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FREEDI V E STRONGER Learn f rom t he Pros: - Longer Breat h Hol ds - Cardio Training - CO2 Tabl es - Bust ing Ment al Barriers
SPEARFISH SAFER - Manage Your Reel Line
Warm Wetsuits - Bugging in Florida - Mission Lionfish OneBreat hMagazine.com
Spring 2016- Premier Edition
From The Publisher I?m very excited to be writing this to you as we launch OneBreath Magazine. You are reading the very first edition of the publication. Through the magazine Kim and I hope to contribute to the sport we love, and continue to build meaningful relationships with those that share our passion. Our vision is to create a magazine that celebrates the lifestyle we all love as watermen and water-women, a lifestyle where we embrace life with vigor and seek out adventure, travel, and relaxation on or near the water. With freediving now a mainstream sport attracting numerous participants each year, we feel it is a good time to introduce a new freediving magazine. As the sport grows and more people join in the adventure, we hope to encourage participation, as well encourage everyone to dive in a safe and responsible way. We vow to be a part in making that shift in thinking happen. Yes, we want to have fun, shoot fish, and dive deeper, but too many deaths occur within the sport. Mistakes are made by trained and un-trained divers, many preventable deaths are cutting lives tragically short. That?s why in every edition you will find articles on how-to and safety right along with travel, adventure, inspiration, and environmental pieces. We hope to offer a new, fresh voice to the community while providing value to advertisers and contributors. We are not affiliated with any manufacturer or company. We are a ?mom and pop?start-up, just Kim and me, and plan to stay that way. I am humbled by the support we have received in the launch of OneBreath Magazine. I?m invigorated by the enthusiasm from everyone involved with the effort. Leading up to the release, the past 6 months have been extremely busy and rewarding. Our contributors deserve a big thanks to making this happen. Thank you too for your support by joining us as readers. Let?s keep it safe out there. Sam Perry- Publisher
The contents of this magazine represent the views of the individual authors. The publishers of OneBreath Magazine or contributors assume no responsiblity for use of this information. Freediving is an inherently dangerous sport and can result in inury or death. Divers must use their own judgement when freediving and training for freediving. Importantly NEVER DIVE ALONE. Always dive with other divers that understand the dangers of freediving and are prepared to respond to emergencies as they arise.
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D istr ibutor L ist at O neBreathM agazine.com - H om e subscr iptions available Special thank you to Austin Powell of Mississippi, Anthony Dooley of Puerto Rico , and Sam Blount of North Carolina for each providing multiple dive photographs for the magazine and website.
Ashley Chapman is a Three time wold record holder, and professional PFI Freediving Instructor. She is a regular contributor for training and technique at OneBreath Magazine.
DI VE STRONGER 4 EASY FREEDIVING WORKOUTS I n t oday' s w orld w e are in un dat ed w it h op t ion s. To illust rat e t his st at em en t t ry goin g t o t he drug st ore t o p ick out a p ain reliever. The exp erien ce of t he shop p er is n ot im p roved w it h in creased op t ion s. I n st ead, w e can b e ren dered help less, in t im idat ed b y t he volum e of op t ion s. This sam e t w ist ed st yle of m arket in g has p erm eat ed ot her p art s of our lives. I t has t urn ed good healt h in t o a con sum erist n ight m are. For exam p le t hose of you in t erest ed in a lif est yle up grade you can choose t o go vegan , veget arian , p aleo, raw 4
OneBreathMagazine.com
f ood (b orin g! ), or glut en f ree, low
an d n eck)
sodium , At kin s, et c. An d f orget ab out w orkout s. Crossf it , Poun d, Zum b a, an d t he list goes on .
St ep 2: While holdin g b reat h st ret ch f or 10 secon ds w it h arm s ext en ded in f ron t , han ds clasp ed
"My goal is to distill your options for freediving or spearfishing training into four digestible workouts."
t oget her, b ack roun ded)
The w orkout s can b e don e in dep en den t of an yt hin g else you have organ ized or t hey can b e used t o creat e a n ew w orkout regim en .
