Thread: Beginners guide to freediving/snorkeling

Aquatic hunting is a real buzz & hard work. A scooter is an awesome bit of kit for sh!ts & giggles or gathering a feed in the briney !

I've been spearfishing for around 8 years now, and done it with some of the best NZ divers around. Any questions fire away, or if based in Auckland just send me a PM and I'll get you in the water.

2 don't dive alone get a mate or join a club, we employ a one up one down techniec that is on on the surface watching to one on the bottom
This is more important than a lot of people realise,
A very good friend was practising his breath hold in the shallow end of a public pool (he was experienced )
They found the poor bugger face down on the bottom,
Still find it hard to believe,
Shallow water black outs are very real,
Rest in peace my mate.

What sort of weight belt and how much weight would I need for snorkeling? I'm pretty skinny and float something terrible.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

What sort of weight belt and how much weight would I need for snorkeling? I'm pretty skinny and float something terrible.

Skinny people sink. Its us fat barstards that float.
Depends on how much wetsuit material your wearing(boyancy)

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Skinny people sink. Its us fat barstards that float.
Depends on how much wetsuit material your wearing(boyancy)

Well I used to sink well but now have to drag my arse under and the damned thing keeps dragging me back up, even in fresh water. Suit is pretty thin, at this stage I'll just me using a steamer first owned by Steve Wells. I clock in at 67kg on a good day 65kg on a bad day. Is it best to go for a basic belt and threaded weights or pockets. My waist is way narrower than my hips and where there should be a chest so will want something that wont dig into me. I'm soft.

Ha ha, i can't give you any advice.
Someone will turn up who can.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Ha ha, i can't give you any advice.
Someone will turn up who can.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Well I used to sink well but now have to drag my arse under and the damned thing keeps dragging me back up, even in fresh water. Suit is pretty thin, at this stage I'll just me using a steamer first owned by Steve Wells. I clock in at 67kg on a good day 65kg on a bad day. Is it best to go for a basic belt and threaded weights or pockets. My waist is way narrower than my hips and where there should be a chest so will want something that wont dig into me. I'm soft.

Gym or Pies

Originally Posted by Gibo

Gym or Pies

I'm screwed! Meant to keep away from gyms and can't eat junk food. Mind you there are some pretty good non-junk food pies about.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

What sort of weight belt and how much weight would I need for snorkeling? I'm pretty skinny and float something terrible.

You sir are a freak of nature!!

Pocket weight belts are comfy??!! not that I have found other types any less comfy (but I'm well covered eh)

rubber belts stick to your suit better but have a buckel rather than a clip so take longer to release.

standard web belts being around for years will be around for years to come.

weights / lead

large squares suit pockects

large requtanguler suit rubber belts

bullets (small round/ requtanglar) suit web belts..

I dive with 5 or 6 different people and they all have different types of belts and weights (I kid you not)... it's just important to spread the weight evenly around your belt and most importantly to get you weight right.

grab you belt and weights head to a local pool.. add weight to belt ...holding side of pool jump in.. inhale you should float.. exhale you should sink slightly.. if not grab an extra weight try again .. and again untill you do..

IMPORTANT you may need to mix and match weights ie 4 large squares with 2 or three bullets to get you weight just right...for freediving I personally recommened you be slightly bouyant rather than heavy (rember you have to get back to the surface at the end of your breath.You absolutley do not want to be struggling to stay on the surface even on a flat calm day let alone on a choppy one.

Hope that helps.

Thanks guys. Because of my shape keeping a belt in place wont be an issue; think of a dumbbell in both senses. Main issue will be the top and bottom of weights digging into my ribs and hips.

So on your advice I went into a dive shop and got the smallest pocket belt they had and 4.2kg of weights. Might pay to do a 1/3 2/3 split on one to give me options.

Wet suits look like they'll be fun to buy according to the sizing charts I will fit neatly in to something sized small - extra large. Bloody brilliant!

Weight 65-67
Height 180
Chest 106
Hips 100
Waist 80 (pushing my guts out)



Size Chart
Height(cm) Weight(kg) Chest(cm) Waist(cm) Hips(cm)
XS 160-167 45-55 81-88 66-72 82-90
S 167-173 55-70 88-96 72-78 90-93
M 173-177 70-85 96-103 78-84 93-99
L 177-183 85-95 103-107 84-89 99-104
XL 180-190 95-105 107-110 89-94 104-109
XXL 183-190 105-110 110-122 94-99 112-117
XXXL 185-193 115-130 122-127 102-109 117-127
XXXXL 185-198 140-150 130-137 112-120 130-135


Suppose go large and use the weight belt to exclude the void in the middle.

Start drinking beer, it will round you out nicely

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Start drinking beer, it will round you out nicely

Won't work. I'll fall asleep halfway through the first can, won't get enough calorie intake and get thinner as a result. Flippin' drugs that killed my digestive system. I love the taste of beer!

Originally Posted by stingray

You sir are a freak of nature!!

Pocket weight belts are comfy??!! not that I have found other types any less comfy (but I'm well covered eh)

rubber belts stick to your suit better but have a buckel rather than a clip so take longer to release.

standard web belts being around for years will be around for years to come.

weights / lead

large squares suit pockects

large requtanguler suit rubber belts

bullets (small round/ requtanglar) suit web belts..

I dive with 5 or 6 different people and they all have different types of belts and weights (I kid you not)... it's just important to spread the weight evenly around your belt and most importantly to get you weight right.

grab you belt and weights head to a local pool.. add weight to belt ...holding side of pool jump in.. inhale you should float.. exhale you should sink slightly.. if not grab an extra weight try again .. and again untill you do..

IMPORTANT you may need to mix and match weights ie 4 large squares with 2 or three bullets to get you weight just right...for freediving I personally recommened you be slightly bouyant rather than heavy (rember you have to get back to the surface at the end of your breath.You absolutley do not want to be struggling to stay on the surface even on a flat calm day let alone on a choppy one.

Hope that helps.

freash water is no good to do this in takes way less to sink in fresh than in salt