Dangerous yet so exciting
Freediving is more than a simple niche sport. It’s a whole discipline. People practiced it since the beginnings of their time walking on Earth, when the SCUBA system was not available. The main principles might seem easy to understand for a someone not introduced to the world of physics. I’m not here to fill you with the boredom of a highschool lesson, but to make you aware that the atmospheric pressure is not something to be joked around with. So, both the stages of descension and ascension must be completed accordingly to the strict rules of safeness. All this in the exchange of a super fun time.
Bonaire, or the “Diver’s Paradise”
If you want to learn and master freediving and experience the real thrill of it, then the island of Bonaire, a Caribbean Sea delight is the place you should head upon. When you arrive there, find Carlos Coste asap (or better yet, contact him before you leave) probably the best freediver the world has to offer right now. He’s not just a professional trainer, he’s record-breaking monument of a man. He was the first recorded man to break the 100-meter mark in Free Immersion (by simply pulling a rope that is) and was crowned as world champion for Variable Weight and Constant Weight disciplines. While there, he also set depth records for both disciplines. In 2010, he swam 150 metres through Mexico’s Dos Ojos cenote, a cave constantly flooded, also a world record, this time for the longest underwater swim on only one breath in open water. Apart from having established a training center in Bonaire for the inexperienced ones looking for adventure, he also is the image of the ORIS watch company, three special edition dive watches being named and/or inspired after him and his legacy since 2006.
The various techniques he adopts make him a great trainer and a certain recommendation for anyone interested in his art. You will be taught to hold better the air you take up using a different approach. Also, he will impose a training regime meant to elevate you, getting the best you can and even more. So don’t hesitate, leave all the equipment behind, all the things that you need are confidence, time to give and attention to pay.