St ep 4: St ret ch f or 10 secon ds w it h right arm ext en ded overhead, gen t ly lean in g over t ow ards t he lef t side
Eit her w ay if you in f use t hese sim p le w orkout s in t o your lif e you w ill see an im p rovem en t in your b reat h hold cap ab ilit ies. The f ollow in g w orkout s are list ed in order of im p ort an ce. Not e: The f ollow in g w orkout s do n ot require w at er or a b uddy! How ever, t hey do n ot rep lace t he value of t akin g an organ ized f reedivin g class an d learn in g how t o use t he p rop er b uddy syst em w hile f reedivin g or t rain in g. Never dive alon e! I n t ercost al an d Di ap h ragm
St ret ch es To b e don e daily. These st ret ches are design ed t o b ot h in crease t he f lexib ilit y of t he rib cage an d in crease f lexib ilit y of t he diap hragm resp ect ively. St ep 1: Peak I n halat ion (b reat h w it h diap hragm , chest , shoulders
St ep 3: St ret ch f or 10 secon ds w it h han ds clasp ed b ehin d b ack, chest roun ded
St ep 5: St ret ch f or 10 secon ds, sam e as ab ove, on t he right side St ep 6: Breat he Rep eat all 6 st ep s 3 t im es t ot al.
CO2 & O2 Trai n i n g Tab l es To b e don e t w ice w eekly, alt ern at ely, on dry lan d in a saf e seat ed or lyin g p osit ion . The t ab les w ork op p osit e of each ot her. The O2 t ab les t rain your b ody t o t olerat e low levels of oxygen b y in creasin g t he b reat h hold durat ion an d keep in g t he ven t ilat ion t im e st at ic w hile t he CO2 t ab les t rain your b ody t o t olerat e high levels of CO2 b y m ain t ain in g a st at ic b reat h hold t im e an d decreasin g t he ven t ilat ion p eriod. The f ollow in g are exam p les f rom f reedivin gexp lain ed.b logsp ot .com .
W ARM W ETSUI TS A California Diver?s Best Friend
By Ryan Gates. Ryan is a young southern California based waterman. He contributes regularly on West Coast Topics 6
As every diver in Calif orn ia kn ow s all t o w ell, w e n eed a w et suit t o get b y year- roun d, an d in m ost cases a w arm on e. A good w et suit
w et suit s. I n order t o don an op en cell you m ust f irst lub ricat e it , w hich m ay at f irst seem t o b e a b it of a n uisan ce, how ever
doesn ?t just keep you com f ort ab le, b ut it can in crease b ot t om t im e, an d p roduct ivit y. Som e m ay even ven t ure t hat your w et suit is your m ost im p ort an t p iece of gear.
even t ually t his w ill sim p ly b ecom e p art of your rout in e, an d you w on ?t t hin k t w ice ab out it . What t o use?
When lookin g f or t he right w et suit it is im p ort an t t o con sider your goals w hile divin g, (sp earf ishin g, in vert eb rat e collect ion , deep divin g, et c.) t he con dit ion s t hat you w ill b e divin g in , b udget , an d com f ort / f it . There is n o ?b est w et suit on t he m arket ?, b ut dep en din g on w here you are, an d t he t yp e of divin g you do, t here is a b est w et suit f or you. Do your hom ew ork, an d you w ill soon b e w on derin g how you ever dove in your last suit .
The ot her issue is t hat t he in side of t he suit is easy t o t ear, so w hile don n in g an d dof f in g t he suit you m ust b e gen t le.
Op en Cel l VS Cl osed Cel l The quest ion m ost com m on ly asked b y relat ively n ew f reedivers lookin g t o get t heir f irst dedicat ed f reedivin g suit regards t he dif f eren ce b et w een Op en an d Closed cell w et suit s. Gen erally sp eakin g, op en cell w et suit s w ill com e in t he f orm of a ?f arm er john ? or t w o- p iece suit , w it h lon g john b ot t om s, an d a hooded coat t op w it h a b eaver t ail. The t rue dist in guishin g f act or b et w een t he t w o is in t he n eop ren e (rub b er m at erial w et suit s are m ade out of ). An op en cell n eop ren e is essen t ially t he raw rub b er w it h a p rot ect ive, clot h coat in g on t he out side on ly. There is n o clot h coverin g on t he in side. Raw n eop ren e f orm s a n early p erf ect seal again st your skin , p reven t in g excessive w at er f low t hrough t he w et suit . There are t w o p rob lem s w it h op en cell
Yamamoto open call neoprene sheets at the factory. Photo provided by Mako Spearguns
A closed cell n eop ren e w ould usually b e f oun d in surf - suit s an d SCUBA- suit s. This m at erial con sist s of a p iece of n eop ren e san dw iched b y som e sort of low - f rict ion clot h on b ot h t he in side an d t he out side. This clot h is usually m ade of a n ylon , lycra b len d, an d it m akes f or easy en t ry. I t also act s as a p rot ect ive layer t hat w ill p reven t t he n eop ren e f rom t earin g w hen a p art icularly len gt hy f in gern ail run s t hrew t he arm of your w et suit . The disadvan t age t o closed cell n eop ren e is t hat it does n ot f orm n early as good of a seal again st your skin , as an op en cell w ould, an d f or t hat reason a 5m m op en cell w et suit w ill b e sign if ican t ly w arm er t han a 5m m closed cell w et suit .
