by Shrek | Feb 19, 2020 | Free Diving, Training and Breath Hold for Spearfishing, Noob Spearo Podcast, Ultimate Guide's
Interview with Adam Freediver Stern
Adam Freediver Stern is the Steve Irwin of freediving. His contagious enthusiasm has inspired thousands of people to discover the joy of freediving and freedive spearfishing. It was with much excitement that I got on this call with Adam and we had a great time exploring his freediving journey including his struggles overcoming the ‘hard charger’ mindset and dealing with the resulting issues. We also get into a heap of questions from the Noob Spearo Community and really get into equalizing issues. There is a tonne of info in the interview that smashed some of my ideas and I found this conversation sensational. Love to hear what you think about it in the comments!
Adam Stern lives on the Central Coast, NSW and is an Australian 8 x Australian freediving record holder.
Download this episode on your Podcast app here!
Time Stamps
5:00 Welcome Adam to the show
9:00 What is the difference is between freediving and spearfishing?
11:00 Adam’s non-romantic but quite intriguing introduction to freediving
18:00 Adam Freediver Stern age:31
19:00 Overcoming the ‘Gung Ho’ and reprogramming the mind
30:00 Kurt “Can you give us a rundown on what the various freediving course levels are?”
37:30 Sven “How can we level out properly when at depth without causing issues of lung squeeze etc (leveling out at depth goes against everything we are taught to do for deeper dives)?”
39:30 Jason “Fantastic, I love Adam’s positivity and mindset. Maybe any questions regarding tips on how he enters a state of calmness during a dive to increase bottom time. I feel like I get caught up in the moment sometimes and get too erratic.”
43:00 Discussion about Deepweek and what I think about it
45:40 Todd “Adam stern was and still is huge inspiration for it just myself, but everyone in our dive group SinkPhase. We all started out watching his YouTube videos and that’s how I learned to Frenzle. Some of us are part of his Patreon. Please thank him on our behalf of us. The dive group was talking about breathe ups we learned while getting certified. We all had a slightly different breathe up. I started with a 4/1/8/1 but went to a 3/1/10/1 after my course. What breathe up does he personally think works best? We are spearing if that changes it.”
52:50 Cameron “I suppose this is a pretty common question but would be interesting to hear Adams opinion: What can a beginner do to see the most improvement in their breath hold?”
56:40 Kyle “How can duck dive effectively with a gun in hand?”
58:00 Adams spearfishing life
73:00 Veterans Vault: Equalizing Masterclass
The Basics. What is equalizing and why do we need to do it?
- How to frenzal VIDEO GUIDE by Adam
- Handsfree equalizing VIDEO tutorial
- How to fix sinus issues VIDEO guide
- Fixing equalizing issues VIDEO guide
- MRI equalizing VIDEO
- Most common equalizing issues and how to approach them.
- What to do when one ear equalizes but one doesn’t.
- Luke asks “I’ve been struggling with Sinus infection past few months. What is the best way to recover from Sinus / cold symptoms to get back out diving?”
- Kelly “Hands free equalization. I got his course. I just can’t do it 😩”
- How do you clean your ears?
- How do you keep your ears ok for multi-day diving?
“Be patient with equalizing as you are trying to do something really weird with your muscles to do a really weird activity.” – Adam Stern
98:00 What is one of the funniest things you’ve experienced out spearfishing or freediving?
102:00 Spearo Q&A
What does the spearfishing experience mean to you in one sentence?
Who has been the most influential person in your freediving journey so far?
What is the single best resource for spearfishing or freediving?
Connect with Adam Freediver Stern;
Noob Spearo Partners + Promotions
EVERY Online Immersion (Ted Harty) class available at www.noobspearo.com/ted
- 28-day Freediving Transformation – Want to increase your bottom time? Want to lower your comfortable operating depth? Want to increase your breath hold? In 4 weeks, you can transform your physiology to improve your performance as a free diver. Additionally, learn the proven strategies competitive free divers use to strengthen their performance.
- Equalization Masterclass – If you are free diver who struggles to equalize your ears in the 15-30 ft range this course is the answer. 14 videos discuss every equalizing problem and coach you through the difficulty. Say goodbye to Valsalva and hello to Frenzel and make equalizing easy.
