December Winds

December 5th- Hector called and ask to go out of Hillsburo Inlet with a new guy named Chad. Chad's boat was at his parents house right next to a castle. That's right I said castle, towers, two 30 foot doors and camera's all over. Anyways were were excited as there wasn't much wind. After a 1/2 hr. trip to the inlet our wishes were but dreams. 10-15 mile an hour winds out of the Southeast. Figures weather man got it wrong again. 3-4 foot swells made the going a little rough we dropped on 3 Blacks. To this day I don't know why Hector calls it 3 Blacks I've never seen a black there. I think I will rename it Zero Black. I did manage a Hog there, it was legal. Hector got a nice size yellow jack which he indicated he was going to smoke and make dip with. The viz was barely 40 ft. current was running about 1 knot north. We started to pull anchor when we noticed a Brownies Third Lung and it was running, we were between the second and third reef a good 3/4 mile of shore no way this guy came from the beach. We fired up the engine when he got close and he came to the surface indicating his dive boat would return in 10 minutes and he was o.k. After that we decided to drift a while I got another Hog. So this put me on the boat and Chad and Hector in the water. Chad got a hog along the way and around 1 pm. we called it a day. Nothing lost, nothing broken a few fish it was another good day on the water.

Halloween Dive

Went out today with Hector and Oto. Just a short trip half a day. Hectors first dive in his 40 ft. spot netting him a stone shot on a nice mutton. Oto would follow him in the same area with another mutton. What did I do, dummy me changed my breakfast and on the way to the boat had a McGriddle. What a mistake I not only got a headache but I also got sick. Laid on the boat for a while then we moved deeper. Outside the second reef, depth ranged from 45-60 ft. Still no fish for me...actually, no fish for anyone. I decided to play captain, took Oto and Hector to the inside of the third reef. They dove for about 45 minutes to an hour and had some scuba divers drop close to us. Still they saw no fish. We called it a day about 1/4 past noon. For out trick or treat we got a trick, waiting on our windshields were parking tickets upon or return to the ramp. Haloween sucks! :)

Cha-Ching

Saturday started early for Extreme Divers. Destination was Black Point at 07:15, we weren't suppose to be there till 07:30 but Team Extreme was stoked about a day on the water. We were all there Frank, Hector, Larry and of course the "Old Guy" (me). Buy the time the boat showed up a few minutes later everyone had eyed Hector's new Wong Hybrid gun, all black and brand spanking new. It shinned in the morning sun like a diamond in a goats ass. Sky wasn't all clear but the sun shined, the wind maybe 5-10 out of the east. The Contender cut through the bay like a hot knife in butter with it's twin 200's humming like a new 2010 Chevy Camaro, before we knew it we were heading outside of the islands heading for south of Pacific Lighthouse. First spot shallow, I decided to grab Larry's new underwater camera. It took a few minutes to figure which button turned it on and zoomed it, and oh that tall one takes the picture, now I got it. Sometimes I'm slow, but I never stop. I see Larry lining up on something in a cave. Ok a got the camera start taking pictures. He nails a nice doggie, then I see a nice mutton come out the other side and I yell for Hector comes over and lines up with that shiny new gun, well just at that moment a sunbeam must have just shined in the water and Hector missed. Hector had another shot at that mutton and well the gods were just not in his favor. I swam up to him and cuffed him up side the head in the water. We got seperated and I had a remora playing tag, then I saw Hector and as soon as he swam over there was another huge Mutton, but this time he got it. I took a couple of pictures but remember the camera belongs to Larry so he will have to post them. We decided to pull Larry and Frank to the drop off of the reef water was about 40' and we saw Larry go down I asked the Captain what was on sonar he indicated fish I said it looks good. Just about the time I'm throwing my legs over, I hear this loud scream from Larry, and he has a smile from ear to ear. He holds up a monster mutton must have been 15 lber. A few minutes later I was following the drop off north when I spotted two blacks following the reef line south. I ducked down and nailed one. After securing the first one I tried to find the second but it disappeared faster then chez-wiz at a slumber party. Next thing I know everyone is somewhere else and I see another black this one actually waits for me to take a perfect shot and shone him with my Venom 100cm. This is pretty much how it continued all morning. Everyone was getting fish (see pic #2). In the picture we still had 4 hogs in the freezer. Well at 12:30 the cooler was filled and we headed in. Half day out produced more fish then almost the whole rest of the year so far. Many thanks to Larry securing the boat ride. Just as before, If you Dive, Dive Extreme, if not stay home!