As every diver in Calif orn ia kn ow s all t o w ell, w e n eed a w et suit t o get b y year- roun d, an d in m ost cases a w arm on e. A good w et suit
w et suit s. I n order t o don an op en cell you m ust f irst lub ricat e it , w hich m ay at f irst seem t o b e a b it of a n uisan ce, how ever
doesn ?t just keep you com f ort ab le, b ut it can in crease b ot t om t im e, an d p roduct ivit y. Som e m ay even ven t ure t hat your w et suit is your m ost im p ort an t p iece of gear.
even t ually t his w ill sim p ly b ecom e p art of your rout in e, an d you w on ?t t hin k t w ice ab out it . What t o use?
When lookin g f or t he right w et suit it is im p ort an t t o con sider your goals w hile divin g, (sp earf ishin g, in vert eb rat e collect ion , deep divin g, et c.) t he con dit ion s t hat you w ill b e divin g in , b udget , an d com f ort / f it . There is n o ?b est w et suit on t he m arket ?, b ut dep en din g on w here you are, an d t he t yp e of divin g you do, t here is a b est w et suit f or you. Do your hom ew ork, an d you w ill soon b e w on derin g how you ever dove in your last suit .
The ot her issue is t hat t he in side of t he suit is easy t o t ear, so w hile don n in g an d dof f in g t he suit you m ust b e gen t le.
Op en Cel l VS Cl osed Cel l The quest ion m ost com m on ly asked b y relat ively n ew f reedivers lookin g t o get t heir f irst dedicat ed f reedivin g suit regards t he dif f eren ce b et w een Op en an d Closed cell w et suit s. Gen erally sp eakin g, op en cell w et suit s w ill com e in t he f orm of a ?f arm er john ? or t w o- p iece suit , w it h lon g john b ot t om s, an d a hooded coat t op w it h a b eaver t ail. The t rue dist in guishin g f act or b et w een t he t w o is in t he n eop ren e (rub b er m at erial w et suit s are m ade out of ). An op en cell n eop ren e is essen t ially t he raw rub b er w it h a p rot ect ive, clot h coat in g on t he out side on ly. There is n o clot h coverin g on t he in side. Raw n eop ren e f orm s a n early p erf ect seal again st your skin , p reven t in g excessive w at er f low t hrough t he w et suit . There are t w o p rob lem s w it h op en cell
A closed cell n eop ren e w ould usually b e f oun d in surf - suit s an d SCUBA- suit s. This m at erial con sist s of a p iece of n eop ren e san dw iched b y som e sort of low - f rict ion clot h on b ot h t he in side an d t he out side. This clot h is usually m ade of a n ylon , lycra b len d, an d it m akes f or easy en t ry. I t also act s as a p rot ect ive layer t hat w ill p reven t t he n eop ren e f rom t earin g w hen a p art icularly len gt hy f in gern ail run s t hrew t he arm of your w et suit . The disadvan t age t o closed cell n eop ren e is t hat it does n ot f orm n early as good of a seal again st your skin , as an op en cell w ould, an d f or t hat reason a 5m m op en cell w et suit w ill b e sign if ican t ly w arm er t han a 5m m closed cell w et suit .
Diver: Nick Garcia,,: Oceanside, CA, Photographer: PhotoByBernard.com
While I can not definitely say that camouflage will give
What ?s t he deal wit h camouf l age? Ever since the beginning of camouflage spearfishing
you the upper hand, I can confidently say that it will not hurt you (It just may hurt the fish though).
wetsuits, the debate as to weather or not camo works
What ot her f act ors shoul d I consider when
has been heated. There are plenty of talented spearos
picking a wet suit ?
out there who have taken some amazing fish without camouflage, but there really isn?t any evidence that would suggest it doesn?t work. After speaking with many older, more experienced divers I have developed my own point of view. In my opinion camo doesn?t make a world of a difference, but it does give us an advantage.
