Any kayaking freedivers out there? (shaving Crew?)

Any kayaking freedivers out there?

I read in posts about some freediving. Tricks and tips for freediving off a kayak?? How about gear storage and transport to dive sites? Wear your wetsuit while paddling / pedaling? Use your kayak as your dive float? Other best practices from which a newbie could benefit?

Had to shave mustache away from nose to let new freedive mask (Sporasub Samurai SLC) seat properly. Crew (aka darn cat) fascinated. Captain offers to shave Crew: Crew highly offended, offers a tail-up going-away salute. Captain suggests its Crew's best side, Crew mutters at least he has a best side. Situation normal.

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StocktonDon - fishing, diving, sailing, and wondering what's just around the next point. (A pen name for quasi-fictional-hopefully-amusing stuff by dwest.)

Well, bit the bullet. New wetsuit. 7mm, one-piece, 3X back entry Aqualung, plus separate hooded vest, told both super stretchy and non-confining. Suit a bit tight in the shoulders, but they tell me it will loosen up with use. Went in thinking a 3 mm but told I would freeze by two different shops. Both recommended basically the suit I bought; said they kayaked and freedived?dove? in the same suit, etc.

Also got dive gloves, suit and accessory hangers, and a large mesh duffle bag in which to haul everything around. Sticker shock. Have to go back for some pool time with the gear to figure out dive weights – they think I might need over 25 pounds! (Plus 5 more for saltwater.)

Together with an NRS paddling jacket, an inexpensive Stearns waterproof/breathable pant-and-jacket set, and my breathable Orvis chest waders, I guess I have covered my likely alternative needs and am out of excuses. See you on the water!

Crew (aka darn cat) did an amusing double-take when he saw the wetsuit hanging on my weight machine; thought I brought home a very dark and quiet stranger. (Crew: no, for a second I thought the old crab had finally molted!)

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StocktonDon - fishing, diving, sailing, and wondering what's just around the next point. (A pen name for quasi-fictional-hopefully-amusing stuff by dwest.)

5-19-06 Friday

Hectic work week but determined to be dive-ready for weekend.

3:10 pm. Pool test of freedive gear at Dolphin, Stockton. Nice young woman from Sacramento shop minding the store solo. Dive knife in, no line cutter. She says no titanium knives with line cutters available; decide to keep wicked-fine looking little fish-killing knife. Buy knife lanyard and straps; dry box for valuables, and snorkel strap (stock hard plastic clip on snorkel pulling snorkel sideways out of mouth).

Old rubber weight belt looked okay but black rubber dust on hands told the tale: deteriorated and not to be trusted. New weight system required. Cost of new rubber belt versus nylon belt and bag system not so different, but bag weights more expensive. Decide to go with belt and bag system, and a pair of weight bags in the 5 (red), 4 (blue), 3 (black), 2 (green), and 1 (yellow) pound sizes – for a total weight of 30 (!) pounds.

Talk with staffperson about stuff and freediving gear. Ask best practices with gear and freediving. Nothing major learned but nice, encouraging talk from her. (Crew (aka darn cat): Aha! Renewed interest in diving begins to make more sense. Admiralty kept Captain in drydock too long.) Stop it, she’s young enough to be Captain’s daughter. (Crew: that’s your story and I’m sure you’re sticking to it.)

Put on Aqualung Aquaflex 7mm, vest and hood, and back entry full suit. Put on booties. Put on freedive fins, mask, and snorkel. Put on dive gloves. Waddle backwards to ladder. Use side of ladder to sit on poolside and then ease into the four foot deep, shallow end of the pool. Nice to cool off in the water. These fins are long!

Breath hold without any cleansing or packing breathes barely enough to comfortably swim length of pool underwater (about 50-60 feet?); lack of conditioning and hay fever definitely, maybe stress excitement. (Crew: how many times did you sneeze into that mask, anyway?) Positively buoyant at the 13 foot bottom of the pool. Left ear painful pressure, try repeatedly but cannot equalize. Mask fogging a bit despite toothpaste wash at home and application of defogger at home. Weight belt too big; repeated adjustments make it better – will need to work on at home. Did not strap on knife.

