FEAR

Fear, it's a specific response we all have. In the cult novel "Dune" they called fear "the Little Death" and "the mind killer". Quite applicable definitions for freedivers to consider. The secret to being a good Freediver/Hunter is to be able to control your fear, making reliable, sub-conscious, risk assessments while prepping for, during, or post dive.



Fear of Depth

Diving with fear can be dangerous, if left unaddressed it could quickly turn into panic .
When you dive with fear, it effects your breath hold in a negative fashion. Most divers that take a professional freediving course often reach amazing depths during the course. Once the course is over, the diver discovers there is a struggle to reach the same level of performance with out the safety of an instructor watching over his every move. This dependence on a "bail-out assistant" is not always available while hunting, and should be addressed in your mind. Likewise, even when you dive "One Up-One Down" it's the trust in the partner that needs to be strong and transparent, as it should be intrinsic and comfortable, not a supervisory feeling.











Hunting with Fear

Do you ever wonder why certain divers that are loud or have sloppy form seem to always nail big fish? If you look closely at those divers, one thing you will notice is that they routinely take big fish because of the manner in which they are always relaxed and are in the water without fear.



Controlling your fear

There's no denying we all possess fear as an emotion and instinct. The secret is to be able to keep Fear's negative aspects at bay. This requires a great deal of soul searching as you must be at peace with yourself, life, and even the eventuality of death. Once you subtract the "unknown" out of the ocean, you will find the environment a place of beauty and serenity, not a place to fear.



Facing your Fears

You must run every scenario through your brain and deal with it within. For example; shark attack, shallow water black out, being run over by a boat, etc. Once you compile these fears in your brain, compartmentalize them, and learn to deal with fear on a subconscious level. Visualize events and scan in a smooth rhythm, listening to your body and learning its actual limits.




　

Tips to help Relax

For me, my ritual starts the night before the dive with a family prayer. We pray for the safety of myself and dive partner in the following dive session and travels. The day of the dive, I ensure to wake extra early so I never have to rush for anything, fearing later on driving down the road equipment was left behind.
If I'm diving for a fish that requires me to dive deep or lay on the bottom for a long period of time, I'll put my body on auto pilot, and take my brain to a relaxing memory. Often going back to being a 3 year old boy, having my grandmother wash my hair in the sink. I remember feeling the warm water, the fluffy towel under my neck, and the smell of the Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo. In the meantime, my body is taking care of the rest.
Sometimes when diving at a drop off and the bait disappears in a Boom, I will only need to play a familiar song like "Ave Maria" Di Franz Schubert in my head, again leaving my body to keep kicking against the current and my eyes scanning for the visitor. The mind is content and comfortable with a lack of thought or strain towards fear.
    

If you still can't shake the fears within, there are great external tools that can help, for instance the shark shield, or the freedive recovery vest. The most cost effective way to establish a calm, fear-free, demeanor, is with practice visualizing, diving experiences, and acceptance of the ocean environment allowing you to be it's guest.
















                                                   








Joe Acevedo


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 Links mentioned above
http://www.oceanicss.com/vest_progress.htm Link for the free divers recovery vest

　http://sharkshield.com/ Link for the shark shield

　
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bosouX_d8Y Ave Maria , Di Franz Schubert