A lot of seemingly minor details contribute to making a great wetsuit. There are different styles of stitching among wetsuits. Cheaply made suits will often be stitched poorly; they will either leak excessively, or tear at the seams prematurely. The best type of stitching for dive suits is called ?double blindstitching?, this is the type that will
When we wear camouflage we do not become invisible,
keep you nice and toasty, and makes for a long lasting
but we do become less of a sore thumb. We blend in just
wetsuit.
enough to give us perhaps a few more seconds before a fish will notice us, and once the fish knows that we are there, I believe that our less prominent figure gives us a slightly less intimidating appearance. 8
Also some wetsuits are more stretchy than others. The stretchier the suit is, the better it will be, because it will feel more comfortable, and it will absorb less of the energy that you direct towards swimming.
Train Smart
Bey on d L i m i t at i on s Yoga & Meditation for Better Freediving
Is Your Mind Holding You Back?
Tapping into the mind-body connection can free you to dive deeper, safer, and more confidently.
Phot o by Deborah Met cal f e
?The ocean is the ultimate mirror,? says Sara Campbell. It reflects back to you the reality of where you are mentally like nothing else when you hold your breath and dive beneath the surface. If you?re interested in freediving and think that Yoga and Meditation aren?t for you? You might just think again after hearing what Sara Campbell has to say. Sara spoke with OneBreath about the importance of mind-body practices for freediving. Sara knows this like few other do as a one of the deepest world record holding divers and diving coach.
Text by Kimberly Perry, Ed.D. Editor. Background photo by Dan Burton 10
OneBreathMagazine.com
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The Medit at ion and Mindf ul ness Advant age Sara saw that the kind of centering found through energy work and meditative practice means a diver can have experiences they at one time imagined impossible. Being in tune with your mind-body connection will help you dive, whether you are just getting started in the sport or competing. That belief, that you can free yourself from the constraints of contrived notions and mental blocks form the core of Sara?s career now as that of a Master Teacher of Kundalini Yoga and Freediving coach.
Ready t o Try Yoga or Medit at ion? Sara encourages you to explore yoga and meditation. You don?t need a lot of time. One of her favorite meditations is a brief three minute meditation. You can explore the options you have nearby or look online for video instruction. Many options exist today for easy practice.
Photo:Anthony Dooley
Sara is a Master Kundalini Yoga teacher. Kundalini Yoga, includes meditative practice, energy work, breathing, and poses. It is different in many ways from what most people think of as yoga. ?Kundalini Yoga is not about a sequence of postures like Hatha Yoga,? it is more about holding specific poses and focusing
Mindf ul ness Can Change Your Diving Sara uses meditation and yoga to help clients create more joy and success in diving. She?s seen the transformation in divers lives both in and out of the water when they begin to delve into mind-body enhancing practice.
energy on the energy centers of the body based on what you are working on during the session. According to Sara anyone can do this kind of yoga, even if you are not flexible or strong, or coordinated. You can have just as meaningful experience if you are a first time participant or a
We?ve all had those days. Days when we are a ball of hectic nerves. When you cannot stop the stream of mental energy and perceived limitations, you will not dive as well as you can. You may not even find the beautiful experience of freediving joyful because of the mental chaos.
practiced participant. In Kundalini Yoga there are no beginner or advanced classes, everyone can be together.
Being intimately engaged with the mind helps you move through fear and mental barriers that had been created through
For Sara the kind of yoga practice found in this form took her to
experiences so you can live fully and explore new possibilities.
new places mentally and physically, helping her heal, giving her
It helps you connect with the moment. That?s why yoga and
clarity, and helping her manage everyday life easier.
meditation are paired perfectly with Freediving.
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A Travel Diary
Li f e
photo: Anthony Dooley
in
Fi ns
By Ian Almasi,
course.
Ian is a 23 year old PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor and an aspiring beginner freediver taking off around the world to follow his passions to better himself. He's venturing around Latin America to learn Spanish to help him teach SCUBA and to find freediving buddies.
This world we call Earth is an almost infinite plane we know nothing about. Coupled with an array of opportunities and a thirst for adventure anyone can have an unforgettable experience that will inevitably shape their future by instilling a very small transient thing inside you that just
"I?ve always been a dreamer, from when I was a little kid racing off to my dad?s wood shop from the school bus, to when I thought it would be a good idea to cut myself a Mohawk in sixth grade. I got two cuts in and said out loud; ?oh no, I don?t want one of these!?
