Daughters first day on the marlin

[JDP]

9 minutes ago, Andy135 said:

Thanks Jon, that's very helpful.

Do you guys use weight belts over there? I've seen a spear-fisher here using a belt, presumably to get down and stay down. Always wondered how he got back up again though.

Yes you need to use weigh, but not to much that you sink like a rock. At the surface you should be buoyant so your head is above water without kicking. The deeper you go you reach a point that you will be neutrally buoyant which is normally somewhere around 5-10m for me. If your target species is normally in 5m you will want to add or remove weights so that you can hold at that depth easily. 

Do everything in stages, don't rush out and try to get buoyancy, breathing and shooting all together at once as you will have to much to try and get your head around. Get to know the species a little first by interacting with them, many are quite curious by us we'd things in the water.

I prefer the rubber weight belts with the quick release buckle. Get used to using the belt on the right hand side to release, this is something that's trained in scuba diving so other divers can quickly and easily release anyone belt in an emergency without fumbling around finding which way its clipped. There are weight vests also which are good if you have lower back issues, these also seem to help in heading down. Even though we have belts and vests we tend to use the belts most, with most of the weight positioned behind you. With most of the weight on the belt behind you this helps keep you slightly tilted back at the surface, which is good if you like breathing!!!!

The rubber belts are more expensive but they tend to stay where you put them and the weights don't slide about once you have the belt on. As you get to do deeper dives you find that the cheap webbing belts can slip as you and your suit compress, this can often end with the weights slipping on your side or front, which will through your mental calmness out of whack. Getting the good gear instantly puts you at a huge advantage. 

Breathing is a whole science for free diving but generally you can do the same time down there without gulping in a big lung full before heading down. I find I often don't take a breath at all before heading under, this helps if I want to get down quicker or lie on the bottom (no balloon of air in my lungs pulling to the surface). Obviously not taking a breath wouldn't be for a long deep dive but for a shallow one no problem.  If you are sitting watching tv and experiment with a gentle breath hold at the end of a breath compared to the beginning of a breath, there's virtually no difference in the time you can hold that breath. When you take a huge breath and try that same breath hold you almost instantly feel uncomfortable and want to start letting it out, you certainly don't feel comfortable. This is where people think you have to be young and fit to dive, where yes you do but not the fitness most people imagine, its more about mental fitness and relaxation, obviously a combination of physical and mental fitness is a winner.