AIDA New Zealand

Supporting New Zealand's Competitive Freedivers

Team World Championships 2012

The 2012 Team world champs are fast approaching us, The event is being held from the 8th June to 16th September in Nice, France. Further information on the event can be downloaded here and more inforamtion can be found on the official website.

AIDA NZ is looking for an expression of interest from those interested in being put forward for selection. Should we have more athletes come forward than there are spots available, we will be making selections based on performances in competition over the last 18 months.

AIDA Worlds Team Shirts Available

We've had some interest in the Team Shirts that were worn by our Freedivers who attended the 2011 Worlds so we've decided to put some short sleeve copies of these fantastic shirts up for sale for a very limited time.  Thank you to Kathryn Nevatt for making this possible.

Order your NZ Worlds T-Shirt here

What are Freedivers in New Zealand up to?

Freediving Depth Nationals 2012

07-12-2011

The AIDA Freediving Depth Nationals are coming soon to a Lake Taupo near you.

The competition will consist of three sessions over three days. For each session, competitors can nominate any of the three AIDA depth competition disciplines. Disciplines can be repeated, although final ranking will only take into consideration the best result in each discipline. As this is our national championship, competitors are encouraged to take part in all disciplines and challenge for the final ranking, though this is up to the competitors.

There will be a recreation grade available for those not interested in international ranking and just wanting to challenge themselves. Divers in the recreation grade will compete in the same disciplines, but with relaxed rules and against other recreation grade divers. These dives will not be eligible for international ranking.

 divider

AIDA New Zealand

AIDA NZ is charged with the responsibility of supporting our elite athletes by facilitating competition in New Zealand and internationally as with any sport grassroots activity is important too and AIDA NZ wants to promote the sport at club level.  To maintain consistency in the sport AIDA NZ engages the rules of AIDA International standards and selects internationally qualified judges for every world ranking competition.

AIDA NZ believes that divers should be aware of the risks of the sport and promotes safe diving by compiling appropriate references and contact information for freediving courses run in New Zealand.

Training Tips

Equalise In A Head Down Position
Level: Beginner

For those who have tried every drug and technique, and feel like they will never be able to equalise in a head-down position, there is a way.  It's a simple solution, but it requires a LOT of patient practice.

STEP 1. You must equalise your ears as often as you can, throughout the day: while you are eating, reading or watching TV; while taking the bus or metro, in the shower (especially), and any moment when you have a spare second and a spare hand to block your nose.

STEP 2. Once you can equalise your ears at any time in almost any circumstance, start reducing the amount of pressure you exert in order to make the equalisation: use the minimum amount of pressure possible to only just make your ears 'pop.'  This way you will be training the musculature around the Eustachian Tubes to assist in opening the tubes and allowing air to pass into your inner ear.  You can also equalise while allowing air to escape through your nostrils.  Once you are able to equalise without having to pinch your nose very hard then you will already see great results in immersion.

STEP 3. Equalise as above, but in compromising positions, such as lying on your bed with your head over the edge, kneeling with your head between your knees, or doing a shoulderstand.  This will train your body to be able to relax the areas necessary for equalisation while in an abnormal position such as we encounter while diving.

So far we have yet to encounter a student with even the greatest equalising difficulty who was not able to resolve it by following this process.  It takes dedication over a period of at least 2-3 weeks, but we can change the physiology of the Eustachian Tube and nasopharynx to enable anyone to equalise in immersion.

Following this program will also help those who are looking to master hands-free equalisation: by reducing the equalising pressure or allowing more air to ecape the nose while equalising, we will eventually train the muscles to compensate for the lack of pressure by opening the tubes by themselves.

This is a good website for more information on the Eustachian Tube and equalisation: http://www.eustachian-tube.net/EUSTACHIAN-TUBE.html

Re-printed with permission from William Trubridge
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