masks, snorkels and fins

I was looking for suggestions on what type of gear to get. Hoping not to break the bank as I am starting from stratch on the dive gear. I already know I will be getting a camaro stingray wetsuitfor the warth. What type of booties should I get? Mask? Snorkels? fins....etc

-Brian

hey brian, i think that you have quite a bit of gear to choose form. if you are freediving choose the best grea for freediving and you will be better off. if you want to go on scuba choose scuba related fins, mask and snorkel. i used to work at a dive shop and this is what i learned:

scuba:

open heel shorter fins, boots, higher volume mask and snorkel with purge valves to make clearing of water easier = maybe 120.00 or so

freediving:

long closed heel fins with fin socks and a low volume mask and simple snorkel with no valves. = maybe 180.00 or so

scuba gear is designed to be easier to manage when on scuba. freediving gear is more streamlined and efficient since you are not carrying air.

freediving gear tends to me a little more pricey since often gear is imported from europe but the quality is excellent when you purchase omer, sporasub or other notable european brands. they have been doing it a long time. the money is worthwhile because you'll be able to use the gear for years. rather than go through pieces and parts here and there.

get longfins with replacable blades. i once made the mistake of buying tigullio fins with glued in blades. i was in baja and cracked one blade and had no way of replacing it.

for snorkels i like simple j snorkels like the sporasub samurai, it bends, twists and does not get snagged because its soft. and there are no valves to get sand stuck in to cause a leak.

if you want to spend even less and maybe just get gear to try it out, maybe do a shop rental from a dive outfitter or get a scuba gear package online or at a shop. use duct tape and tape up the buckles on the fins and just choose the smallest best sealing mask and simplest snorkel they have. whatever you get will work assuming it fits right.

wallins dive ctr in san carlos has a nice selection of gear for intro to spearfishing as well as higher end stuff too.

i use an omer wetsuit and omer bat fins with some 3 mm socks and 3 mm gloves. mask is a simple parkway with prescription lenses with a sporasub snorkel. whatever works best for ya!

Spearfishinggear.com has a package deal, omer fins, premium socks, low volume mask and snorkel for 200 even.  It's a pretty good deal as the fins and socks alone would be like 160.  I was considering getting it dispite already having a good mask/snorkel before I found a used pair of longblades.

wallins dive ctr in san carlos has a nice selection of gear for intro to spearfishing as well as higher end stuff too.

David Laird is the guy to talk to at Wallins - real nice guy. He also has a DVD out on NorCal free diving called "BLUE" this was the same movie we all saw at the Elk Derby. I'll be taking a class from him soon (just finally got my truck paid -off )

http://www.wallins.com/freediving.htm

Brian G. - Wallins is located right behind the REI in San Carlos.

Unfortunately it's difficult to 'try before you buy' with fins because there aren't on the water demos, ect, and they vary quite a bit.  I liked that package because the fins have removeable/replaceable blades.  That allows you to change the blades for $60 if you don't like them or wear them out (they bang on rocks a fair amount).  Of course if you don't like the foot pockets you're back to square one. 

http://www.spearfishinggear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=FP&Category_Code=P

If you're a size 8-10 you can try my green escalapez fins out sometime. 

I just asked about fins on spearboard a couple weeks ago in the freedive section, check out the list of suggestions there.  For the most part I can only repeat what I've heard there until I've been out with them a few times.

http://www.spearboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25590

hey mooch, you'll love that class. the ocean day is fantastic and he might even do some hunting with you after.

on the first night of the class my static breath hold was at 1.30 minutes and at the end of the second meeting it was a 2 and a half minutes. it only gets better with practice.

now im out of shape again and my breathhold sucks. for a while it was ok because i was going a couple of times a week. then it turned to once a week and now its been like once a month

A little cardio work goes a long way too.  I outgrew my ML wetsuit in 2002 and got a 3mm L that barely fit in 2004, my first dive I just about died of exertion.  Observing me panting on the kayak between abalone my sister noted that it didn't look very fun...  That motivated me to go jogging after work, and 2 weeks later I did much better.  Now I'm 25lbs lighter and a lot more capable. 

