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It isn’t just about going up and down a line islands not far from , , and Above: Bajau freedivers anyone do that?” Next time I see him, setting goals, beating personal bests and I’m participating in a Level 1 SSI develop their skills from I hope to provide some answers. witnessing improvements (much like a once you’ve mastered breath-hold techniques course. And I’m not alone – an early age. It wasn’t until 1949 that freediving marathon runner). – compliant marine life, caves, wrecks and more surrounding a group of tethered buoys Pictured: Freediver with began life as a sport, when Hungarian And more and more people – often can all be enjoyed in a new way. Here three are four instructors and 10 pupils, who boat visible above. fighter-pilot Raimondo Bucher reached scuba-divers – want to have better, take it in turns to yoyo down lines 30m on one breath. bubble-free interactions with marine life, freedivers – one a newcomer to the sport and weighted to different depths. In the 1950s a friendly rivalry between minus the bulky equipment. the others highly experienced – explore some It’s a quizzical scene, and I can’t help and My reasons to take the course fall but ponder what the ancient Greeks, the increased interest in this new extreme more into the latter group. As an of the possibilities beyond scuba first known commercial freedivers, sport. Their exploits led to the 1988 film underwater photographer, some of the would have made of it. , perhaps the most famous best photo opportunities, particularly Around 300BC, these oceanic gods freediving feature of all time. with cetaceans, are to be had while FRE would dive to 30m to harvest , Fast-forward 60 years, and the sport is snorkelling. and the word “” – which now unrecognisable. Thousands of people Breath-hold divers have a huge means on one breath of air – compete in events all over the world, advantage over floaters, and will comes from the Greek word a-pnoia , regularly finning down beyond 100m. inevitably take better pictures. So after XPRESSION meaning “without ”. Freediving has become cool, it’s a couple of months of procrastinating, I However, the Greeks were far from the popularity fuelled by social media, with book a ticket from my home in Borneo E first to practise freediving. The first French freediver Guillaume Nery’s slick and head to Gili Trawangan. accounts date back some 10,000 years to videos receiving millions of hits. I arrive grumpily into Gili Trawangan the “Clam Eaters”, a group of shellfish- after a cramped, sweaty boat-ride from hunters operating in the Baltic . Why the hype? Bali, packed with what appears to be the For thousands of years, freediving has “Every year we have entire cast of The Only Way is Essex . seen an increase in Gili T reminds me of a small-scale Koh the number of Tao, the island in Thailand where the people learning young and frisky learn to dive by day and to freedive, drink by night. and we’re On the main beachside strip, bars, certifying more restaurants and dive-schools are instructors,” sardined together, punctuated by horses 1: BREATH OF says Michael – many with ribs protruding from their Board, founder chests – that drag along cartfuls of FRESH AIR of Freedive Gili. tourists. Zen it most definitely isn’t. Board has set 13 Freediving is one British freediving records, Freedive Gili T of the fastest- his most notable achievement being Luckily Freedive Gili is set back just a Constant plunge to 103m in enough from the main strip to block out growing water 2014, using a fin to swim down and most of the din. “Freediving is 95% sports in the straight back up again. mental, 5% physical,” says instructor world, but what He set up Freedive Gili in 2009 as Denis on our first morning. Lean and OMETHING DOESN’T FEEL It’s a long way to the surface, and peeking been practised by communities the first dedicated freediving centre in with a serious demeanour, Denis exudes makes it so popular? And right. I’m 20m under the makes those darned contractions worse. around the globe. Recently I spent time Indonesia. In only six years, eight other calm from every yogi pore. can anyone do it? AARON SStrait, holding onto the same Eyes on the prize (in this case my documenting a nomadic seafaring group, centres have cropped up around Bali We begin with some relaxation breath I took (what feels like) an eternity instructor Denis, who glides upwards, the Bajau Laut, as part of an online series and the . And I’m keen to find techniques, including a “body scan”, ‘BERTIE’ GEKOSKI leaves ago. Without a tank, BC or regs. rolling his shoulders, caressing the water I’ve been presenting, Borneo From out why. a meditation technique that trains the his regs at home and heads As the realisation kicks in, so does the with his elongated fins). Below . “Imagine being able to take a deep mind to observe bodily sensations and for Indonesia urge to breathe. At first it’s a swallow, Nearly there, nearly there. And These “sea gypsies” spend almost their breath and dive down under water, release any tension. then contractions in my gut. I shouldn’t suddenly I’m at the surface again, my entire lives on the ocean, and their eyes experiencing