Somehow spent over an hour in the water! Fun but tired, and back a little sore – I think from different fin stroke (long, slow, wide kicks) and heavy weight belt. Shoulders still feel a bit restricted in suit but not too bad. Staffer gives tip on keeping water out of booties by doubling over the tops.

Wet wetsuit and new weight belt make dive duffle very heavy. How is this going to work in the kayak? (Crew: Captain could lose some more personal ballast. Wasn’t that one of the reasons the Admiralty approved the kayak?) Captain starts to think Crew could get by with a few less cans of tuna!

Leave shop at 5:30 pm (!) Starving! Thirsty! Tired! Walk to grocery store. Back in car. Eat. Drink. Go home. Hang gear to dry. Take nap. (Crew: Captain looked like something I dragged in.)

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StocktonDon - fishing, diving, sailing, and wondering what's just around the next point. (A pen name for quasi-fictional-hopefully-amusing stuff by dwest.)

Keep all your dive gear plus your wetsuit in the TRUNQ S.U.B

easy tie downs make attaching it to your kayak a snap.

check out our website for more info.

http://www.trunq.com

I freedive quite often off my revolution. I have it equipped with just about everything. RAM 5 spot mount with GPS, FF, Marine vhf or tri-band ham radio, and rodholder. Hobie Sidekick, anchor trolley, sail kit, turbo fins, sailing rudder and cover. I usually also carry a small cooler for snacks and water. GPS is Earthmate PN-40SE with nautical charts. FF is Lowrance X50DS with transducer mounted just in back of the mast well using the foam transducer pad and marine goop. The battery is just attached in front of the mast well using a velcro strap. VHF radio is Standard Horizon HX270S or else I use my Yaesu VX7r tri-bander. I have made a flag staff of 1/2 inch pvc stepped up to 1-1/2 inches where it stands in the rear rodholder with a full sized flag as required by law on the ocean to be displayed by any vessel. This is topped by the American flag and can host an additional mast for the red-white-red lights properly displayed by vessels with divers at night. On the bow is mounted the red and green light set from topkayaker.net (tektite mark III 2 led lights) and on the stern the white light from the same source mounted using the permanent mount with washer and locknut instead of the well nut.
I also SCUBA dive or use the kayak hose kit from Brownies and just tow the kayak instead of anchoring it.
A skin suit is usually worn except when the water is too cool when I wear a 3mm one piece suit.
Best wishes

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Fishing, freediving and SCUBA diving off my Revolution when not just pedaling or sailing

wow 7mm, that seems really thick to be kayaking in.

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Went spearfishing in Destin Fl 2 weeks ago off of my tandem adventure Island. Caught several Sheepshead in the bay (20 ft), then went started out to the Miss Louise. Never made it...on our way, we watched the fishfinder, saw several schools, and inspected, finally found some decent red snapper at 55 ft, my buddy dropped down and grabbed two while I handled the floatline and guns and managed the boat. I may change the guns to a breakaway system to tether the spear directly to the float or boat.

Learned that new stiff fiberglass fins that make your legs cramp, and that it sucks to pedal into the wind for 5 miles back to the car (2.5 hour trip). Good thing there was two of us. I am considering upgrading the Hobie Evolve motor option to assist on trips back to shore after a serious fishing trip.

Learned I need to invest in a cooler bag instead of strapping an awkward cooler on the AI trampoline. The other trampoline got cluttered quick with 2 floatlines/2guns but was stable enough that I did not need to bungie them down in 2 ft seas.

Florida is nice, I wear a 1.5 mm, not because its needed, but because I don't want to get burnt when I'm face down in the water for hours, and it protects some from fish spines/reefs.