FREEDIVING

Exploring the depths of human endurance on one breath

The Bajau, a semi-nomadic people spread throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, grow up underwater – some of them spend 60% of their lives there. BBC footage shows them walking on the sea floor 65 feet below the surface searching for shellfish like they’re roaming the aisles of a grocery store. They’ve evolved larger spleens than neighboring groups, which allows them to dive deeper and hold their breath longer. They are the world’s best freedivers.

Even though humans have been plunging underwater for millennia, modern freediving began in 1949 when an Italian man dove almost 100 feet below the Gulf of Naples on a dare. People immediately wanted to break his record. Fifty years later, there are six officially recognized freediving competitive disciplines. The world record for static breath hold stands at almost 12 minutes, and the deepest anyone has reached under their own power is 413 feet.

But about 90% of freedivers are purely recreational. For about $500 –the cost of a neoprene exposure suit, mask, fins, goggles and a weight belt – anyone can join. The art of exploring the ocean depths on a single lung full of air is the fastest growing water sport in the world. And the waters off the coast of California provide the perfect training ground for developing skills that can be enjoyed all over the world.

“If you train out here in California, with limited visibility, a surf entrance, unpredictable swells and frigid water, it makes you more confident so you can handle environmental variables anywhere else in the world,” explains San Diego-based instructor Michael Timm, who has been teaching freediving for 14 years. “If you can dive 90 feet in California, you can dive 120 feet anywhere else.“

Training in California doesn’t make a diver invincible, as the surfing community learned in 2001 when Jay Moriarity died freediving solo in the calm warm waters of the Maldives.

“There is no warning for when you get into trouble, so this is a very rule heavy sport,” explains Timm. “If you don’t follow the rules you are going to die.”

The first rule is to dive with a buddy, who will notice signs like a nodding head, tremors, blue lips, dizziness or confusion that can lead to a blackout.

The second rule is to get your weight belt dialed in appropriately. The correct weight makes a diver positively buoyant on the surface after an exhalation. Too much weight means a quick descent, but slows the ascent and will send a diver to their death below the surface if they experience a shallow water blackout. Other rules include not hyperventilating, taking three recovery breaths at the surface, and not exhaling until you reach the surface, to maintain buoyancy. Like most adventure sports that can kill you, ego and peer pressure are the main causes of freediving casualties. Unlike other adventure sports that can kill you, freediving requires relaxation. Before the peak inhalation that carries them to depth or distance, a diver needs to breathe and relax for a full minute or two. “The final breath should be slow and deliberate. You need to think happy positive thoughts,” explains Timm. “So drop any expectations, forget about time and depth and sink into the feelings, focus on relaxation and equalization.“

Of course, it’s hard to relax when you can’t breathe. The first night of a PADI introductory freediving course takes place in a classroom to learn the theory of why you can hold your breath longer than you thought. It comes down to the delicate balance between CO2 and O2.

“Carbon dioxide is the alarm system in the body, it tells a person when they need to breathe,” explains Timm. “When a person holds their breath, oxygen levels drop slowly, but CO2 levels rise quickly. In effect, the body is giving the alarm too early, telling you to breathe before oxygen runs out.”

It’s also hard to relax when you feel like your skull is a thin-shelled egg being crushed by a giant’s hand, which is what diving at depth feels like. On the second day of an introductory freediving course, students learn to equalize early and often, to bring the pressure inside their ears, mask and sinuses to the same level as the water around them.

While scuba diving, with a constant supply of air, a diver can simply hold their nose, exhale forcefully and pop their ears. But freediving requires a more complex and subtle approach, to conserve energy and preserve relaxation. Trouble equalizing is the major limiting factor in freediving and the reason 20% of participants fail their first course.

After an evening in the classroom, the first full day of a PADI introductory freediving course takes place in a pool, where students can put theory into practice, and push through their fears in a safe controlled environment. They graduate to open ocean diving only after practicing breath hold, and mastering descent, ascent and rescue in a pool.

Breath hold practice is controversial in American pools. “I train military divers, many under the age of 21, who here in the US are allowed to carry and use an MK 15, but not allowed to legally buy a bottle of beer – even these elite soldiers aren’t allowed to practice breath holds on their own time in a pool,” explains Timm, who originally hails from Germany. “In Europe you can lay on the floor of a pool for three minutes and nobody cares, but in the US if you swim a 25-meter lap while holding your breath, they yell at you and pull you out of the pool. The only reason we can do it at the pool in San Diego is because it’s off hours and there’s no lifeguard on duty.”