weightlessness and the A poor yogi, I lack focus and am be down here – well, not without a safe place. Recovery breaths: fast exhale can focus under water in ways we can sensation of flying, without any unable to release pain from a recently delicious tank of sweet, sweet air. to purge the CO 2, forceful inhale to flood barely comprehend. discomfort or urge to breathe, and stubbed toe. Perhaps a session on It’s time to head up, my liaison with the body with yummy O 2. And repeat… As children, many burst their combine this with an almost meditative freediving breathing techniques will the elusive 20m mark all too brief. don’t want to black out. eardrums to facilitate a life of freediving feeling from being totally focused and help. The key, says Denis, is to breathe I try to remember the instructions: That wasn’t so difficult, was it? Can we to extreme depths for minutes on end. present in your mind,” says Board. with the belly, which slows down the loooooong fin-strokes, relaxed swaying go down again? I want to go deeper… For the Bajau and other fishing There are numerous reasons why heart rate. shoulders . In fact, relaxed everything. communities, freediving is about people learn freediving. For some it’s a After a couple of minutes we’re taught None of this fluttery frog-kick crap you’ve The origins of freediving survival. When I put it to one Bajau man, pursuit of inner peace, or to feel a greater how to take our three final breaths: been honing all these years. I’m floating in waters just off the Gili Minayak, that people do this as a sport, connection with the ocean. For others it’s inhale to fill the stomach, then chest, Just don’t look up, whatever you do. Islands, an of three small he laughs and says simply: “Why would about pushing one’s body to the limits, then release the chest, followed by

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2: CAVES OF KEFALONIA the stomach with the exhale. Deep. Slow. Above: Entering a swim- Phreatic as a bird, instructor Calm. After these, a freediver would begin through. a descent. MARCUS GREATWOOD extends his Right: A group of Next up, equalisation. For the purposes experienced freedivers and fascination with freediving in overhead of Level 1, we’re taught the pinched-nose students. environments to explorations while Valsalva technique. This comes naturally to the scuba-divers in our group. Below: Aaron descends on holiday in Greece The Frenzel technique – achieved by along the line. using the tongue as a piston to air EFALONIA IS THE LARGEST seemed amused about our diving plans upwards – is often employed when diving of the Ionian Islands, but it has when we sampled the tourist-boat trip deeper than 30m. It requires less . Kescaped mass tourism. After a around the cave lake. Then we jumped in. We move to the pool for a confined season of “phreatic” diving (that is, The seawater in the lake is sucked from session and to learn proper freediving freediving in underground lakes) we were the Ionian Sea into on the west form. The body should be straight and the side, long fin-strokes, fluid the surface or in the top 10m – is caused In water the colour of Frank Sinatra’s looking for a last-minute holiday in the side of the island, near Argotoli, and streamlined, with the chin tucked in so movements, relaxed shoulders. by cerebral , when oxygen stores eyes, the appear a long way away. sun, and just off the west coast of Greece, expelled into the Bay of Sami. that you look directly at the line, arms by I have trouble with the unfamiliar fall below the level required to maintain Twenty metres is approaching a deep dive with a typical rocky coastline and crystal The brackish water takes two weeks to finning technique, and continuously face- consciousness. on scuba. I manage to relax just enough water, Kefalonia seemed the perfect late- travel across the island in huge karst plant into the pool-floor. Denis is keen to stress that, despite its to flirt with the bottom of the line. And it summer destination. conduits (phreatic tunnels). I hope it comes more naturally out in label as an and the recent feels great. Apnea equipment was packed as a In several places these have collapsed the open ocean, where we head after all high-profile death of the world’s most Sadly, this spells the end of our session, matter of course, and we called into the to form , pits resulting from the the students manage to swim 30m under decorated freediver, Natalia Molchanova, and we head back to the centre for the local scuba centre to hire some weights. collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes water in the pool. Here we take it in turns it is incredibly safe when practised with a token exam. My appetite for freediving Aquatic World is a friendly shop on the groundwater underneath, similar to those to progress up and down buoys to competent buddy. has been sufficiently whetted. It’s been an island’s east coast, and its staff provided in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. complete different tasks. Even if freedivers black out in the absorbing couple of days learning the us with some lead and pointed out a few To pass this stage of the course, we shallows, it rarely leads to complications techniques