- Tuesday Ted Talks Freediving – 19 one-hour live Instagram episodes where I discuss a variety of freediving topics and answer peoples question live on Instagram.
- Free online courses – How to take a 20-30% bigger breath and how to make the mammalian dive reflex work for you. www.FreedivingSafety.com – Free online safety resource.
- View all of Ted’s online freediving classes @ www.onlineclasses.ImmersionFreediving.com
by Shrek | Nov 1, 2019 | Free Diving, Training and Breath Hold for Spearfishing, Noob Spearo Podcast, Ultimate Guide's
I Dive Alone | The Spearfishing Dilemma
A dilemma is when the two choices in front of you are difficult. If you want to go spearfishing but you don’t have a dive buddy then your choices are; to dive alone or stay home.
One choice involves a higher level of risk but also the possibility of fun, solitude and all the other wonders we experience when spearfishing.
The other; less risk but a missed opportunity to spend the day out in the water.
“Your spearfishing buddy is your only true piece of safety equipment when diving”. This is as close to Gospel truth in spearfishing as it gets, so why dive alone?
This episode is a frank chat about diving alone. Pro’s, Con’s, everything.
Listen to this episode and subscribe to the Noob Spearo Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher
MORE on the Spearfishing Dilemma
A dilemma is sometimes described as being stuck between a rock and a hard place. In spearfishing this isn’t just a figurative illustration though, it’s a reality. Especially when chasing crayfish (lobster) or another hole dwelling tasty creature. And caves aren’t the only risk, not by a long shot. Let’s add shallow water blackout, boat/jetski traffic, cramp, current, sharks and all of the other less likely risks to the list. The fact is that having a buddy drastically reduces/mitigates every single one of these risks…
BUT….
Let’s be honest.
Some spearfishing buddies are so shit you might as well be diving by yourself anyway.
AND…
There are other appeals to diving alone despite the greatly increased risk of doing so.
This conversation with experienced spearfisherman Pat Swanson is an open and candid chat about the reality of diving alone.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about it in our spearfishing community on Facebook here.
Mentioned in the show
Join us at Adreno for an evening with Shrek from Noob Spearo to discover Melbourne spearfishing insights and tips for spearos of all levels with @southernspearfishing legend James Beckmanis!
Also happening on the night:
• Live Q&A session with Club Spearfish President Sven Franklin, Adreno Store Manager Luke Latham, James @southernspearfishing and Shrek
• ’99 Tips to Get Better at Spearfishing’ book signing
• Light refreshments & snacks
WHERE: Adreno 1184 Nepean Hwy, Cheltenham, Melbourne
WHEN: Saturday 9th November 5PM – 7:30PM
Free on-site parking available!
Noob Spearo Partners + some spearfishing discounts
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28-day Freediving Transformation. Want to increase your bottom time? Want to lower your comfortable operating depth? Want to increase your breath hold? In 4 weeks you can transform your physiology to improve your performance as a freediver. Learn the proven strategies competitive freedivers use to strengthen their performance.
-
Equalization Masterclass. If you are freediver who struggles to equalize your ears in the 15-30 ft range this course is the answer. 14 videos discuss every equalizing problem and coach you through the difficulty. Say goodbye to Valsalva and hello to Frenzal and make equalizing easy.
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Tuesday Ted Talks Freediving. 19 one hour live Instagram episodes where I discuss a variety of freediving topics and answer peoples question live on Instagram.
-
Free online courses – How to take a 20-30% bigger breath and how to make the mammalian dive reflex work for you.
www.FreedivingSafety.com – Free online safety resource.
-
by Sven Franklin | Jul 4, 2019 | Free Diving, Training and Breath Hold for Spearfishing, The Vault, Ultimate Guide's
The road to 40 meters
By Sven Franklin
Since I started freediving and spearfishing I have always watched the videos of people diving deep in awe. Like a form of hypnotism, there was something about it that really drew me in.
At the time of writing this article I have been diving for exactly 2.5 years. When I started I hit the ground running and had lots of passion and enthusiasm, matched with very little skill and know how. If you were to ask the guys at Club Spearfish about me when I first started, they wouldn’t hesitate to tell you that I struggled to dive to 3 meters, and hold my breath for longer than 15 seconds. At the time I would leave comments on youtube videos and pm peoples instagrams, just to ask them how they learnt to dive so deep, and how long it took them to get there.