16
pushes you to explore. That adventure is not necessarily around you, but within yourself. In an age where it?s so easy to access information, when we are enveloped with information and advertisements, there?s not always time to look within. In
Sometimes things just sound better in your head? til now.
the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger; ?Don?t ask yourself
I?m at a point in my life where I have a driving desire to
what you want to be, but who you want to be. What makes
break outside what I consider ?ordinary? and really grasp
you happy??
what the world has to offer me as a person. Bit by bit of
Continued Page 28
Deep Wat er Disast er
cutting into the wood. It's a serrated
gun I made with my hands and almost
edge and it's fairly sharp, newer knife,
drowned.
Barel y Avoided
but I only get through half of the line
It was a poor decision to go in the water
because of the awkward angle. I'm
where I could possibly encounter
getting pulled straight down.
bigger Tuna with just a Reel, no Belt
I attempt another slash at the line
reel, No float, or to choose to take the
waiting for the pop of the line
Shot on a Fat Tuna when it presented
separating from the fish. I look to see a
itself. But the one right decision I made
few strands of the Dyneema still uncut
is what I wanted to share. Letting go.
and I'm still going down. I'm also
Right now. I don't care at all about that
fighting being pulled. I have the knife
gun. I'll make another. I feel badly, but I
in my hand about to make another slash
don't really care about that fish dying.
and everything goes into slower
It all happens real fast underwater. It
motion.
can happen in many ways. Learn one
"Let Go" is something I've always said
thing from this. Be willing to Let Go and
to myself in thinking ahead about this
don't wait too long. J.H.
- as t ol d by Jon Huberman I make a drop and as I get to 50' I'm hanging for a while, about to head up and I see something below me. I drop another 10' and a shoal of Big Yellow Fin Tuna (YFT) comes right up to me. All of them over 100lbs. I look for the smaller one and I look at my reel and I think for a second and then I focus on a Kill Shot. I let loose a nice shot. Right up by the back of the head looks good.
In that moment I could have tried one
The fish is not Stoned, and as it turns
more slash at the line. Instead I was
and shakes I see my tip Toggled on the
okay to let go of the gun.
other side of the fish.
18
kind situation.
I looked up and it was far. 70'. I
I look up. I have 60' of water above me.
unbuckled my belt holding the edge
I look at my reel and that fish takes off.
with two fingers and got to the surface
At 40' my reel is half full. I'm trying to
as quickly as possible. As I hit the
slow the fish down, holding onto the
surface I was not feeling good at all.
line and giving resistance as I swim up.
I had spotted my buddy Ben and he
At 30' I get to the knot and things go
knew something was up. I yelled "Help"
into slow motion. I'm being pulled back
and it barely came out. Both he and my
down. I give a big tug to see if I can
other dive partner Dave were there
budge this fish. I can't.
within seconds and held me up for a
I grab my knife with my right hand. I'm
while as I recovered.
holding the Gun by the handle with my
I'm not sharing this story to be judged. I
left hand and it's facing down and I run
killed a beautiful fish and lost a nice
the knife over the line on the Gunstock
5. The knot you use to tie the reel line to the spool should be
straight from the reel. ? Jon Huberman
strong. For many fish such as wahoo even if you are spooled its
2. Check your drag. It should be just barely engaged. With a light
possible to ?ski? along behind until you can make some headway
tug the drag should loosen and allow line to feed out. I have
with the line.
watched someone shoot a king mackerel with their drag
6. Its always a good idea to check your knots and to see if you
tightened and the fish took the gun right out of the divers hand.
have any cuts or bad abrasions along the first 20?of line or so.
3. Think about where things are on your body.
7. One last item you need to check is your knife. ALWAYS have a
- Can you reach your knife with both hands? What if your
sharp knife that can cut through your line quickly should you
dominant had was tangled up and couldn?t get to your
need to cut yourself or a fish free.
Af t er t he shot : Bef ore t he dive: 1. Ensure there is no band tangle 1. Check to ensure your shooting line is properly routed this helps to keep the chance of band tangles to a minimum. ?My own belief is that the last place you want your shooting line to go is up towards those sticky bands. I like to have my line run 20
- If you have a band tangle and you have time try to push the gun forward and turn it at the same time. I have had good success doing this over the years.
Now the fish has finished his initial run
at my body every time I pull line in to
6. When you get your hands on the fish I
and you are ready to begin fighting the
ensure that I?m free and clear.
would get your hands in the gills as
fish what do you do?
4. There are two thing that you can be
quickly as you can and dispatch the fish
1. Grab the reel line in front of your reel
doing to help this process. Swimming the
however you like.
or in front of the line guide. Whichever is
fish forward and or into the current as
the last point that the line touches your
you fight it will keep all the reel line
gun.
behind you.
