By MARK GEENTY – The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 28/07/2010
Packing a big breath: David Mullins. Robert Kitchin/Dominion Post
If you think swimming a length of your local pool underwater is a task, then watching David Mullins will take your breath away.
Mild-mannered office worker by day, Mullins will swap his suit for a pair of fins and become the Man from Atlantis at Porirua Aquatic Centre this weekend.
One of the world’s leading freedivers, Mullins, 29, will try to smash two of his national records, before summoning official judges from across the globe for a world record attempt in September.
The disciplines are officially termed dynamic apnoea, with and without fins: basically, swimming as far as you can without taking a breath. And remaining conscious.
“You get disqualified if you black out or can’t converse, otherwise people just go until they conk out,” Mullins said.
The first meeting of the semester will be one not to miss. We will introduce the trips for this semester, show some great photos from under and above water, and show you what AUUC is all about! Last chance for the discounted $20 membership, so bring your friends!
As well as all this, we will have some ex-rental gear available to look at and purchase. Fins for $20, wetsuits from $50, BCDs from $50, Dutch Auction on a set of regs!! Limited club t-shirts for $30. Don’t miss the opportunity to get geared up for Semester 2!
When? 6pm, Wednesday 28th July Where? Engineering Building Rm 3.401, Auckland Uni, Symonds St.
Meetings provide a great chance to meet other members, ask for advice and relax and have a beer. See you there!
NEXT WEEK’S CLUB MEETING – Deep Wreck Adventures by Dr Simon Mitchell
Dr Mitchell is a world renowned technical diver. He began diving in 1972. His diving primarily involves the use of rebreather technology to explore shipwrecks at extreme depths. Simon is an anaesthesiologist and diving physician. He has devoted much of his career to diving medicine and has treated more than 400 cases of decompression illness. He recently co-authored the second edition of “Deeper into Diving” with John Lippmann and co-authored 2 chapters on decompression illness in the most recent edition of Bennett and Elliott. He is a previous Vice President of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society (UHMS), and Chairman of the Society’s Diving Committee.
We are very privileged to have Simon talk to us. He is an entertaining and enlightening speaker. He is regularly flown to dive conferences around the world to speak to audiences who have paid a lot to be there. Next week you can hear him for free. Simon is such a great speaker that even non-divers will be entertained by what he has to say… bring your mates along. As with all our meetings, you don’t need to be a member to come along – the more the merrier!
The Auckland University Underwater Club is a non-profit, recreational dive club. Student and non-student members are welcome. Our goal is to provide our members with access to the great sport of scuba diving, and other sub-aqua sports, at student-oriented prices (read: damn cheap!). Visit us all this week (Monday to Friday) at our stall at Re-Orientation Week at the University of Auckland. Can’t make it to our stall – no problems. You can join the club through our website – so go ahead – JOIN US!
We offer PADI Open Water courses, dive trips, freediving, spearfishing, a club boat, gear hire, club meetings, deals with shops, advice, underwater photography, buddies, wicked social life and advanced diver training… all at fantastic prices.
If you’re a keen diver, or you’ve always wanted to dive, join us and start enjoying life below the waves. No experience is necessary as we provide the cheapest PADI Open Water dive course to get you started. From there you can come on one of our many trips around New Zealand. We look forward to seeing you underwater soon.
Covering 72 percent of the Earth and supplying half its oxygen, the ocean is our planet’s life support system–and it’s in danger. Watch this video to learn why a healthier ocean means a healthier planet, and find out how you can help.
Help re-float Grade Raider