Ant is writing up a blog, it's not a good idea to be specific about performances leading up to a team competition as the other nations would be keen to hear where what we're up to, but it will get more detailed as the competition starts: http://freediveworlds.blogspot.com/ - http://freediveworlds.blogspot.com/

 

Also here's the video of my 213m DNF world record (equalling!) dive:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01j3791X56c - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01j3791X56c

I enjoyed the video on a wet and cold NZ evening 

 

Good Luck Dave!

 

Good luck mate..

I got a mark at Kapiti i would like you to check out for us 72mtrs dosn't sound like to much of an effort for you cuz and i would say you will get schooled by all sorts down there... 

 

Preparation is still on track, I did a comfortable 100m dive yesterday with no suit in the warm water, will have one last training session today with Ant then we'll be resting ahead of the first comp day. Kerian's fluid goggles are great, you could just about use them for spearfishing and vis is around 30m (last year it was over 40m).

 

Getting pretty crowded on the training lines now and there's already a bit of trash talking between the teams.

 

is this the end of of diving without goggles?

 

I guess now when your narced your can actually see the fish you are having a conversation with

 

I don't seem to be as narced over here, probably a combination of the warm water and being able to see better. Lots of big surgeonfish hanging around the training lines so at least I'll have somebody to talk to if I do get narced :)

 

I thought this shot was too good not to share...

 

Good luck to you, Will and Ant.

 

At least you guys will take out the best dressed category.

 

 

Will dived today, had sticky ears and had to turn 2m short at 88m. This give us 85 points (1pt deduction for no tag, 1pt deduction per metre short subtracted from 88) which is still pretty good. There were a few yellow cards - Guillaume Nery nominated 100m but turned early at 95m so that will set the French team back a bit. I think the Greeks and Czechs all got white cards for their dives.

Nah, the opposite of a red would be green.

 

Go Mullins!

 

I think the Slovakian diver who nominated 100m had a pretty big blackout, Natalia Avseenko also got red carded (disqualification, no points) for her surface protocol. This is a big deal because the Russian women's team were looking all but unbeatable.

 

So, we'll need some huge performances in the pool to even be in contention for a medal.... should be fun though as we won't have to hold back.  

So, sitting way down in 9th place we decided to go hard in the dynamics as we had nothing to lose. I swam 248m this morning (would have been a nice round 250 but the pool is 18cm short so they subtract 2m over that distance, dammit!) so at least I have a world record to go home with. Will tried to add 20m to his PB by swimming 200m, he made it but had a big samba and wasn't lucid enough to take his noseclip off or face the judges. Ant will swim tomorrow, he'll probably have a go at 225m.

 

The pool is really warm and I think it's causing problems for a few divers. The Russian Alexei Molchanov blacked out after 170m (he's done 213 in the past) and a few others had sambas or blackouts. Normally you expect that in static, not in dynamic. After the first day Weine Gustavson and Henning Larsen are tied for second spot with 198m.

 

Congrats to the 3 of you!

 

I was wearing fluid goggles for this event - they have powerful lenses fitted into them so you can fill them with water and see pretty clearly. Water doesn't compress so you can wear a noseclip. Also means you don't need one hand at your face all the time, which really breaks up your streamline.