Like most of the newer generation I wanted all these skills yesterday and unfortunately I didn’t get any proper responses or knowledge passed down. So I felt it was only right to help and tell my story, for those who wish to learn to dive deeper.
This is how in the span of one year I went from being a 10 meter diver, to being able to effortlessly dive to 38 meters.
Before I continue, I highly urge people to do a freediving course. To help learn proper basic techniques such as the correct way to prepare for a dive, finning, equalisation, as well as what hyperventilation really is, and the science and reasons behind why people suffer from shallow water black outs and LMC’s.
I went to school
The real start to diving deeper than 10 meters (33 feet) was to go and learn from one of the best in the industry, Lucas Handley who owns and runs The Underwater Academy. Not only is Lucas a really approachable teacher, he’s also extremely knowledgeable in everything freediving and spearfishing and lets his skills do the talking.
After doing my Aida level 2 course and getting to 20 meters (66 feet), I then took my new found knowledge and skills and applied them to train for two different trips to the remote Komodo Islands of Indonesia.
The first trip was for my Aida 3 and to learn to dive to 30 meters (98 feet), and then the second was to do my Aida 4 to hit 38 meters (124 feet).
The thing I found myself geeking out on the most, was the science behind everything. What triggers your Mammalian dive reflex/response, What is happening to your body as you start to dive deeper, and what risks you encounter such as Dalton’s law when surfacing.
Having all this knowledge helped set aside any fears or doubts that I had, as it turned things like the “magical reflex humans have” into a more detailed and defined reason.
Training for depth
Unfortunately training for depth in Victoria isn’t easy. A mixture of cold waters (reaching as low as 9 degrees in winter) meaning you are sometimes diving in a 7mm suit, having really bad vis, or just needing a boat to get out to the places that have depth (which also hold a lot of current too).
Although it doesn’t completely replicate what your body goes through at depth, I find pool training is the next best thing. I would organise regular pool seasons with my mates, with about 2 a week.
Lots of different exercises to keep things interesting, from co2 tables, games of cat and mouse, or even swimming 25 meters and doing hangs at the other end.
This saw a huge improvement in all of us training and before you knew it I could do 100m dynamics effortlessly.
(Everyone who was doing the pool training had done a freediving course prior, and knew proper pre dive techniques, recovery breathing, and buddy rescuing and protocol).
If you don’t have access to a pool in your area, or are limited to dive buddies, you can also do dry training such as apnea walks, or dry static tables).
Outside of the pool I would set aside 15-20 minutes every other day to stretch out my body from head to toe, as well as in the lead up to diving past 30 meters doing some advanced diaphragm and lung stretches. (These advanced stretches should be shown to you by an instructor as even on dry land you can do serious damage to your lungs).
Listen to your body and don’t push it
Free diving is about self awareness and never about the numbers. When diving deep there are many serious risks involved, like sinus squeeze, perforated ear drums, or even lung barotrauma. All of this can be avoided by listening to your body, and not rushing to get the numbers.
The pressures and changes your body is experiencing at depth is very taxing and at the start will often leave you both mentally and physically exhausted after just a few deep dives.
When I first dove to 30 meters I eagerly thought to myself I could easily go deeper. Fast forward a few months with more advanced training, and after I dove to 38 meters I was wrecked. The atmospheric pressure on my body from diving 8 meters deeper was something I wouldn’t have thought of, and my body needed time to adjust. Safe to say if a few months prior I had eagerly gone deeper as part of me wanted to, I could have potentially done some damage.
You have to allow your body time to adjust to the depth, as well as improving new skills such as a new way to equalise past 30 meters. This doesn’t mean weeks and days, but months and sometimes years. Remember the depths of the ocean will always be there, so best to explore them when your body is ready for it.
The big secret to diving deeper and a longer breath hold
I remember always wondering what the big secret was to diving deep and a longer breath hold. And while some things play their part like proper technique, the big secret is simply relaxation.
