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HISTORY

IN JAPAN FREEDIVING HAS A LONG AND FAMOUS TRADITION WITHIN THE COMMERCIAL DIVE INDUSTRY.

FREEDIVING AS A SPORT IS RELATIVELY YOUNG IN JAPAN.

THE JAPAN APNEA CHAMPIONSHIP

WAS HELD for 3 days FROM THE

13.09.2003 - 15.09.2003.

LOCATION

OF The 1st Freediving Japan Championship was at the ITA Village at the IZU-Peninsula, Japan. 

ORGANISATION

THE JAC WAS DIRECTED BY MR. KIYAMA. 

AIDA

THE JAPAN APNEA SOCIETY IS THE AIDA REPRESENTATIVE IN JAPAN. THE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS HELD ACCORDING TO AIDA RULES WITH 2 JUDGES.

the jac was the first official freediving championship in Japan under AIDA rules.

2 DISCIPLINES

STATIC: A pure breath hold discipline in which the divers compete to hold their breath without any physical demands put on them but are timed. 

CONSTANT WEIGHT: Considered the purest form of freediving. The diver descends and ascends on one breath wearing fins, and must return to the surface with the weight he or she wore on the way down.

19 COMPETITORS

WOMEN: 9

MEN: 10

TOKYO FREEDIVING CLUB

DURING THE SONY FREEDIVER OPEN CLASSIC-03 (SFOC) IN CYPRUS, JAPAN WAS REPRESENTED BY 4 MEMBERS FROM THE (TFC) TOKYO FREEDIVING CLUB.

THEY WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE FREEOLOGY 2004 - CYPRUS TOGETHER WITH MORINAGA NIKKA AND KOUSUKE OKAMOTO.

KAZUAKI "KAZ" ICHIKAWA

SFOC RESULT:

CONSTANT: -70m, STATIC: 5min.00sec.

PARTICIPATED IN THE JAC SUPPORT TEAM.

AI WATANABE

SFOC RESULT:

CONSTANT: -29m, STATIC: 3min.24sec.

PARTICIPATED IN THE JAC SUPPORT TEAM.

JUNKO KITAHAMA

SFOC RESULT:

CONSTANT: -40m, STATIC: 4min.03sec.

PARTICIPATED IN THE JAC SUPPORT TEAM.

KEIKO NAMIKAWA

SFOC RESULT:

CONSTANT: -22m, STATIC: 4min.22sec.

PARTICIPATED AS COMPETITOR AT THE JAC.

AT THE JAC SHE INCREASED HER PB TO -29 METERS FOR CONSTANT WEIGHT. DURING THE STATIC COMPETITION SHE HAD A SAMBA AT 4'15".

WATER / AIR DETAILS

MINIMUM H2O TEMP. AT DEPTH WAS 15C. CURRENT. VISIBILITY 15-30 METERS. MAX. AIR TEMP. 30C.

SAFETY

THE HEAD OF THE SAFETY DIVE TEAM WAS MR. SUGAWA.

THE ON SITE MEDIC WAS REPRESENTED BY dr. yahagi.

SAFETY DIVERS (sensuifu) WERE PLACED AT:

1x -70 M, REBREATHER ON TRIMIX (160' deco).

1x -50 M, OPEN CIRCUIT twin set air and ean32.

2x -30 m, open circuit single tk air (6 divers rotating).

at -5 m was a deco station with oxygen.

-70 m and - 50 m divers had a fhof system the other divers were equipped with lift bags.

4 SAFETY FREEDIVERS.

all freedivers (sumOgUri) USED a safety lanyard.

EQUIPMENT

3 rented fishing boats. 1 FOR COMPETITION WITH 2 LINES (COMP. AND DECO LINE), 1 FOR WARM-UP WITH 3 LINES, 1 AS TENDER. COMPETITION BOAT AND WARM-UP BOAT WERE CONNECTED BY LINE AND ANCHORED.

DAY 1 (CONSTANT WEIGHT)

Sep. 13th, freedivers gathered from all over Japan. 

A PASSING TYPHOON MADE WEATHER CONDITIONS UNSTABLE WHICH CHANGED  FROM SUNNY TO RAIN WITH INCREASING STRONG WINDS.

IT RESULTED IN HEAVY SEA SWELL AND STRONG UNDERWATER CURRENTS.

