Free Diving

I have always been fascinated by being underwater, and as kid inspired by David Attenborough and his jaw dropping documentary’s. I completed my PADI in Thailand ten years ago and find Scuba diving a brilliant way to see another world, that of neutral buoyancy, and an incredible selection of marine life.

If sports climbing enables a person to experience life in the vertical world with relative safety, perhaps the art of scuba diving offers a mirrored experience of life beneath the waves. If you take away the rope then everything changes, and the consequences of making a mistake are a lot more dramatic. 

 Knowing that humans are able to hold their breath for over eleven minutes or free dive with just a breath to 702ft (with a weighted sled - Herbert Nitsch), I was hungry to find out how it might be possible. 

The results were a fascinating insight into the physiology and anatomy of what happens to the human body when it goes into oxygen deprivation and increased concentrations of CO2. The biggest challenge for me was definitely the psychological aspect and the ability to stay calm when I was 70ft below the surface and fairly keen for my next breath! It seems that yoga and meditation are your greatest ally, and also the ability to stay calm in high pressure situations.

For more information and courses in the UK and Malta

http://www.deeperblue.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-diving