My name is Chris Schirmer. In regards to my confidence in the water I would say it’s pretty high. I have been sailing most my life, into most water sports that are out there, been a PADI certified diver for almost 15 years and now a spear fisher.
I began spearing and free diving back in September 2015 when I moved to Bermuda and wasn’t long until I took Ted’s Intermediate Class in May 2016. Prior to the course, I was operating off being self taught, the internet and buddies who I dived with. I would say this is probably the most common means of learning the sport. When I learned of Ted’s course through a friend, it became obvious for me to widen my knowledge of diving by taking his intermediate Performance Freediving course.
Ted’s Course was a complete game changer. In regards to how I was diving and the knowledge I knew to what I came out of the course with was night and day. Safety, which can be easily forgotten is now on top importance to me for diving. Everything else I learnt during the course was a bonus. I knew previous of what we were taught that free diving had its dangers but to be able to have a fraction of the knowledge to what Ted knows was necessary to me. Each subject that Ted delivered to us in the class was executed perfectly and repetition definitely taught me in the best way possible.
I began the course with a breath hold of just over 3 minutes and diving to a max of 40-45 feet with a very limited bottom time. With Teds instruction I left with a breath hold of over 4 minutes, a 108ft dive an most importantly doing it safely.
Best course I have ever taken and couldn’t recommend it more to any free diver or spear fisher.
Chris Schirmer 2016 July 4 day PFI Intermediate Course