2. Put one arm through your bands so
5. As you get closer to the fish things get
the gun is riding behind you and high up
a little more dangerous this is where
on your shoulder.
getting wrapped up becomes easier. I?ve
3. As you pull line in with one or both
seen several fish swim in tight circles
hands take a second to then push the
wrapping some ones feet. I like a heavy
slack out to your side. What this does is
snap swivel so as you get down the
create one big loop from your hand to
shooting line is being pulled down and
your gun. It?s very easy to check and see
away from your body. If the fish takes off
if it has caught on anything. I look down
again you know exactly where the line is and where it is coming from.
22
Continued...
TECH FEATURE
STORM W A RNING NEW MOBILE APP BY WEATHER UNDERGROUND Staying in the know about current and coming weather is now easier than ever thanks to a new highly advanced app that was released by the Weather Underground. In late February 2015, the company launched the latest in their line of mobile apps, Storm. Jim Menard and Andria Stark from Weather Underground highlighted the new app?s features in an interview with OneBreath Magazine. The app is the 3rd major app for the Weather Underground and was created to answer the need for people who want more detailed weather data beyond high level general 24
Text by Kim Perry, Florida storm photo by Scott Spradley
forecasting. The Storm App puts deeper weather information at your fingertips. The app offers an abundance of information, but is not cumbersome, not too technical, and not overwhelming in any way. The new Storm app is geared toward more technical radar related information and includes many useful features including proximity sensing for lightening and precipitation. IOS phone and Ipad users can download the basic app for free. An Android version of the storm app was in development at the time of the interview.
of over 135,000 Personal Weather Station Network locations, based on private homes and businesses. Many people just like you have a station on their home or business. This network, 20 years in the building, lets STORM get weather information from locations as close as your own neighborhood .The Weather Underground is part of The Weather Company which also owns the Weather Channel, Weather.com, and a business to business weather division. Weather Underground is staying on top of technology demands with great apps, and now even offers some of their apps on the Apple Watch. More on Technology in the Summer edition.
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St orm App's Boat ing Feat ures - NOAA Navigational Chart overlays for many locations - Bouy/ C-Man observations are included also for water temperature, wind, wave height, and pressure fields where available. - Tide information for hundreds of locations around the US.
So, I was off to Alaska. I
I knew within me that my
happened to land on dock
desire to travel was finally
crew the second go around.
coming to a helm, and I was
It was great to be back there
really getting quite good at
I with the bears, seagulls,
listening to that little voice
and all those wackos you
inside me that had all those
can?t even imagine existing.
crazy ideas of doing over the
My first trip there had been
top things to reach my goals
a real experience. I ended up
of becoming a badass
cutting fish for 16 hours a
freediver. ....
day with a flamboyantly gay
Somehow I ended up on a
Phillipino named Benji, and
long road riddled with
almost falling in love with a
hurdles and
Mongolian girl that just
disappointments.
seemed perfect at the time. I
Moving to Wilmington did
had just graduated high
happen but it was not
school, turned 18, and went
without frustration. First, no
up to Naknek Alaska to work
one told me the diving was
for a salmon cannery owned
seasonal in Wilmington.
by Ocean Beauty.
Everyone I emailed and all
It broke my heart to not
the things I read online said
return for the next few years
people spearfished all the
after that, but it was
time there and it was so
worthwhile to not. A few
easy to meet people that
things had changed at the
were harboring the same
fish production plant
fire I was. However, my
between 2010 and 2014,
skills were next to none.
but then again, I had grown
I had a really hard time
too. I had adventures in my
passing my first freediving
story now, travel to Mexico
class. To date my deepest
and BVI. I had become a dive
dive is 21 meters, and I?ve
instructor, and now knew
only shot a few fish.
what was next for me.
So, I was off to Alaska. I
I knew within me that my
happened to land on dock
desire to travel was finally
crew the second go around.
coming to a helm, and I was
It was great to be back there
really getting quite good at
I with the bears, seagulls,
listening to that little voice
and all those wackos you
inside me that had all those
can?t even imagine existing.
crazy ideas of doing over the
My first trip there had been
top things to reach my goals
a real experience. I ended up
of becoming a badass
cutting fish for 16 hours a
freediver. ....
day with a flamboyantly gay
Somehow I ended up on a
Phillipino named Benji, and
long road riddled with
almost falling in love with a
hurdles and
Mongolian girl that just
disappointments.
seemed perfect at the time. I
Moving to Wilmington did
had just graduated high
happen but it was not
school, turned 18, and went
without frustration. First, no
up to Naknek Alaska to work
one told me the diving was
for a salmon cannery owned
seasonal in Wilmington.
by Ocean Beauty.
