The right direction?

As you already know, I have been meaning to find a freediving club in Hong Kong to commence my freediving adventures. Been researching and reading up on freediving tips from several blogs and websites and all of them have suggested reading the 'Manual of Freediving' by Umberto Pelizzar and Stefano Tovaglieri as it basically encompasses what every freediver should know. I know that I should maybe stop reading books and websites and actually put my desires to action thus the topic question, is this really the right way to go about what I want to do? Well realistically, my committments have me tied up so at this stage, I can only live vicariously through others to learn more about freediving.

Anyway, the cover of the book is below and I will have to wait for a few weeks for this book to arrive from the states. I could buy it locally at an inflated price and also with a week or two waiting period but since I thought I was not in any rush, I chose the economic option.

Once I have read it, I will give my review and get started with my freediving lessons!

Chad

World record by New Zealander

An impressive feat by a New Zealander, Dave Mullins achieving 265m in the dynamic with fins category. Previous record was held by by Frenchmen Fred Sessa with 255m at the 7th AIDA Team World Championship held at Okinawa Japan. A clip of the world record session is below for your viewing.

Enjoy!

Chad

Extreme Freediving

Been a while since the last post. I presumed that by now, I would have at least snorkeled this part of the world (HK). How wrong could I have been. There are so many surrounding islands to visit and are screaming to be explored by me. Well, I suppose its about getting off my arse and reinvesting in snorkel gear. However, I do have dilemma's on what to purchase as I want to start scuba diving. So should I make the smart choice by investing in gear that can be used for both? The fins that I have looked at so far are the Mares Quattro Avante which has been around for yonks but I believe they have been the preferred choice for many scuba/snorkeling fanatics. I'll see where the road takes me.

Lately I have been watching and reading up on freediving and it has also grabbed my interest. Here is an amazing video of Guillaume Nery (freediver) completing an awesome single breath dive at Dean's Blue Hole.

I didn't think people could actually hold their breath for that long but it is all mind over matter. After reading some breathing techniques, training, etc for freediving, I managed to reach 3 minutes 43 seconds (dry apnea) for the first few attempts so this is my PB. My aim is to reach 5 minutes or more and hopefully be useful for my snorkeling dives. Been visiting the swimming pool at Kowloon park and have been practising a little too but there are just too many people!

I also looked into freediving courses/clubs in Hong Kong but have failed to find any. Might to have to look harder! Anyway, hope you enjoy the clip as much as I did and maybe given you more motivation to keep up these wonderful water sports! 

Till then..

Chad

Discovering tranquility in Hong Kong

When we visualise Hong Kong, most of us would say "large city, tall buildings, fast paced, mix between new and the old, pollution" and so on. Others who are more familar with Hong Kong know that there are hidden treasures surrounding this part of Asia.

Today, I believe I have met the tranquil side of Hong Kong. Our journey today took us to Stanley Bay (HK Island) where any form of transport must bustle through the luscious green hills to get to the other side. We headed to Stanley Beach which was much smaller than expected, however, it was free from all the pollution and and most of all, some of the scenery/landscape reminded me of Sydney. If you continued down Stanley Beach away from the main area, you head to a lonely little beach called Hairpin Beach.

Hairpin Beach is a private pebbly beach away from the crowds. Apparently the lifesavers stopped patrolling this beach since 2005 and left it alone. I am not too sure if the absence of lifesavers repel the locals from visiting this beach or maybe it is due to the pebbly beach, but as you can see the pictures below, it is most certainly serene.

I do not know what aquatic life I expect to see here and to tell you the truth, I do not think there is much to see here, but the water was warm and it would just be bliss to go for a nice swim. Unfortunately I don't have my snorkeling gear here in Hong Kong. Either I invest in a new set or have my gear posted from Sydney. I will have to have a think about it.

 View from the Hairpin Beach

 Clear, pristine waters..

 Reminds me of Sydney except Sydney has beautiful sandy beaches

There is limited snorkeling/diving information in Hong Kong and it seems like you learn the ropes when you join an association or group of some sort. One website/blog I have found which provided good diving/snorkeling/nature information of Hong Kong is called Hong Kong Outdoors (http://www.hkoutdoors.com/). 

After looking at this website, one specific site I want to visit is Sharp Island. Apparently this site is favoured by scuba divers and snorkelers due to its pristine/clear waters and its aquatic life. Below is a picture borrowed from the Hong Kong Outdoors website. 

Sharp Island (Source: http://www.hkoutdoors.com/)

Now that I think about it, I need to get my gear here ASAP! Hopefully my next post would be an actual snorkeling post and not about my snorkeling desires. In the meantime, I think I will have to continue searching for new areas to control my itchy feet. 

Till then.

Chad

Learn to dive for free in Sydney

Once again, a little birdie has whispered into my ear and advised me of the wonderful contribution a group of marine biologists are doing in Sydney. They have created a website to educate the public about the conservation of the marine ecosytem by offering education, training in marine conservation and biology. To add the cherry on top, these dedicated marine biologists also offer free training on the Open Water Diver course (certification) which allows one to dive anywhere around the world. 

From what I can see, they are a non-profit group and are purely interested in the preservation and conservation of the aquatic life in Sydney.

For those that are interested, their website is:

http://sydneyunderworld.com/index.php

You can find information about their free Open Water Diving Certification at:

http://sydneyunderworld.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=72

I would like to add that I am in no way affiliated with this group and have posted this information purely because of my admiration of this group.

I will definitely sign up for this class when I return to Sydney :P

Bye for now..

Chad