Despite growing regulatory hassles and inherent dangers, Timm is committed to training new freedivers, work which takes him from the frigid waters of Alaska to the clear desert lakes of Nevada and the warm oceans of the tropics. “We are teaching people to be safe in this sport,” he says. “Our goal is to prevent people from going out by themselves and drowning. We are educating people to do this safely.” But like all passionate athletes, Timm is ultimately driven by love for the sport. “I feel like I’m meditating when I’m down there. I don’t think about anything, I’m just gliding through the water, everything but the present moment drops away.”

Dive California offers tours and classes and is based in San Diego. If you want to find an outfitter closer to home, make sure they are certified by a recognized agency, such as AIDA, PADI, or SSI.

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Guided By Choice

The big runoff has raft guides on their toes

By Anthea Raymond

With 2023’s record snowpack and the “great runoff” in full swing, whitewater paddlers are excited for an extended season. Equally excited are casual participants who want to tap into the fun. This has had outfitters across California busy preparing for a season to remember. With the high-water period lasting late into summer, guides have been going the extra length to make experiencing the magic of big water available to everyone this summer, even first timers.

Typically the high-water season in California ends by mid to late June. This year, we could be seeing high-water through the end of July and maybe even into August, requiring heightened skills, experience, and caution throughout the summer. As Jeremiah Copper of Tributary Whitewater Tours notes, “Going with an outfitter is more important than ever this year.”

Outfitters are prioritizing selecting experienced guides who excel in safety, rescue, river reading, strength, stamina, and leadership and communication skills. How do they find such qualified guides?

Many guides start by getting their entry-level training through public “guide schools.” These can run for many days and are often where outfitters find new talent, though recommendations and open applications are also a part of the process. For obvious reasons, this year outfitters are relying heavily on experienced guides, especially for their more demanding runs and multi-day trips.

Swiftwater rescue courses, certified by internationally recognized organizations such as Rescue 3 International and Swiftwater Safety Institute, are nearly mandatory credentials. Additionally, wilderness first aid classes are essential for guides to handle health emergencies that may arise, especially on multi-day adventures.

In addition to these standardized courses, outfitters also conduct their own in-house training programs tailored to the skill and experience of their guides. In-house programs are especially important this year after floodwaters reshaped many banks and rapids. The changed dynamics and speed of the water make it more likely rafts may flip and customers will end up in the water. It also means guides can’t necessarily rely on their past knowledge of the river.

So, outfitters have been busy with on-river training sessions, where emergency rescue and recovery drills — such as righting flipped rafts and gathering up swimmers — are practiced. Strong rowing and maneuvering skills are also being drilled. Guides need them to navigate the new routes and to stay nearer than usual to other rafts — to help out or get help.

Travis Hale of OARS says guides typically make three or four trips with empty boats before taking clients out on an unfamiliar or dramatically changed section of river. Hale, who helps train OARS’ Merced and Stanislaus River guides, also watches how each rower works with other guides. “As much as rafting is an individual sport it is a team sport too.”

Training schedules for most companies this season have been complicated this year too. At some locations, some guides started training as early as March. In other cases, like the Stanislaus and the Tuolumne Rivers, where washed out roads and near

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A practices peak flows made commercial trips difficult in early season, guides will train into June. Finally, companies have also ramped up safety protocols, putting extra safety boaters and emergency protocols in place.

EVERYONE’S ON THEIR TOES

Attention to detail extends beyond the guides themselves. Office staff is carefully trained to coach and relay the proper information to participants before they book their trips. Don’t be surprised to have someone ask you about your height, weight and physical condition. Screening has become more rigorous, ensuring that clients possess the necessary skills and mindset for the adventure. Minimum age limits have been raised at least through July. You may also be asked to do a “swim test” and show you can climb back into the boat before launching.

Rely on the judgment of the outfitters and be flexible if they recommend an alternative. Outfitters act in the clients’ best interests, but clients need to make good decisions too.

WHAT ABOUT PRIVATE TRIPS?

While rafting with reputable outfitters and experienced guides instill confidence, caution is advised when venturing on private trips or with less experienced individuals. Even a professional guide in a casual setting can pose risks.

It is crucial to verify the skills and experience of friends claiming expertise similar to professionals. Moreover, those considering taking friends out should remember that early-season high water is not the ideal time to introduce newcomers to the sport.

Late Season Paddling

There will be great paddling late into fall this year, but it is worth noting that many skilled raft and river guides spend their winter months working as ski instructors and patrollers on ski slopes. With the potential for premium boating post-Halloween, outfitters are already considering staffing strategies. So get it while you can, especially as flows moderate and the weather warms through July and August. Look for that to be the peak period to balance fun and safety, though the fit and adventurous might explore a one-day blast down the full 21 miles of the South Fork of the American River or a high water Merced, Stanislaus, or Kern River trip in June.