Despite being taught this in my Aida 2, it really took a while before it sunk in and I understood it. Relaxation is many things, from relaxing your muscles from head to toe and making sure no muscle is using up energy when its not needed (the neck and back in particular). The other is relaxation of the mind and being able to control your thoughts, like giving your mind certain tasks to help keep it from wondering and thinking negative thoughts. The more you dive and train, the more you will find yourself (in a safe manner of course) becoming more comfortable with the symptoms of co2, which in turn will help you relax more as you have a deeper understanding that what you are feeling is normal and natural.
The biggest way I find myself to be more relaxed while out spearfishing, especially at depth is to have a dive buddy who not only do I communicate with clearly by letting him know what my plan is on my dive, how deep and how long I think I am going down for, But also someone who has put my safety first by doing a freediving course themselves. Knowing your buddy can spot the first signs anything goes wrong, and (touch wood I hope it never happens) rescue me if I were to have a shallow water black out when coming to the surface, or even an LMC whilst on the surface.
My final take on learning to dive deeper
The road to 40 meters is a lot of fun and I have made some great friends along the way. If I could go back and tell myself anything at all about diving deep, it would be that I would get there eventually, and the path I took was the right one for myself.
I’ve always thought that if I could freedive to “x” depth, then I could comfortably spear 10m shallower and I personally find this to be spot on, as I am now extremely comfortable being able to hunt at 30m.
My next trip to do some depth is coming up in November, and at the start of the year I was planning on reaching 50 meters, but after everything I have learned, especially from my last trip. I know I will be happy even if I only add on an extra 2 meters depth, as I know my body will need time to adapt, plus the depths of the ocean will always be there.
If I have missed over anything you would like to know about, feel free to contact me on my social media @svenjamin_franklin on instagram and I will be more than happy to answer any of your questions the best that I can.
Also if your in the Sydney, Melbourne or Perth area and want to follow a similar path then check out https://www.theunderwateracademy.com/ or on their instagram account @theunderwateracademy
by Shrek | Mar 12, 2019 | Free Diving, Training and Breath Hold for Spearfishing, Noob Spearo Podcast, Ultimate Guide's
Interview with Tim Kavermann
Have you ever been stuck, frozen for a few seconds (which felt like hours), paralyzed and unable to take action? This is one example of heightened anxiety that I can relate to and maybe it’s you too. The good news is that Tim Kavermann joins me in this episode to share techniques and strategies to deal with anxiety. This interview is candid, eye-opening and my personal fav, highly actionable. Listen and subscribe!
Listen & subscribe to the Noob Spearo Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean
Things mentioned on the show
Time Stamps
5:45 Tim introduction and background. Early dive experiences
11:50 Early lessons and takeaways
18:00 Early equipment | buying a beginner kit and upgrading
23:30 Mentors, Dive buddies and Facebook group chats
29:45 Early Obstacles | seasickness and boat diving
33:00 Best experience spearfishing
42:30 Favourite species to hunt spearfishing and how to hunt them effectively | Snapper
47:00 Veterans Vault | How Spearfishing Can Help You Overcome Anxiety
Spearfishing can be a huge trigger for fear and anxiety.
However, Tim believes that the situations he has encountered while spearfishing have been the key to learning and understanding anxiety triggers and then developing and employing strategies and techniques to overcome it. His idea is not to avoid discomfort but to embrace it and try to use the situations as opportunities to heal, grow and overcome anxiety. Here are a few of the key ideas and points;
GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE UNCOMFORTABLE
- Accept anxiety, learn from it and if needed get help to take its power away
- Don’t fight it, sit with it and learn to move forward anyway
- Learn breathing techniques to relax on the surface and reduce fear and anxiety
- Being in stressful situations can help you overcome long standing beliefs
- Relaxing in situations that most people (even those who don’t have anxiety) would panic in
- Turn fear into curiosity – sharks/current/rough seas. Ground yourself in the moment by paying attention to the details.
- Fight or flight – there is no flight out at sea.
- Prepare to not be prepared
- Relax and enjoy – surface intervals- find what works for you.
- Speak up about that things that deeply affect you – but it falls on you to make change
- Get help when you need it from a professional
Studies show that Turmeric or Curcumin has an antidepressant like effect and can improve mental health.