Everyone I emailed and all
It broke my heart to not
the things I read online said
return for the next few years
people spearfished all the
after that, but it was
time there and it was so
worthwhile to not. A few
easy to meet people that
things had changed at the
were harboring the same
fish production plant
fire I was. However, my
between 2010 and 2014,
skills were next to none.
but then again, I had grown
I had a really hard time
too. I had adventures in my
passing my first freediving
story now, travel to Mexico
class. To date my deepest
and BVI. I had become a dive
dive is 21 meters, and I?ve
instructor, and now knew
only shot a few fish.
what was next for me.
Photo by Austin Powell
Buggi ng i n Sou t h Fl or i d a Text By Captain Javier Rodriguez
that are quite sharp for protection. A good pair of
Hello fellow free-divers. I'm super stoked about the
dive gloves should be used to harvest them, but don't
first issue of OneBreath. Here's my insight on
break the bank, your gloves will normally only last
Panulirus-argus also known as south Florida spiny
you one session if you're an avid bug hunter. Lobster
lobsters. These bugs are an elusive species that do
mini-season is the last Wednesday and Thursday of
require some skill and practice to harvest, but are
the month of July, in which every sport diver in
still reasonable for the average sport free-diver to
Florida decides to gather their gear and hunt in hopes
catch.
of having a first-class dinner. Bag limit for
The Florida spiny lobster inherit their name from their external structure, which is their only line of defense against predators. Spiny lobster do not have claws like their distant counterparts from the north. Therefore, they rely on two forward pointing spines
mini-season in the state of Florida is six per harvester per day for Monroe county (Florida Keys) and Biscayne National Park, and twelve per harvester per day for the rest of Florida. Continued
The depth range has been recorded down to 1,000 feet
live lionfish from Marine Sanctuaries. He uses a 15X15
and could be more said Dr. Maia McGuire with Florida?s Sea
square net frame. These fish are used for research and
Grant organization. The prey of lionfish include local reef
aquarium sales.
fish like grunts, snapper, nassau grouper, and cleaner
Lowe started to take notice of the lionfish invasion around
shrimp (REEF.org, 2015). The fish is a big eater and not just
2003. He owns a company that makes a collapsible
in terms of volume, the flexible jaws allow it to consume a
spearfishing polespear called the Foldspear. Back around
fish ½ the size of it?s body. U.S. (Geologic Survey, 2015).
2003 he started to get requests from customers for shorter
interests intend to give an all-out effort to protect reefs.
poles. He came to understand that people were spearing
The National organization Sea Grant, REEF, NOAA and other
lionfish and were looking for equipment that was suited to
organizations are enlisting divers, fishermen, chefs, and
the task. Around the same time he took a dive trip to the
consumers in the fight. Reef has thus far largely focused
Bahamas and saw ?massive amounts of lionfish on the
on identifying lionfish on reefs and removing them. This
reefs, with no baitfish left.? That made Lowe see just how
practice often relies on citizen participation in location
much damage the species could do.
tracking and removal (REEF, 2015).
Spearf ishing Divers Part of he Sol ut ion The species is generally not a good candidate for most fishing practices. Thankfully, spearfishing does work against lionfish.
Di vers wi t h sp ears are t h e l ead i n g m ean s of p op u l at i on con t rol of i n vasi ve l i on f i sh at t h i s t i m e (REEF, 20 15).
However, diving is labor intensive and can only result in so
Captain Andy Lowe taken by Alex Davis of Spearfishing Barbados
Over time Lowe began to see signs that divers who were clearing reefs was making a real difference. ?Personally I?ve seen that in my home area, near Fort Lauderdale, that the population has been taken down and is stabilizing.? He attributes that to good community involvement.
much capture said Dr. Maia McGuire. That is why researchers are looking for options for commercial
However other places are not as well controlled. Lowe has
harvest. Yet, local diver involvement is important and will
observed that in more remote areas the lionfish
likely remain critical to management.
populations are robust. Dr. McGuire, agent with Sea Grant Florida, said that over time researchers will understand
One of the divers that is out chasing the lionfish is Captain Andy Lowe, F.I.I. Certified freediver & PADI Dive Instructor. Andy uses both freediving and SCUBA for capturing the fish. Feediving works well for some reefs, and SCUBA for others, said Andy. Captain Lowe holds a special permit from NOAA to remove
better what works in specific places. Together organizations and individuals will have to adapt and stay focused on control practices that work in each of those environments.
