Freediving

FREEDIVING A BREATH-TAKING EXPERIENCE

Summertime as a kid meant long days at the pool, which would end when my mom stood up and walked over to us to tell us it was time to go home. Trying to extend the day for just a few more minutes, as soon as I would see my mom coming, I would take one breath and swim underwater to the other side of the pool so that my mom couldn’t talk to me. Little did I know that this was my unofficial introduction into freediving. I had never tried scuba and definitely had never heard the term freediving before signing up for my first course. But after talking to the instructors of the shop, they had my attention. I’ve said for years that I am terrible at breathing, so I wasn’t sure I would be any good at freediving. What I learned is that it is not so much about how you breathe, but about techniques, you learn to relax your body and mind so that you use less oxygen. Freediving is a thing that almost everyone does, but you might not be familiar with the term either! Have you gone snorkeling and dived down to the bottom to get a closer look? That is freediving! Have you challenged your friends to see who could hold their breath the longest in the pool? Also freediving! Are you a surfer that goes for the big waves and spends some time underwater after a wipeout? Freediving. Now that I have completed a few freediving courses on Gili Air, I feel like so much more of the ocean is available to me. When I see turtles on a snorkeling trip, I can safely stay underwater for much longer to be able to observe these beautiful neighbors of ours in their home (from a distance of course, don’t stress out the turtles!). If I see something sparkling from the ocean floor, I know how to equalize the pressure in my ears so that they don’t hurt and I can dive down 20+ meters to check if it is lost pirate treasure (no luck so far). Best of all, I have met so many other freedivers just by spending time going out on fun dives and spending time at the shop. Talking to other people that are also in this small, but very international community is so amazing. Listening to other people who have seen whale sharks, mantas, pyrosome, just makes you want to grab your mask and suit, and a buddy (never freedive alone!), and head out to the nearest ocean to explore and just play in nature’s playground. If you haven’t tried freediving yet, then make the most of your time here in the Gilis and sign up for a course. You will learn more about your body, about your mind, and then apply those things while you freedive and learn more about the ocean. It is an experience that can’t be compared to anything else. See you in the blue!