Hi All,
I’m running a Freediving course on the weekend of 4/5 April. Cost will be $450 and will limit the total number to 6 people. As before I will be aiming it more the intermediate diving level, say someone comfortable diving at 10m or more looking to improve their skills and comfort, but can suit deeper divers. The last course I taught we were lucky enough to have perfect conditions and even got 2 divers over the 30m mark, including Andrew Vibert. Safety is a vital part of this course and as no doubt some of you are aware that incidents have occurred within your own club but luckily people were trained to deal with it. If you are interested in doing the course please contact me via email :- walter.steijn – at – gmail.com (replace with @ symbol) for more details. I am a qualified SSI Instructor although this course is my own developed one as I've run before. To secure your place you will need a $200 deposit, if for any reasons the course is cancelled the deposit will be returned in full.

A little about me – I started competing in 2002 and since have set 33 National records. My PB’s include 111m CWT, 74m CNF, 8.31 Static, 215m DYN and 175m DNF. I have taught 100’s of divers around Australia since 2004 including 3 or 4 courses with Southern Freedivers if you want to know more about the course from someone that’s done it.


Here is a course outline :-


Cheers,
Wal

Someone enquiring about the course explained he also had difficulty equalising. It's very common and I often get someone sitting out because of it. Here are some pointers to anyone interested, they can help prior to a diving trip and can be done on dry land.


Equalising exercises :-

Try opening your jaw, and/or moving the muscles in your cheek or neck. If you can hear a clicking noise in your ears, this is your Eustachian tubes opening up. I do this combined with the normal Frenzel (pinch & blow), then it takes very little effort. I don't need to open the jaw anymore, I can keep my mouth closed and make that clicking noise by controlling muscles in my cheek &neck. I still can't equalise hands free, but can I equalise a lot better than I used to.

Practice regular dry land Equalising :-

This one is good for people with bad ears. Your Eustachian tubes will get better the more you use them. They are like a lazy muscle and will become more flexible if used often and correctly. If you gently inflate and hold for 5 to 10 second and do that a few times a day should help. Note it has to be gentle and not forced. Try practicing the jaw clicking exercise from above and see if you notice a difference. This exercise is useful if you know you are going diving soon, practice the week before. Try again just before you hop in the water. Again before you duck dive.

Before the dive :-

I always equalise on the surface just before I duck dive. If you can't equalise easily on the surface then don't bother trying underwater. Remember equalise often and early, it’s better to stay ahead because if you fall behind you can get “stuck” or end up getting sticky ears for later. It’s not worth pushing your ears on one dive if it means you are out the rest of the day. Or worse end up with a middle ear infection and be out for a month


This all may sound like overdoing a bit but my ears have been a limiting factor for me in competition diving. I used to struggle just to be able to equalise whilst scuba diving, I had to descend feet first on every dive. It took me time to be able to do fast descents with freediving.


Cheers,
Wal

Walter is an Australian competitive freediver, freediving judge and freediving instructor. He has set 33 Australian national freediving records and currently holds six.

Walter has run several courses over the past years. I did the last and it was a real learning experience. Walter was able to push me to my limit in a safe environment and answer many,many questions. I dont have any need to dive that deep but it was great to feel what my body goes through and how to handle that depth. If you have a bit of experience or just wish to get better then this course can help you do it with safety.

Walter has also kindly offered to do a diver blackout rescues on the Monday afternoon after the course weekend. This will be free
He has also offered to stay in town and come to our meeting on Tuesday 7th and give a presentation on his freediving and with a couple of Videos as well as a question session.

For all the above to happen Walter requires a maximum of 6 for the course as well as the use of a boat and driver. If you have a suitable boat and wish to do the course then he will do a very special rate.

If you are interested please contact Walter - walter.steijn@gmail.com or 0422954217 E mail is best.

At this stage course is open to SFD members.

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Why is salt water so far away and the weather so crappy at this time of the year ?

That's awesome. If you can't do the course and/or don't know how to get a blacked out diver back to the surface and breathing again make sure you get along to this.

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Civilisation ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top.

--- UPDATE ----

1 day Pool course this Sunday (5th April). Since it's last minute am dropping the price to $150. I will do all the same Theory and Practical as the normal courses I run minus the boat dive. contact me via email :- walter.steijn – at – gmail.com (replace with @ symbol)

(There isn't enough numbers to run a full course with a boat dive. Mostly due to people being away for the Easter long weekend.)

Most people on previous courses after learning proper breathing, relaxation and preparation techniques have achieved around 3 - 4 minute breath-holds. As always learning safety and blackout rescue techniques are a major part of the course.

Cheers,
Wal

I managed to do the course today, and it was fantastic. Heaps of new techniques that i can use when spearing and free diving. Thanks again Walter!!

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Full time cameraman, videographer, boatie, flasher holder.