If it helps control depression and anxiety even a small amount, it’s worth sharing! This article has information about research on the relationship between Turmeric and Depression.
70:50 Dive Watch Conversation
74:25 Spearo Q&A
Could you describe what the spearfishing experience means to you in one sentence?
- It has given me deep confidence within myself and shown me what I am truly capable of mentally and physically.
What is the single best piece of advice you have ever been given for spearfishing?
- Slow down and take your time, dive within your limits
Who has been the most influential person or people in your spearfishing?
- My friends, these are guys who’ve been diving a very long time, and took the time to share their passion with me.
If you could go back in time to when you were just starting spearfishing and give yourself some advice, what would you say?
- Stop overthinking it – stop trying to control everything and every situation, roll with it.
During your 1 years spearfishing what is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
- To be comfortable in situations that are well outside my comfort zone
What current challenges do you face in your spearfishing and how are you approaching them?
- The biggest one is still the anxious tendancy to overthink, overplan, get panicked. Rather than let it take hold of the day I now learned tools to deal with it.
– Breathing techniques
- Mindfulness
- Take a break and reset
- Move spots
- Meds for seasickness
- Don’t spend a week planning
- SLOW DOWN
Who is the best person to go spearfishing with and why?
- My good mates! I feel calmer with them, I know they have my back, the take the time to teach me new things, then know the good places to get in the water 😉 most of all we all share the same passion and a common goal – could possible touch here on the business we are setting up.
What would be your fish of a lifetime?
6 monts ago I jsut wanted a huge snapper of kingi, I had set my comfort zone at what I was doing here in NZ – After cuvier and being in the big open sea in a more exposed environtment I really want to go further a field – ultimate fish for me would be a big doggy, they just look like they would put up one hell of a fight (i say this now but in the moment I would be peaking out!) haha id also really like a mahi mahi I think they look awesome and I ate one in raro once, it was amazing.
What is the spearfishing destination that you would most like to go to?
Next I would like to go to Raro I think this would be a good step into some difference species and diving. Id also really like to go to Bali to do the deep week free diving course. Id also like to go to the Three Kings.
Find @timkavermann on Instagram here
Listen & subscribe to the Noob Spearo Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean
Noob Spearo Partners + some spearfishing discounts
-
28-day Freediving Transformation. Want to increase your bottom time? Want to lower your comfortable operating depth? Want to increase your breath hold? In 4 weeks you can transform your physiology to improve your performance as a freediver. Learn the proven strategies competitive freedivers use to strengthen their performance.
-
Make you equalization problems a thing of the past. If you are freediver who struggles to equalize your ears in the 15-30 ft range this course is the answer. I’ve taught over 500 people to equalize for freediving via my one on one Skype sessions. I’ve taken that method and turning in into an online course with over 14 videos discussing every equalization problem I’ve ever encountered.
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Tuesday Ted Talks Freediving. 19 one hour live Instagram episodes where I discuss a variety of freediving topics and answer peoples question live on Instagram.
-
Free online courses – How to take a 20-30 bigger breath and learn how to make the mammalian dive reflex work for you.
www.FreedivingSafety.com – Free online safety resource.
-
Sign up for ‘The Floater’ – Shrek and Turbo’s email newsletter here
Join the Noob Spearo Community on Facebook
Support Noob Spearo on Patreon!
by Shrek | Jan 31, 2019 | Free Diving, Training and Breath Hold for Spearfishing, Noob Spearo Podcast, Ultimate Guide's
Interview with Ted Harty | Freedivesafety.com Launch
Duckdiving tips, a dive day fatigue elimination hack and 3 compelling reasons to dive with a buddy!
As usual this chat with Ted is packed with insights and tips to improve your spearfishing. Today is also the launch of freedivingsafety.com which is a FREE freedive safety course for spearos that you get rewarded for completing! If you complete the course, you will get an email chock-full of equipment and merchandise discount codes and some freebies.
The video training and example blackout is essential viewing for every spearo. Listen in!
Listen & subscribe to the Noob Spearo Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean
3:30 freedivingsafety.com Launch. A free freediving safety course with instructional videos, blackout video example and a quiz. If you complete the course and quiz, you will get an email with a whole bunch of discount codes for spearfishing equipment, merchandise and even 10 Tips to Become a Better Spearo PDF for free.
