On Sun, 10 Jun 2001 22:21:51 -0500, Mike Wallace <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>> I made it to the last of the "sneak preview" of Ocean Men today!
>> It was filmed by Bob Talbot, the same one who'll be filming
>> your expedition if IMAX is part of it!
>
>Hope that Daros gets that deal worked out!

Hope so.  It was no Howard Hall 3D, but for 2D the footage was
about as good as it gets.

Regaring Pipin,

>> His world record dive had at least 10 support divers at various
>> depths, from the boat Ocean Explorer, registered in Cozumel, MX!
>
>Sounds right for a dive of this nature. Most of these guys also count
>the film crews as support divers so he likely had a few more than the
>loafers. :-)

He had so many loafers NOT in the water that it was a wonder in
itself that the boat can carry that many people, equipment, and
not sink.  :-)
>
>
>>
>> The other was world champion Umberto Pellizari, in the "unaided"
>> freediving category (no descent or ascent aids) to 161 fsw.
>
>This is the discipline that impress me. Umberto pretty much rocks in
>it too.

I think that's freediving in its (almost) truest form of the sport.
He had a guide wire (which he doesn't touch) but guided the
direction of his descent and marked the depth to stop.

When Dan Manion was doing his 500 fsw bounces, he had no guide wire
for reference, and he watched his current depth on his Uwatec Aladin
computer from a tiny flashlight he carried.  So, he was crazier
but more "sporty" than these buys.  :-)

>
>>
>> Both men used several different fins, during practice and record
>> attempt -- all Cressi long fins!  I was particularly interested
>> in their kicking style.  During practice, both use the dolphin
>> kick, but during his record descent/ascent, Umberto used the
>> freestyle kick.
>
>Daros is using Cressi's too I believe. He'll use whatever they
>"donate" to him though for at least a few frames. :-)

While it might be true in Pipin's case (for his RECORD attempt) he
wouldn't need ANY fin at all.  :-)   On the other hand (foot),
Umberto WAS using his fins for speed and efficiency.  I don't think
he would have used Force Fins is they sponsored his record attempt. :-)
In any event, Cressi pretty much has the market cornered for LONG
fins, and they look like they've had at least a few years of
practice on using them.  :0)

But their use of DIFFERENT Cressi fins at different times in the
film is probably influenced by the sponsorship.  I was VERY INTENT
on reading what's on Pipin's fins when it looked like he was
wearing the Cressi 2000, the same one I've been using.  :-)  He used
other different Cressi's as well.  I've never seen the kind of
Cressi Umberto used -- broader, and had big YELLOW bands and letters.
I assume it was the European Cressi.
>
>
>The last shot that I saw of Pipin doing an unlimited attempt he was
>able to take one breath from a bottle attached to the sled at or near
>the bottom of the descent before shooting the bag for the ascent.
>Didn't impress me.

On that dive, he was filming a commercial for Spare Air (aka Spare
Death) :-).  Don't think it would have qualified him for any record,
other than perhaps being able to get ONE breath out of SD at that
depth.  :-))
>
>> To what max depth will Daro attempt to do his ice freedive?
>
>He is starting at 50 meters and will make several dives attempting to
>best his previous dive.

Hey, at THAT depth, *I* could be his support diver, diving on air,
without incurring any obligated deco on the dive.  :-)


>For the record within the Artic circles he
>could do significantly less and still hold the record.

You mean there's somebody ELSE who freedived the Arctic circles?


>Don't remember
>what his current personal best is. I'd ask him but he's out in
>California working one of the shows and sucking up to potential
>sponsors, a task he does well. Says that Listerene gets the taste out
>of his mouth. :-)

I can just see him now, taking a sip of Listerene (as Pipin takes
one sip from Spare Air) at the bottom of the line.  :-)
>
>
>>
>> At what depth will you be his support diver?
>
>The bottom of the line. :-)
>
>
>>
>> In both dives in the "Ocean Men" record attempts, the support divers
>> start 5 minutes before the freedivers.  It didn't say what gas they
>> were using, but for Umberto's quick 161 fsw unaided free bounce,
>> I must have misheard the depth, because after Umberto's successful
>> ascent, the support divers were doing deco, and Umberto brought
>> down a bottle of champaign, opened it and took a sip at their deco
>> stop and passed the bottle around.  :-).
>
>We will be diving a helium mix or rebreathers or both. :-)

So you could sound like Donald Duck while diving?  :-)  I'll be one
of the first to watch the IMAX film (if it materializes) no matter
how you sound.  <BWG>

-- Bob.