last year that if you were under a situation where you had to perform a rescue dive you would need to do it under an inhale for a variety of reasons - you are lifting a dead weight and putting yourself under an enormous strain over a short period of time and for that type of effort inhale is much more appropriate.

I love the concept of FRC diving but it is very hard to adapt to (though i've seen some people take to it amazingly well). Now that I live in London my dive time is quite limited so FRC isn't too much of an option. I'll give it a nudge again when back in Australia eventually though.

Cheers,
Ben

[sebastien murat]

Hi all,

Just an update:

For those of you attending the dive clinic in Sweden or the international workshop in Dahab, both in September, I will be expanding on last years information with some of the more recent research I've been doing here at the university, relating the dive response and the risk of succumbing to dive maladies, particularly SWB and DCI. More particularly I've been re-assessing the widely accepted view that SWB is essentially caused by a reduction, say, reversal, in the uptake of O2 by the blood during ascent. The results are of this research indicate that it is a little more involved than this, no doubt they will surprise you as they did me.

Also, as of mid-September I will be permanently based in Mallorca, operating a freediving research and training centre. In addition to high performance coaching in some magestic all-weather dive sites (pic attached), the center will offer individual divers, teams and coaches state-of-the-art training facilities. International competitions will also be staged as of next year, including for the first time ever a No-limits comp (more about this later). Clinics and courses will also be run from a world-class swimming pool complex with the following facilities:

10 lanes x 50 m x 2 m depth (indoor)
10 lanes x 25 m x 2.0 m depth (indoor)
10 lanes x 50 m x 2.6-3.0 m depth (outdoor)
1 x 5 m deep x 25 m x 16 m (outdoor)
Gym
Class Room
Video

Our biofeedback capabilities will include:
u/w swimming biomechanical film-analysis (pool)
Heart-rate monitoring
Expired O2 & CO2 gas analysis
Blood lactate monitoring
Pulse oximetry
Deep diver security, monitoring & retrieval
O2 resuscitation equipment
Hyperbaric recompression


See you there!
Seb

[laminar]

Hi Ben,

When you say you're diving under FRC with little breathing reflex, when did you get contractions on inhale before starting FRC, and when do you get them now on inhale? Likewise, when do you get contractions on FRC?

I haven't really kept track of this, but on an average day, I would expect to get proper contractions at around 1'35-2'00", depending on the dive. If I'm diving without a suit in cold water, I would expect them to be even later than that. I'm not overventilating - my breathing is either sub-neutral (if I am buoyant enough on the surface with extra floating like a float or noodle) or "inhale-hold for 10 seconds-exhale" (if I'm neutral, otherwise I sink with each exhale).

How full are your lungs when you dive? I guess when I was trialling it we would take a big inhale then let roughly half out, perhaps a little less. It was comfortable up to a point, then when the contractions started they were quite vicious.

I exhale passively, and then take a sip of air for the mouthfill.

Also, is it wise to be doing safety diving on FRC? I recall Seb saying on our course last year that if you were under a situation where you had to perform a rescue dive you would need to do it under an inhale for a variety of reasons - you are lifting a dead weight and putting yourself under an enormous strain over a short period of time and for that type of effort inhale is much more appropriate.

Good point. However, I was spotting to a maximum of 15m and I was one of two safety divers. The dive time was no more than one minute. For me the ease of getting down and apparent reduced risk of lung problems is worth the extra effort of bringing someone up. If I needed to spot deeper at 20-25m, I would likely use almost full lungs.

I agree that FRC does take some getting used to. It's been about a year since I've been diving that way exclusively and only in the last three months has it really clicked for me for regular repetitive recreational diving.
Pete

[laminar]

Hi Seb,

Glad to hear your news!

Pete

[cdavis]

Pete,

In getting used to depth in FRC diving, is there more to it than simply being able to clear comfortably (no mouthfill)? I have played with FRC in dynamic(static to the first contraction, then go) and the results are quite promising. However, depth more than 40 ft or so is very uncomfortable, even though I regularly do full reverse pack negatives in a 13.5 ft pool, no problem and little discomfort.

Connor

[ADR]

Seb,

I'll get the earlier flight and be waiting on the doorstep with my fins on for your arrival in Mallorca.....can't wait to visit you there and do some dives

[sebastien murat]

What did judge Sara say about Dahab and further afield, Andy: go or no-go ?

Seb