Fowey to Midway

Went out today, 8-30-09. Out of Dinner Key Marina in Miami. On the boat is the Van, Rod from N.J. and his brother and Larry and of course me. We headed out thru Stiltville and rounded the corner around Fowey Lighthouse and headed South. We hit some patch reefs. Slight current to the north maybe 1/2 knot. Fish was scarce, viz was 40 ft. Not clear but good enough. Water temp was hot 84 degress f. After spending most the day in fairly shallow water (less then 40 ft), I decided to head for some cooler deeper water I swam out to 50-60 ft range. After some refreshing deeper drops I spot a mutton he swam straight into the shaft, gosh I hate that! The shaft stuck in a big sponge so I had to surface without the fish and shaft. Larry came along to assist but he had clearing problems so I returned to retrieve my shaft. When I surfaced Larry had shot a nice Ocean Tally. Well we cut the day short at 1 pm and started to head in. Not much fish but a good day anyways. Oh I forgot my fins good thing Larry brought a spare set.

Scrub At Key West

Went down to Key West last weekend. Met some nice people including Lee, Deb(?) and another young diver I can't seem to remember. Anyways the whole weekend got scrubbed because of super shitty weather. I did have a chance to give lessons and Lee brought some lobsters by before I left to come home. It was nice to meet some faces. Anyways no one can control the weather so maybe next trip. There is a tourney in Key West in September .....maybe...

7-25-09 Stormy Day

The boys I train cancelled on a trip outside of Elliot Key. Howie called and asked to go out with him and Ron D. out of Port Everglades. So off we go, ocean looked flat in the morning didn't get above 1 ft all day. Numerous storms showed up later morning and early afternoon. We tried to dodge most of them. First stop shallow reef just outside the cut I was using a 100cm Aimrite Venom. Just breathing up and opening the lungs. Saw a legal school master , but lost him in a deep cave. Next we headed to third reef. Water was so-so on viz. I changed to my 120cm Super Venom, a quick change on the reel. Then me and Ron are in droppping 45' to the reef. Ron got out then I was joined by Howie. We both were buddy watching and getting about 1min to 1min and 15 secs. Not great but will have to do till I get in better shape. I saw a nice mutton but he eluded me. Howie got a small mack then we headed north away from the storms. I talked them into dropping on the last bouy in the PE channel. It sits in about 105-112 ft depending on tides. I jumped in with Ron , Ron had a flasher line off the back of his gun that the bait fish were interested in. He popped a rainbow runner, I dropped down around 30-40 and did not entice any larger fish. After trading places with Howie. Howie had a run at it with the same luck.

Next spot wasn't that far away in 45 ft of water a ledge. First drop missed the ledge second drop I was drifting with Howie and he pointed that he saw the ledge and there was a black down there. I dropped and found the black but it appeared to be only around 18-20 inches. So we repositioned and again drifted over the ledge. The currents all day were going every which way but north? This time I dropped down just above the ledge, meeting me at the ledge was a fat mutton, I wasn't about to let this one get away he turned and dropped below the ledge, I followed cautiously, waiting for when the moment was right, left turn, right turn, ready, left turn fire. I pulled the trigger on my 100cm Venom, the shaft flew out true and straight it hit him 1/3 back on the left side high the shaft penetrated forward passed through his brain then exited just below his right eye. Howie heard Ron say the fish finder was hitting fish, Howie looked down and saw me aiming, then I disappeared over the ledge and he never heard the shot, but he did see me coming up with a large yellow tail below me.

After the fish was secured we couldn't decide where to go next, but the weather helped it had completely surrounded us. So we decided to call it a day. Ron took a picture of the mutton it was 25" long and been eating good.

On Sunday I filleted him, 1/3 of him went to Ceviche, ummm ummm good, another 1/3 to dinner. the last third is in the freeze from another dinner this week.

My Breath Holding Technics

A while back I posted to Spearboard my breathing technics, since then many divers have requested the information. Over the years I have taken plenty of students under my wing and taught them this technic. Some are able to obtain dives twice as deep within just a couple of lessons. So I decided to post it here in my blog, I have already put it in my new book.