10:00 Bulletproof Buddy Protocol | How to actually stick with your buddy in the water. Check out Ted Hartys first interview here.
16:45 3 Compelling Reasons to Dive with a Buddy
24:30 Taking new guys out. Staying quiet and getting your duckdive right
32:05 Working on one facet of your spearfishing at a time
35:00 Equalizing Course | Roadmap to Frenzal technique and going beyond 30ft/10m
- discount code to save 20%: NOOBSPEAROTED#2
42:35 Take a 23-30% Bigger Breath | FREE Video Course – take more fuel to the bottom!
44:00 Reduce Fatigue and make your lady happy EVEN after a full day diving – take Endurox (find it on Amazon here)
Ted swears that Endurox reduces dive day fatigue and allow him to enjoy his evening after 100’s of dives.
Ted Harty is one of the most influential spearfishing and freediving educators on the planet and last year he received a special award for his efforts. With the $2000 prize money he has built this free freediving safety course! Spread the word:)
Noob Spearo Partners + some spearfishing discounts
Sign up for ‘The Floater’ – Shrek and Turbo’s email newsletter here
Join the Noob Spearo Community on Facebook
Support Noob Spearo on Patreon!
by Shrek | Jan 29, 2019 | Free Diving, Training and Breath Hold for Spearfishing, Noob Spearo Podcast, Ultimate Guide's
Interview with Dr. Jaap Verbaas
Today’s episode is an interview with the Author of Longer and Deeper, a cross training guide for freediving and spearfishing. Dr. Jaap Verbaas is a crash test dummy of the highest calibre. I geek out way too much and we talk about hypoxic squats, essential tools and mindset for improving your freediving performance and even diets that can help.
Standout highlights (for me) are Jaap’s experimental mindset and his demonstration of how to plan, measure, experiment and learn from each experiment. If you are engaged in any form of freediving training then you will find plenty of value in this interview and the Longer and Deeper book.
Listen & subscribe to the Noob Spearo Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean
Interview Time Stamps
Background
6:00 Where are you based, what do you do and how did you get started freediving?
7:00 Freedivewire.com – what is it and what compelled you to become a freediving writer?
9:25 What freediving/spearfishing hurdles did you personally face and how did you overcome them? Jaap talks about equalizing issues at depth.
15:40 Canadian Spearfishing. Where do you spearfish? Chasing flounder in cold water with a Polespear
18:40 What’s your go-to fish dish
19:30 Longer and Deeper: Overview of the book and key concepts
I read the book and really enjoyed it – all of it. I think a huge part of why its such a good book is your Experimental Mindset: Where did you acquire this habit? Are you a Tim Ferris fan? (I noticed the slow carb diet and lots of your methodology is similar)
- How did you adopt this theorize, plan, measure, adapt methodology?
- Is this a skill or orientation that all of us should adopt?
- Muscle mass: when does it become counter-productive for freediving
Hacks for improving freediving performance
- Blood quality and cardio: exploring the relationship
- Myoglobin: the oxygen holding cells in your muscles. Theories about training to increase it
- Hypoxic Squats: desaturating the oxygen in your muscles. Measuring the change
- Hypoxic Squats: How to do them and the device you need to measure your oxygen saturation (oximeter – check this one out)
- Spleenic contraction? Can you see it on an oxygen saturation graph when your body is steadily depleting?
40:10 Perfect Dive/Shit Dive comparison – great concept (this is awesome for looking at the separate metabolic phases of a dive that you can specifically target when training)
Can you walk me through a good spearfishing dive right now? I’m hunting reef fish in 18m/60ft and to get the fish curious enough I need to hold some bottom time. (I’d love to get into the dive phase concept – are there 4 phases in a spearfishing dive?)
Ok now the converse…what does a shit dive look like?
The physiological demands on the diver at each stage and how symptoms can point to what you may need to target in your own training regimen
My copy of Longer and Deeper is covered in highlighter and notes!