Th e Weddi ng Dress Sh oot by Pete Bucknell - Professional Underwater Cameraman and author of The Underwater GoPro Book.
A phone call from a stranger led to a film shoot in a deep cenote with freedivers, a wedding dress and a bunch of safety divers who I had never met. I am an underwater cameraman and my motto is ?be ready to roll," which leads to an unpredictable life. My heart leapt when I hung up the phone. Freedivers! This is going to be awesome! Two days later, long time freediver, Bobby Kim and I lay down the rules at the New York production meeting to ensure the safety of everyone in the water. The director, the writer and the 3D video production designer shared their vision with us as we fought to stop our eyebrows rising in dubiousness. The list of shots began with some unexpected subjects: an empty wedding dress, a yellow slip, a bride beckoning to the camera and a male freediver in a retro wetsuit following a laundry list of directions, followed by some deep ocean shots. I met the other two freedivers in a fancy hotel in Mexico. Drop-dead gorgeous Dana Beck was to wear the wedding dress and her husband, Mike Harder, not so gorgeous, an ex-hockey player would be her safety freediver along with Bobby who would dive, ?act' and add some safety to Dana?s dives.
Most of the shoot was to take place at ?The Pit? a deep cenote
Earlier that day at the Cancun airport, our video designer was
on the way to Tulum from Playa del Carmen. Hoping to find the
mobbed by fans who thought he was Ryan Gosling. Production
beautiful 'blades of light' that cut through crystal clear waters of
week was off to a surreal start.
Mexico?s famous fresh water springs. The first challenge was to achieve a completely black background while balancing bright lights on a white wedding dress thirty feet below the surface.
38
OneBreathMagazine.com
Dana got into the swing of things by bringing down a white veil
by Pete Bucknell - Professional Underwater Cameraman and author of The Underwater GoPro Book.
A phone call from a stranger led to a film shoot in a deep cenote with freedivers, a wedding dress and a bunch of safety divers who I had never met. I am an underwater cameraman and my motto is ?be ready to roll," which leads to an unpredictable life. My heart leapt when I hung up the phone. Freedivers! This is going to be awesome! Two days later, long time freediver, Bobby Kim and I lay down the rules at the New York production meeting to ensure the safety of everyone in the water. The director, the writer and the 3D video production designer shared their vision with us as we fought to stop our eyebrows rising in dubiousness. The list of shots began with some unexpected subjects: an empty wedding dress, a yellow slip, a bride beckoning to the camera and a male freediver in a retro wetsuit following a laundry list of directions, followed by some deep ocean shots. I met the other two freedivers in a fancy hotel in Mexico. Drop-dead gorgeous Dana Beck was to wear the wedding dress and her husband, Mike Harder, not so gorgeous, an ex-hockey player would be her safety freediver along with Bobby who would dive, ?act' and add some safety to Dana?s dives.
Most of the shoot was to take place at ?The Pit? a deep cenote
Earlier that day at the Cancun airport, our video designer was
on the way to Tulum from Playa del Carmen. Hoping to find the
mobbed by fans who thought he was Ryan Gosling. Production
beautiful 'blades of light' that cut through crystal clear waters of
week was off to a surreal start.
Mexico?s famous fresh water springs. The first challenge was to achieve a completely black background while balancing bright lights on a white wedding dress thirty feet below the surface. Dana got into the swing of things by bringing down a white veil
Ocean Art - Art ist Prof il e An island girl, Stephanie Kiker finds endless inspiration where she lives in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Stephanie captures the energy and scenery of the ocean and all things sand and sky in her intricate primitive style image of turtles, dolphins, shore birds, fish, and beach landscapes Stephanie formally trained in graphic design at the School of Design at North Carolina State University. She creates in a variety of mediums . When Stephanie is out of her workshop she gets closer to her subject through two favorite pass-times, kiteboarding and surfing. Since picking up surfing she?s enjoyed the quiet time spent on the water, calling early morning sessions her favorite way to start her day now. A big part of Stephanie?s art business is ?functional art," in addition to prints and wall hangings her images are produced on light-switch covers, cutting board, tiles, phone covers, and other things that people can use in daily life. She makes all of the products and shipping
them herself. Stephanie can be found at art shows, online, and shops from Hawaii, to California, to Belize, to the Virgin Islands, and on the East Coast from Maine to Florida. If you happen to be freediving in Isla Mirada Florida, stop in the Turtle Hospital, you?ll find her work there and purchases in the gift shop help support turtle rehabilitation.