5 minute read
A freediver's suitcase
A freediver's suitcase
Text Agnieszka Kalska
Photos Piotr Stós
In comparison with scuba diving, the basic equipment of a freediver includes very few elements, namely: a mask and a tube, fins, a wet suit and weight belt with ballast. Anything else, including a diving computer, a buoy with a rope and a lanyard or a knife and a torch are accessories that are helpful and sometimes significantly increase safety, but not always and not in every situation.
Freedivers aim to dive with as few gadgets as possible. If we can, we choose the thinnest wetsuit – just enough not to get cold. That makes it possible to take a smaller amount of ballast, which we also want to keep as low as possible, and gives comfort and freedom while diving. If we dive using a rope, we can leave the tube on the surface, and often even remove the mask and replace it with the nose clip, as the eyes can be closed during the entire immersion. Of course, provided that the thermocline allows us to reveal the face and sinuses without thermal shock. While diving using a buoy, we can also get rid of the fins and pull ourselves underwater using the rope or with the help of our own hands and legs exercising breaststroke style. This basic range of equipment, however, must be somewhere close at hand in case of emergency or to attend another freediver.
It is in order to increase safety that freedivers use all this equipment. The diving computer will confirm the depth at which we are and will summarize the diving time which helps to estimate the appropriate length of the surface interval and the appropriate moment of immersion of the diver's attendant. A buoy and a rope with the lanyard are other elements that allows us to dive deeper and safer. However, none of the above elements will replace or provide such protection as attendance of a partner. So we should take a partner with us – maybe not necessarily in the suitcase;)
So what to pack into a suitcase for our freedivingtrip?
● a wet suit – our own or borrowed, but theright size – not to tight or too big, with a zipperor hood that don't pinch us; a freediving suit will be the best, but only if it fits properly; the most comfortable is the one tailor-made, but you have to order one for at least 6 weeks before the trip,
● fins – for the first training good, swimming pool fins are enough and easier to fit into the suitcase; and when we dive deeper, it is worth to chose longer, specialised freediving fins. They do make a difference – just how to put them in a suitcase? I will write a few words about it below…
● a mask and a tube – preferably your own and tested at least once at the swimming pool – to se if they fit, do not leak and whether the tube can be easily attached and detached,
● weight belt – made of rubber, special for freediving, because not all diving centres have such to rent,
● a webcam or underwater camera – it's always worth taking, but we must be prepared that we won't be able to take it with us into water every time – this depends on the diving instructor, and sometimes on the weather conditions,
● a cap – even if we are going to Egypt, besides a baseball cap we should also take also a winter cap; why? Because it will warm our ears and sinuses, shielding us from the wind and this will help to avoid the development of infections of organs, which must be if full health to function efficiently during pressure equalization,
● vitamin C – supports immunity in the first phases of infection and it is worth taking it preventively during this trip,
● a dive computer – if we have to take it; and if not, then let's ask if someone from the team takes one with them – one for a team is enough,
● neoprene glue – if we have a freediving wetsuit, which is made of a delicate neoprene without a protective layer of fabric, the chance of tearing it during the whole trip is like 50:50; the glue doesen't weigh much, and the repair is very simple, so you can save a few coins in case of failure.
What is not worth taking:
● ballast – if near the place we are going to is a diving centre, it is usually not worth carrying our own ballast, because it can cause various problems on the way; the belt itself is, however, light and made of rubber and as such is a much safer solution, so do not forget to take it,
● a buoy with a rope – if we are going to training with an instructor, he or she will take care of it, and if we are going with friends, let's think whether we will actually use it; if we plan to dive in places with beautiful reefs, caves and a long distance from the shore, it may be worth focusing on recreational diving and take only a small inflatable signal buoy; maybe there is an on-site diving centre that rents us in a buoy with a rope and a ballast – freediving is really quite popular in the world now,
● a spare equipment – if we are travelling to places focused on diving tourism – it is very likely that there is also a local store there, better equipped than our "inland" stores; prices are often also affordable and sometimes lower than in online stores with shipping costs included; so if we lose the tube or break the mask, we can buy a new one on the spot or rent it at the diving centre.
Everyone who dives regularly and travels a lot, probably has a lot of "airport" stories. I have already met with so many different situations that it is hard to say what is currently the rule. The most common problem for a freediver is – what to do with fins/a monofin? There is no answer to this, because there are many variables. From my own experience I can just say: try to take with you on plane, then we have the best chance that our beloved equipment will arrive in one piece with us to the destination. You should be prepared, however, that at some point someone will not allow you to bring fins or a monofin aboard and you will be forced to give it to the baggage compartment. Pack the equipment so that it will be stiffened in some way. Even if we return the fins or the monofin at the very entrance to the plane, in some situations we will see them only on the conveyor belt among the registered luggage.
It all depends on the airport from which we leave, and often even from the service stuff and also very much from the airlines. Different information may appear at different stages of airport control points and check-in. We must be prepared for every situation, and this will save us stress, which is of course highly unhelpful for freediving…;)