THE COMPETITION BOAT ANCHORED WITH 2 ANCHORS AND THE FREEDIVER LINE WAS SET TOGETHER WITH A LINE FOR THE SAFETY DIVERS. ADDITIONAL AN UNDERWATER CAMERA WAS DEPLOYED CONNECTED BY A CABLE TO THE BOAT.

THE SETUP WAS DIFFICULT BUT ALL WAS WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME.

THE 1ST FREEDIVER (RYUZO SHINOMIYA) STARTED HIS DESCEND TO -70 METERS. AFTER 2 MINUTES HE RETURNED WITHOUT A TAG EXPLAINING THAT THE GUIDE LINE, SAFETY DIVER LINE, CAMERA CABLE AND ANCHORS WERE ALL TANGLED UP AT -60 METERS.

MR. KIYAMA THE DIRECTOR OF THE JAC DECIDED TO CANCEL THE COMPETITION.

FOR THE 1ST DAY IT WAS PLANNED TO HAVE 8 PERFORMING COMPETITORS.

FOR THE NEXT DAY MR. SUGAWA RECALCULATED THE DECO TIMES FOR THE SAFETY DIVERS AND ACCORDINGLY MR. KIYAMA RESCHEDULED THE FREEDIVERS.

DAY 2 (CONSTANT WEIGHT)

INCIDENT

Sep. 14, ALL FREEDIVERS COMPETED.

MR. SUGAWA WAS STATIONED AT -50 METERS WEARING A FULL FACE MASK WITH COMMUNICATIONS.

AFTER THE FREEDIVERS FINISHED THEIR PERFORMANCE HE CHANGED MASK TO SWITCH TO HIS DECO GAS.

THE 2ND MASK WAS HOOKED TO HIS POWER INFLATOR HOSE. DURING THE CHANGE THE POWER INFLATOR GOT STUCK. EVEN WITH CONSTANT DEFLATION OF BC A RAPID ASCEND TO -12 METERS FOLLOWED. ARRIVING AT THE DECO STATION IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO STAY THERE.

SEVERAL SAFETY DIVERS SUPPORTED MR. SUGAWA TO RETURN TO THE STATION WHERE HE TOOK PURE OXYGEN FOR 30 MINUTES INSTEAD OF 15.

THERE WERE NO IMMEDIATE DECOMPRESSION SYNDROMES BUT FOR PRECAUTION ANOTHER 3 HOURS OF OXYGEN WAS BREATHED. AFTER 4 DAYS NO SYMPTOMS OF DECO SICKNESS WERE IMMINENT.

DAY 3 (STATIC)

Sep. 15th, on the last day THE STATIC COMPETITION WAS HELD AT THE B&G ocean centre POOL IN HEDA NEAR IDA.

all static performances were finished
safely in a very relaxing and peaceful mood.

RESULTS WOMEN CONSTANT WEIGHT

(see detailed results at end of page)

1. MATSUMOTO MEGUMI -46 METERS

2. MORINAGA NIKKA -41 METERS (TFC)

3. INABA KYOKO -39 METERS

RESULTS WOMAN STATIC

(see detailed results at end of page)

1. KAMESHIMA FUSAKO 4'40"

2. KYOKO INABA 4'35"

3. MATSUMOTO MEGUMI 4'31"

RESULTS MEN CONSTANT WEIGHT

(see detailed results at end of page)

1. RYUZO SHINOMIYA -59 METERS

2. KAWARA TOMITA -46 METERS

3. HIDEO NAKAYA -25 METERS

RESULTS MAN STATIC

(see detailed results at end of page)

1. RYUZO SHINOMIYA 6'00"

2. MIKIHIRO OGAWA 5'02"

3. YOJI KAJIWARA 4'39"

RESULTS OVERALL WINNERS WOMEN

(see detailed results at end of page)

1. MATSUMOTO MEGUMI

2. KYOKO INABA

3. MORINAGA NIKKA (TFC)

RESULTS OVERALL WINNERS MEN

(see detailed results at end of page)

1. RYUZO SHINOMIYA

2. KAWARA TOMITA

3. Yoji Kajiwara

DISQUALIFICATIONS CONSTANT WEIGHT

1 SAMBA (WOMEN), 

1 BLACKOUT (MEN)

DISQUALIFICATIONS STATIC

3 SAMBA (WOMAN)

1 BLACKOUT (MEN)

MEDIA COVERAGE JAPAN

TV: NHK

PRINT: BE-PAL OUTDOOR MAGAZINE, DIVING WORLD, MARINE DIVING

DETAILED RESULTS

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