Freediving really encourages fitness because the performance change from relatively small amounts of work is dramatic.  You don't have to work out 4 months to see a difference - it's almost immediate.

John

Not to belabor the blackout thing any more but part of the reason you get better is that you're deadening your physio responses

Not true.  There are two main aspects taught in classes that will help you greatly that have nothing to do with deadening physiological responses.  As in the other thread, there are many dynamic apnea aspects as well, but since John referenced static apnea, I'll keep my comments relevant to that area.

The first is breathing.  Sounds simple, but a proper breathing technique will help you properly oxygenate your blood & allow you more apnea time.  Hyperventilating will also oxygenate your blood, but in a negative way.  It masks the body's natural defense mechanism against CO2 buildup(the urge to breathe).  Proper breathing will increase your potential breathhold capacity as well as your working breathhold time.

The second is relaxation.  Proper relaxation allows you to calm your body & mind.  When your mind & body are calm, your muscles relax & don't pull nearly as much oxygen from your blood.  The less blood it pulls, the longer your potential/actual times are.


It's a good warning since poor training procedures may lead you astray; however, freediving classes are geared towards safety.  

its all about relaxation when you freedive. bottom times get better and you enjoy it more when you can relax. when you push the limits and ignore contractions in your throat and headaches along with purple lips and garbled speech, then you most likely have a problem.

i know for myself, when i get a headache diving its the first sign i am not resting enough.

as for actual dive times, each day and each dive is different. you see different things each time you go under so no two are alike. a nice sized ling cod or calico can turn a 40 foot 1 minute dive into a 30 second affair 

Cool, I hadn't realized wallins was local, I thought san carlos was a suburb of LA!

Maybe I can get my wife to take the class with me and start pulling her own weight in the abalone department.    I'd have to pony up for another pair of longblades too though... 

I'm not sure what they're referring to by the terms static or dynamic apnea, it sounds like Master Diver Rick is at it again. Apnea is something that happens if your physiology is somehow out of whack or because of CNS abnormalities. If it’s happening to a diver he or she probably shouldn’t even be in the water

I don't even know where to begin responding to you...  I'm at the verge of giving up already!  A lot has changed in the world of diving.  Rather than rely on your admittedly hazy memories, why don't you do some reading?  In the spitting thread, you said "I don't want to be the one who gave advice about how to stay alive and then wondering about it down the road"  Well, ... here you are throwing your 2 cents in without even knowing what the words mean!!!    Just putting the words "dynamic apnea" & "static apnea" in a google search bar will return dozens of matches relevant to the topic.  Here's as good a place as any to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freediving

I've written a huge essay on the things wrong with your post and the background behind it, but have come to the realization that it's a fruitless endeavor.  You seem more content to contest the facts than try to understand them.     If you care to learn where the discrepancies lie, I'll be happy to PM it to you.

John, take my word the headaches are probably from the cold or tension or something. I haven’t seen a CO2 headache in probably 20 years and it would take a lot of talent to achieve one freediving. Then I could be wrong about that too

I agree with your last sentence!   

While it doesn't affect everyone, CO2 headaches(brought on by hypercapnia) are common among some divers who haven't had adequate time to flush the excess pCO2 out of their system.  John was right - it's his body's way of saying he needs more recovery time.   

Mooch,
I am proud of you brother.  David Laird is the man for freediving.  Looking forward to getting you out in the water.  The class will be a huge help.  David is very very safety conscious.  He is a great instructor.  I think anybody who wants to start freediving should invest in his class.  You will learn things that may have taken you ten years to learn if left on your own.  Freediving is like any sport.  Would you go up to Tahoe and just put on skis and run a double black diamond your first time?  Probably not. So why would you do that freediving?  Just my 2 cents on it.  I would love to take out some newbies if you guys are into it.  We get some really nice days in Feb and March and spearfishing is open, except for lings.  PM me if you want to get wet.
Dave