I could write all afternoon on increasing your bottom time; it would be easier to talk to individuals. In the wake of Gene H. death this is going to be a sticky topic. As with everything we do their is inherit risk, freediving has it's own. I almost lost a dive partner once to SWB; I'd hate to read about someone on this list SWB. Anyways be careful, don't push yourself and whenever possible use a dive partner system.

I break my advice into three sections. Surface, Decent, Ascent. Since surface is the most important part I'll start with it.

Let's begin by saying the need to breath is a result of Carbon Dioxide levels are too high in our body. So we exhale to remove it. This urge is so strong that it could put us in a panic state to reach the surface; this could increase our consumption of oxygen, which is already pretty low. This in turn could be disastrous. So if Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide are equal when we start our dive, we have given amount of time before we need to surface (excluded any variables, such as excitement from spearing a fish, to currents, cold water, etc.).

If we were to start the same dive with our Oxygen level a little higher and Carbon Dioxide a little lower and all other variables were the same then we should have more time underwater.

Now how do we do this, I learned this from a friend named Doug Peterson, he trained the guy overseas with this technique and his static time is above 8 min. Anyways I've been able to increase my average underwater time from around 1 min. to 1.30-2 min. using this technique. Obviously, the better in shape you are the better you body will function in this high Carbon Dioxide state. So physical conditioning will affect your time too.

The technique is based on 1 min intervals. After returning from a dive your heart usually recovers and slows down in about 1 min. This is when most divers will go back down, but your gas levels are not back to good levels. After 1 min. start the following breathing exercise.

Calmly- breathe in deeply and exhale deeply for 8 secs. repeat this process for 45-50 secs. it's important to try to relax every muscle you can while doing this even your mouth around the snorkel. (quit biting it!)

Next for ONLY 5-10 secs breath rapidly emphasizing and forcing your exhale. Do not do this too long as it will lead to hyperventilating! A no-no... This completes the cycle repeat this process for 3 or 4 cycles.

On your last cycle just before going under after you complete your rapid breathing take one long deep breath and exhale it slowly and completely (I put my hand on my tummy and make sure my tummy deflates all the way) Then take you last full breath close your mouth, spit out your snorkel go under by pivoting at the waist and kicking one leg up. Let the weight of the single leg start your decent, at about 7-10ft swallow that last breath you took and are holding in your cheeks. This may accomplish two things. First, when you swallow you relax the muscles in your mouth thus increasing your time and second if done at the right time it could serve as your first equalization!(HAH, how bout that!)

Decent- The purpose of the decent is to get to the bottom using as little oxygen as possible. If you are weighted properly (another discussion) then this should be between 25-30 ft. In order to use as little oxygen as possible, movement must be smooth and only if required. After 30 ft you should be free falling. In free falling we can control our direction by changing the angle of our fins. In this phase, to maximize our oxygen we need to become hydro dynamic. Keep your arms as close as possible to your body, your head should not be looking down (unless you see something and going after it) If you head is looking down your mask is buffering the waterflow across your body. Thus slowing you down. Relax, equalize, you’ll see the bottom around 20 ft. before hitting it. Level out using only your head and fins, do not use your arms. (this is a good Mutton hunting tech) Wait. Check your 6!

If you don't see anything get you butt back to the surface and start over. Don't push yourself for nothing, is what I'm trying to say.

Ascent - by now you body has used up a majority of oxygen and the carbon dioxide is getting higher. On ascent, again try to relax as much as you can even though you want to be on the surface so bad. Kick little short stokes trying not to use the larger muscles in your thighs. These shorter strokes also prevent buffering on the way up. Remember water drag issues! keep your gun in tight, no need to look up as this only slows you down. Relax! Relax! Relax!

You can try this breathing exercise at home in your favorite chair or bed, this way if you push it too far your wake up to your girlfriend or wife screaming at you instead of seeing St. Peter guarding the gates of Fish Haven! Please don't try this in a pool, so many freedivers don't make it out of pool practicing breath holding.

You should see results almost immediately! Around the 4th dive or try you will see about a 30sec increase.

Now any of these methods will help your bottom time but when you perfect all of them and are in good shape will you start to see consistent increased performance. Good Luck, please dive safe!