needed to dive deeper, for Right, top and below: dive-sites. In passing they mentioned the Alaties beach on Kefalonia must complete two exercises at 10m: when dealt with in the correct manner. longer. Now all that’s required is a little ban on diving in Mellissani Cave Lake. was the place for firstly ascending using arms only, and practice… right, where are those whales? spectacular rocky dives Cue humorous double-take: “Is there then repeating this but after removing Rescue & duck and sea caves. any way we can dive this amazing place?” our masks. Next step is to learn how to deal with an 4 To learn more, or participate in a “Not without permission – diving is Our group completes these exercises unconscious diver in the ocean, following freediving course, visit www.freedivegili. forbidden.” Below: It all starts from with little difficulty, and by the end of the a yoga session and some techniques to com. You can watch Aaron’s diving The next two days of “exploring” the the diaphragm – yoga day I already feel improvements in my stretch the diaphragm. adventures in Borneo on the weekly online breathing class in the island just happened to follow the route form, breath-hold and ability to relax. At 10m we have to lead a blacked-out series at www.borneofrombelow.com Gili islands. of Mellissani Cave Lake, the local police Denis safely to the surface and then department and municipality offices, Mammalian reflex practise rescue breaths. We’re also shown culminating in a meeting with the Mayor Our second and final day starts with a proper duck-diving techniques. of Kefalonia. lesson in freediving physiology. This The drill goes: breathe up, three final Luckily, he was a jovial chap who was includes learning about the mammalian breaths, take out, pre-equalise, tickled by the idea that we might want to – the natural reaction put arms straight out for a 90° angle, freedive his cold underground lake. So, mammals experience when they’re lift the hips so that the legs follow the after taking a couple of selfies with us, he submerged in water. body’s downward momentum, followed agreed to swap some photos of us in the This response puts the body into by one stoke with the arms, constant lake for his permission to dive. oxygen-saving mode so that we can spend equalisation, then finning. The absence of mass tourism was more time under water. Once we’ve practised this a few times, evident in the small unmarked car-park We also learn about shallow-water the rope is lowered to 15m, and then to and tent-like structure housing the café, blackout and how to avoid it. This loss of 20m, a symbolic mark that instantly souvenir shop and entrance gate of consciousness – experienced normally at induces unwanted tension. Mellissani Cave Lake. The staff also

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The roof of the Mellissani cave Above: Huge speleothems collapsed during the 1953 Ionian line the huge main chamber earthquake, after which a tunnel was cut at Mellissani. for an entrance. Local guides paddle Right: Exploring the sea tourists around both sections of the lake, caves at Alaties beach. one open to the sunlight and the other dark and mysterious, despite the Below: Pinna nobilis , the incandescent floodlight flickering behind giant mussel, was once a common sight but is now a mound of fallen roof rubble. protected because of illegal The cold water forms a permanent poaching. mist, imparting a damp chill to the air, but the crystal turquoise of the water Bottom: At Zervati almost takes your breath away. We were woodland leads down to itching to dive it. crystal-blue waters, eerily like a Mexican . The coldness UK caves are cold, and subterranean Surprisingly, considering the amount The 10-minute boat-trip gave us ample lakes are something we’re used to, but the of sunlight falling on the open section, opportunity to acquaint ourselves with shock of dropping from bright sunshine there is very little life in the water. Eels, the cave before finally getting our chance and T-shirt-and-shorts weather straight however, seem to thrive there, and are not to explore. Wearing we climbed into 14°C water took our breath away, afraid of divers. into the lake, and got our first real as did the colour, size and beauty of The cold eventually stopped our fun impression – one of coldness. Mellissani cave. after about an hour – but what an The chamber is huge, dropping quickly unforgettable hour it was! off to 30m with water so clear that diving We were told that the water from feels like flying. Cave-divers have Mellissani lake flows into the sea via a surveyed the entry and exit tunnels on lake in Karavomilos. So we went to find it, either side of the lake (these overhead and were greeted by a duck-pond. environments are unsafe for freediving), Very clear, teeming with life – but a but we were in awe of the splendour of duck-pond nonetheless. the main chamber. activity is forbidden in the lake Huge speleothems (stalactites and because it supports a unique eco-system. stalagmites) have been left from the time However, we were given permission to when the cave was dry, thought to be swim through to investigate a small crack thousands of years ago. in the surrounding rock.

