Rene Potvin's Article on
Freediving Equipment
Eduardo Godinho's Recommended Dive Gear 2007
"My ultimate goal when freediving is to be completely oblivious of all my
gear. I try and choose equipment that once in the water I don't think
about again, so comfort and reliability are important factors. So is
quality, in the long run something that is built well is much cheaper
then something that needs to be replaced often."
- Fin blades: C4 carbon falcon 40
- Fin pockets: sporasub
- Mask: Technisub Sphera
http://www.aquasphereswim.com/products/sphera.html
- Snorkel: Riffe Stable http://speargun.com/mask-snorkel.htm#
- Wetsuit: Snugg custom made yamamoto 45, scs exterior, metalic
lining http://www.snuggwetsuits.co.uk/
- Gloves: picasso kevlar gloves
- Booties: picasso 3mm with biotermic lining
- Weight belt: Cressi rubber with cam buckle
- Knife: Kershaw amphibian
- Dive drink: honey water, to taste
Julian Allen-Ellis's Recommended Dive Gear 2007
"When choosing my spearfishing gear I am aiming to maximise comfort and
familiarity so I can ignore the equipment and enjoy my diving.
Ultimately I want to feel like I am swimming in the most natural and
relaxed state possible. If I get to trust a gun, mask or whatever and
it proves to be reliable then I stay with it. Getting the weighting
neutral for the depth I am targeting is important for a stealthy, long
dive and so I like to wear as little neoprene and lead as possible."
- Fin blades: Omer BAT
- Fin pockets: Omer
- Mask: Omer Bandit
- Snorkel: Cressi
- Wetsuit: Immersion 3mm seriole blue cmmo (jacket and long johns)
- Gloves: whatever - but must have leather/reinforced palms and fingers to handle shooting cable safely
- Booties: whatever - the thinnest and least buoyant I can find
- Weight belt: Marseillaise style
- Knife: anything cheap and cheerful as I always lose them
- Dive drink: water and hot sweet tea
Ray Klefstad's Recommended Dive Gear 2007
"I am somewhat frugal, so I look for the best quality gear at a reasonable
price. I rarely buy the absolute best available. I try to avoid
redundant purchases by buying quality gear the first time instead of
first buying inferior gear, then upgrading later. If I can't get the
best gear, either because it is unavailable or too expensive, then I
will try to make it myself. I sometimes make compromises by choosing
the best bang-for-the-buck where large increases in price, beyond what
I choose, give very little in return. I usually research items through
literature and personal recommendations before I purchase. I often buy
used when it I can get a better quality item (e.g., boat, car, truck)
for much less. For those listed below, you can assume I like what I have
unless I add a note such as 'looking for something better.'"
- Fin blades: Waterways blades (like Matrix) stiffness #4
- Fin pockets: Picasso, looking for something better
- Mask: Cressi Super occio with black skirt, fit is a personal thing
- Snorkel: US Divers Impulse III with rigid J-neck
- Wetsuit: Omer mimtec (camo) 3mm two-piece with hood
- Gloves: Deep Sea Waterfall (because they are cheap at $17 a pair and I replace often)
- Booties: M&B Custom 1/8" skin-in shooter bootie with reinforced sole
- Weight belt: Rob Allen Marsailles-style rubber belt with buckle,
very comfortable, never comes off by accident, easy to release when
I want to, and inexpensive
- Knife: Wenoka Seaquest, I buy a pointed knife, then flatten off
the very tip, then re-sharpen this new tip, so I don't stab myself again.
I like straight blade on one side and serrated on the other.
- Dive drink: water, Gaitoraid, but I'm switching to honey water as I
felt great when I tried this at Eduardo's suggestion
- Dive snack: I can't eat anything before or during a diving day
Luiz Antonio Pereira (Ted)'s Recommended Dive Gear 2007
"The gear must be an extension/addition to your body so you can overcame
our shortcomings underwater (except air, of course). Comfort is the name
of the game."
- Fin blades: H. Dessault Carbon Force-1 (2008 model)
- Fin pockets: H. Dessault (2008 model)
- Mask: Cressi Lince, with prescription lenses, all black.
- Snorkel: Sporasub Samurai.
- Flash-light: Fa-mi Powerled 40.
- Wetsuit: all custom-fitted H. Dessault attached-hood zipless jacket,
regular pants w/ pissette. Models depending on water temperature: Tropic
(2mm), Duo ( 3.5mm) and X-Tend (5.5mm and 7mm jacket).
- Gloves: regular cotton+steel weave used in the glass industry on
gun-less hand and a Superfrog (asutralia) non-skid on gun hand. In cold
water, 3mm neoprene gloves with rubberized anti-skid.
- Booties: RealDive 4mm standard nylon/titanium-lined open cell neoprene
socks.
- Weight belt: Rob Allen Marseilles rubber belt.
- Knife: Omer Maxilaser inside right calf.
- Dive drink: normal temperature fresh water. Gatorade sometimes, but only
when it's too hot and here's lots of current.
- Dive snack: chilled watermelon, mango, bananas or apples in warm days,
in that order of preference. In cold days, cereal or energy bars, or
cashew nuts.