Never Stop At The Wall - DYN Tips

This is a very simple lesson I’ve learnt recently. 

Dynamic is a freediving discipline in the pool or a confined water space requiring you to swim a horizontal distance on one breathe either using your bifins or no fins. AIDA 2-4 requirements are only with bifins and the requirements are 40m for AIDA 2, 55m for AIDA 3 and 70m for AIDA 4. 

If we feel like we’ve had enough, i.e. the urge to breath is too strong , we have a tendency to stop at the wall and often times one lap short. For example, if you are AIDA 2 candidate, you are in a 25m pool and are going for 40m. If you feel like we are stretching our limits, there is a natural tendency to just stop at the wall at 25m. 

Very simple lesson - DON’T STOP AT THE WALL, AT LEAST MAKE THE TURN. 

WHY? 

After you make the turn, somehow magically you will find the will to get you further than the wall, much further. The goal is visible and your ability to persevere improves dramatically. If you are in a 25m pool, don’t go for 25m, 50m or 75m, go for 27m, 52m and 77m. You’d be surprised how much further you can get. 

Recently I had to hit 60m for no fins and 100m for bifins dynamic. I was stopping at 40m and 80m respectively. I generally did not have issues hitting my requirements from AIDA2 to AIDA4

Then my instructor told me “NEVER STOP AT THE WALL! MAKE THE TURN AT LEAST” 

And then inexplicably, I was able to dig deep and finish the requirements. 

I hit 60m a few days ago for no fins (a little bit easier for me as I can clear 10m on the kick off from the wall) and I hit my 100m requirement yesterday when my aim was to just hit 82m that day, may have to sometime play these little tricks on our mind (AiDA instructor requirements are 50m for no fins and 90m for bifins. The 60/100m was for my Molchanovs certification) 

AND REMEMBER - NEVER EVER DIVE ALONE, EVEN POOL SESSIONS. 

(Featured photo is my last turn at 80m before hitting my 100m requirement)