“The goal of training is to adapt the body to specific conditions. In freediving, the goal is to adapt the body to underwater conditions. These conditions include;
- Increased pressure
- Reduced Oxygen
- Increased Carbon Dioxide
Specific training is possible for all 3 of these conditions” Dr. Jaap Verbaas
47:00 Can we talk about training for each of these conditions specifically for spearfishing?
- CO2 Tables training can be great for spearos suffering early onset contractions
- Mid-Distance Sprints for reducing lactate and leg soreness on the surface
- Blood – improving quality. Cardio training boosts blood volume and is proven to improve the quality.
- Swimming training is good for CO2 tolerance as well as cardiovascular training
*further detailed breakdowns and training plans are specifically laid out in Part 3 of the Longer and Deeper book
54:00 EXERCISES
- Stretching (what about for 37 year old weapons?)
- Animal Walks? The crab walk – I can’t do it.
- Hypoxic Squats. How and why (this seems to be the biggest needle mover – why?)
- Blood quality – Cardio – freedivers (top level can be anti)
- Yoga and breathing
62:20 DIET: Myth Busting (are you rehearsing for the show)?
74:00 TOOLS
78:50 RANDOMS
- What kind of stuff do freedivers and spearos do that annoys you?
- Did you have any unexpected findings or conclusions, for apnea training?
- What are you curious about and working on right now?
- What can we expect from Jaap Verbaas in the future?
85:00 Freedive Wire
- Tell us About FreediveWire.com
- What kind of articles can guys find on there if they want to learn more
- What determines the content you write about?
- Where can people find you?
Contact Jaap at [email protected] or connect with him on Facebook or Instagram
Dr. Jaap Verbaas Bio
In 2011 Jaap moved to Perth after his MSc in the Netherlands. Unfortunately he did not dive there until 5 years later. In 2012 he made the move to Vancouver to start PhD. He earned his PhD from Simon Fraser University (2017) in geology. Thesis paper here: Worked on the 1600 million year old connection between Australia and Canada.
Other Scientific articles:
- The link between Australia and Canada
- Separation of Australia and Canada
In 2013 Jaap started freediving in Vancouver, Canada. “Shortly after I find myself living in my van for about 8 months, through winter. My freediving buddies were kind enough to help me dry my gear after dives.”
In 2015 Jaap founded Freedive Wire – now one of the most comprehensive and influential freediving sites on the internet. “I took a leave of absence from my PhD and founded Freedive Wire as a community site in late 2015. During this time, me and my GF, (now wife) were in Kuala Lumpur for 3 months. In the original website divers could sign up, post dive sites and so forth. A few months later I realized people were more interested in my articles than in the dive sites etc., even though I expected the dive sites and social aspect would be the most exciting. I started writing more and doing more research.”
In 2017 Jaap started experimenting training with diet, pure O2, oximetry and NIRS. He soon realized that most of the land-based exercises he was taught were only good for CO2 tolerance, not hypoxic training. After a hell of a lot of experimentatin and research he finally published Longer and Deeper.
Popular articles on Freedive Wire include:
These spearfishing retailers now have 99 Tips in stock!!
Australian Spearfishing Retail Stores
- Adreno – Brisbane. 56 Deshon St, Woolloongabba QLD 4102
- Adreno – Melbourne. 1184 Nepean Hwy, Cheltenham VIC 3192
- Adreno – Sydney. 1/678-682 Botany Rd, Alexandria NSW 2015
- Adreno – Perth. 2C / 376 South St, O’Connor, WA, 6163
- Spearfishing Superstore – Cairns. 303-305 Draper St, Parramatta Park QLD 4870
- The Dive Shop – Port Lincoln. 4 S Quay Blvd, Port Lincoln SA 5606
- Frogdive – Willoughby. 539 Willoughby Rd, NSW 2068
- Spear and Fish Downunder – Newcastle. 990 Hunter street. Newcastle, NSW 2302
- Spear West – 2/1 Baden Street, Osborne Park. Western Australia. 6017
- Extreme Spearfishing – 1/539 Pitwater Road Brookevale, Sydney NSW 2100
USA Spearfishing Retail Stores
- The Dive Source – Florida 16 #2, 3721, St Augustine, Florida
- Oregon Freediving Company – Oregon City 919 7th St, Oregon
Noob Spearo Partners + some spearfishing discounts
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