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The lake was amazing, with life Above: Karavomilos –the ceilings were unstable, with a lot of down to the by-now-expected crystal-blue springing forth in every direction, but we cave beyond the forbidden tablature breakdown. waters, was a joy unto itself. By far the duckpond. weren’t permitted to hang around to film. We had heard that as many as five of smallest lake, it drops quickly to 10m, The crack turned out to be the entrance the 17 caves in the area contained lakes, leading to a tunnel not destined for apnea to an amazing cave system, the first two with various degrees of accessibility or exploration. chambers accessible to us surface- suitability for , but it was water Again our compact travel lighting was dwellers. Fun doesn’t cover it. This was all the same. perfect for the 30-minute dive. We spent the best phreatic dive we have done. a relaxed 40 minutes enjoying the view, Armed with a Light-for-Me 4XPG The coldness water and location. torch and 3XML video light, we had Not ones for sitting on the beach, we I have always believed that wherever plenty of illumination for exploring and decided to do some cave-hunting. Agalaki you find yourself in the world there is taking photos. The water was stunningly is a vertical-access cave that’s easy to amazing beauty just around the corner – clear (and still cold) and we were in no locate and awe-inspiring to view, but you just have to look. Phreatic diving is danger of losing visibility in the strong without our Petzl kit we weren’t just an extension of this philosophy, albeit exiting . about to risk entering. Next time! with a few more safety procedures. I must warn people thinking of On our last day we located the gem in entering this cave that, apart from the the Kefalonian cave list. Zervati, eerily 4 NoTanx is now running phreatic diving entrance being a nature reserve, some like a Mexican cenote with jungle leading courses in the UK, www.notanx.com 3: HARMONY IN THE Last year HELENA BRENER and her team of Odessa freedivers formed part of a mixed band of Ukrainians and Russians, freedivers and scoobies, with classic Red Sea wrecks in their sights. Photos by ANDREY NEKRASOV

UR UNDERWATER ODESSA times Brina soon became a haven of gang was in Egypt, spending a international harmony, an amazingly Oweek on a cosy dive-boat named friendly, cheerful and empathetic Brina that contained a cool mixture of atmosphere prevailing. The heads of both 10 divers and freedivers from both groups were successfully managing the Ukraine and Russia. complicated task of ensuring the safety Despite these being uneasy political of both scuba- and freedivers.

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We were brought together by the than physical shape or lung capacity. Red Sea all around and beneath us… There are no age restrictions – pro endlessly blue, its transparency freedivers range from the under-20s dangled before us and attracted us. to the over-50s. In fact the Odessa team had been in Our safari trip itinerary included a couple of days earlier than wreck-sites we love to visit. One of the others to warm up before the trip. the most vivid Red Sea wrecks is the Hospitable Dahab had hugged us as Greek ship Giannis D , built in 1969 usual, and two days spent at its famed and sunk in 1983 after crashing into dive-sites had helped us to tune up our the submerged at Abu Nuhas. minds and bodies for freediving. The crew was rescued but the ship has become a scenic wreck, Transition period broken in three and lying at 27m. After a long time out of deep water, The rough sea was not helping a freediver always needs time for us to relax but our curiosity and mental and physical re-adjustment, to unsatisfied diving addiction soon remember how to switch the diving overcame this. It helped that the reflex on. Eel Garden’s transparent wreck is near the surface – you can water, dazzling white sand and actual get to the deck-house at 10m and garden eels, which it’s possible to watch approach other parts at 5-6m. quite closely while breath-hold diving, served that purpose. And relax A great turtle suddenly surfaced from Little by little we would warm nowhere to take a breath of air along up and make it to the bottom, with one of our team. Then slowly, with but first we had to achieve that regal dignity, it went deep along the reef, Clockwise from left : Descending the line; flagging basic freediving condition of relaxation. inducing in us that satisfying sensation of down a boxfish on the seabed at Dahab; looking through So we lay on the surface holding onto complicity. a porthole on the Thistlegorm; two shots of divers on the the buoys, calming down our breathing wreck of the Giannis D ; enjoying the coral at Dahab, Freediving is a unique sport in which after all the hassle of fixing ropes and a participant’s psychological condition, buoys, and tried to let ourselves become calmness, confidence and ability to relax a part of the sea. count for more in achieving one’s goals We meditated on the wreck, which we could see clearly below us – and then the first diver went down, slowly flying along the gangways, taking a look into the upper structure, disappearing for some time and then suddenly coming back into sight and finning back up to the buoy. The next diver turned around the mast, entered the deck-house, glanced inside some huge pipe sticking out of nowhere and swam along picturesque coral- covered plates. Dive by dive we explored the whole ship, and left with great memories of a beautiful wreck still full of life. Scuba- divers love historic or mysterious sites but freedivers just need places that are calm and deep.

