NEWS

Cayman 2004 - Freediving World Record Event

Day 14 - Another day off and more statics

This is our second day off since being here and we're back at the Hyatt again for some easy static training and then pictures with Courtney. The pool side at the Hyatt is pretty nice and although we don't have anything planned for the afternoon Doc is talking about scooters at Divetech later on.

Mandy is first to start. Today she breathes-up on her back so I shade her face from the sun as it's really beating down on us. Her first breath-hold goes to 3:00, when it's usually only 2:30, and contractions are starting a lot later. Her second warm-up goes better and then it's the seven minute countdown. Mandy hits 6:11. She's not happy with it, even though the contractions happen much later. She's having all of us touch her head which feels like it's on fire. A problem we need to correct in the next week or so.

Mandy-Rae	Mandy-Rae
Kirk coaching Doc	Martin

Next up is Doc. His last static was 3:15 and he's determined to do much better. Warm-up breathing on his back, three warm-up statics, then his target: Doc beats his own PB by resetting it to 3:47. Now he's more determined than ever to break that four minute barrier, even better if he could at least do 4:03 or half of Martin's world record :>)

We're all really pleased with this performance. Now it's photo op time with Courtney. He has us setting up while he shoots Mandy, Martin and Doc doing static. Then it's off for some serious 'team' photos which we hope to post in the next day or two. After this it's lunch time and Doc's ready for some scooter action at Divetech in the late afternoon. He's been working on his equalizing technique and wants to practice some negative pressure dives for deep simulation.

After lunch I drop Mandy, Martin and Tony at the condo while Doc and I head for the scooters. We're off the mini-wall at Turtle Reef Divetech and Doc is getting progressively deeper and almost touching bottom at 15m / 50' with some 90% exhalations AND still managing to equalize. While he's doing this I play with scooters on the sand flat practicing my ballet style twirls, spins, barrel rolls, loops and bubble rings. All in all it's a really relaxing session for me and great training for Doc.

At the end of the day we're at the Outback for dinner and then off to pick up Bill at the airport. Bill Strömberg's an AIDA International Judge from Sweden and his flight ends up coming in one and a half hours late. Bill looks and sounds terrible as the flight from Europe was no relaxing adventure. On the brighter side, he's brought along one of twenty five prototype Mares Nemo computers with freedive mode. We all look forward to testing its sampling rate, which may or may not be every four seconds.

Stay tuned for more deep water adventures tomorrow as Martin goes for 100m in constant ballast, Mandy attempts 71m constant ballast and Doc, well we'll just have to wait and see what he's thinking.

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