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full voyages in its short battling life. Her bursting boiler led to detonation of most of the ammunition on board and a massive fire. Nine crewmen died and 30 were rescued by a convoy ship. Thistlegorm cracked in half and lay on the sand in 30m until the wreckage was found by in 1955. Full of intact WW2 artefacts, it would become Egypt's and one of the world’s most visited underwater objects. Experienced scuba-divers know that conditions are rarely calm at the Thistlegorm site – in such a wild spot there is always a wave, big or small. So we had to be careful of the weather, manoeuvring all the time in a bid to hide from the wind, which was unusually over the first very uncomfortable 15m strong for the season. Scuba-divers don’t were able to relax and glance inside the have to worry so much about surface ship. At first you just stare into the conditions, but freedivers spend a lot of darkness and, because your eyes are not their diving time lying on a buoy and used to the light levels, you catch nothing meditating to prepare themselves. more than a pile of metal. Waves and currents are unhelpful – But after some seconds you can discern just when you think you’re ready for your the stacked motorcycles and vehicles that relaxed and beautiful dive, you may have been parked there for the past 74 suddenly realise that you also feel sick years. You feel privileged to be within from rolling about. It’s not a good idea to touching distance of these wartime relics. freedive if you feel like that. Our luck held as we avoided touching The waves were pretty high when we an invisible but huge stonefish that reached Thistlegorm – conditions were looked as if it had grown out of the stern. difficult even for the scuba-divers. I rarely suffer from seasickness, but this Time soon passes time I didn’t feel happy, and the idea of Briefings, daily dives at site after site, getting back on the boat kept returning. nightly parties, sunbathing on deck, all In these conditions the 25m depth that rolling about at the surface, reefs and seemed extreme, and we had to hold onto wrecks, deck jumps into bioluminescent the rope all the way down to resist the night waters – the week went fast. strong underwater current, but some of After arriving home, some of the more us did manage to overcome these sensitive freedivers would still be We will never forget the sun breaking Above: Exploring the complications, and even enjoyed the seesawing for a couple of days – that’s through the calm warm water on our easy Thistlegorm . wreck and the underwater photoshoot. how our vestibular apparatus readjusts to reef dives, which removed all worries and Incredible feelings lap over you as you the normal rhythm of life on land, and Above right and below: sometimes even physical pain. Using DPVs to cover more reach the upper deck, hover above the old reminds us that it’s time to return to our We’ll always remember with a smile ground on a single breath. rolling stock and tanks standing on both families, work and life. the eyes, rounded in astonishment, of our sides, and slowly fin down to the hold. But getting together on winter’s nights, RIB captains, two Bedouin boys of about Here at 23m there is no current, no we will recall hospitable Egypt with 18. They couldn’t believe that we needed rolling – just absolute calm and silence. gratitude and (flights permitting) plan to all these long ropes to freedive, because Those freedivers who managed to get return there again… and again. they had always assumed that nobody could dive that deep without scuba. It’s impossible to go up and down a rope all the time in the Red Sea. Both physically and psychologically breath- hold diving is a great challenge, serious work, and sometimes you just want to fool around in the water, enjoying the beauty and variety of the reefs. You race across the sea holding onto a scooter, keeping pace with blue fusiliers and meeting the gaze of an awesome great moray sitting in a big crack 15m below. Thistlegorm freedom Travelling the northern route, you can’t miss out on the Thistlegorm . This British military cargo ship was sunk by the Luftwaffe in 1941, having made only three

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