Freedive
Grenada Lexi Fisher ditches her regulator and scuba cylinder to venture below the surface on a single breath and explore the reefs and wrecks of Grenada with nothing more than mask, snorkel and fins
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Photographs by Lexi Fisher, Christine Finney/Ecodive, Keone Drew and Arthur Daniel
y first breaths underwater were here in Grenada, in the shallows off the beach in Prickly Bay with a scuba cylinder and regulator my Dad had gotten from a friend. I remember the sound the most, the deep gurgle of bubbles rushing past my tiny ten-year-old ears. A little ironic that now, over 20 years and a scuba instructor certification later, most of my time underwater is spent holding my breath. With wrecks, shallow fringing reefs, and dramatic dropoffs easily accessible via a short boat ride from the capital of St George, coupled with the balmy ocean temperatures typical of the Caribbean (a steady 27 to 30 degrees Celsius throughout the year), it’s easy to see why Grenada has long been a scuba diving destination. Between the main island of Grenada and it’s two sister isles, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, there are about 50 dive sites ranging from beginner to advanced, wreck to drift. It wasn’t until I had done scuba instructor training and spent a bit of time teaching scuba in all the recreational ways that my interests began to wander. It didn’t take me long to discover freediving and the personal challenge and fulfillment that it brings. Maybe it’s the fact that your time beneath the surface is limited by how long you can hold your breath, garnering more
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appreciation for every moment, but somehow the colours seem brighter, the patterns of light formed by the waters refraction dance more vividly. My story is in no way unique, and many freedivers’ first introduction to the underwater world was with a tank on their back. They ditch the tank for many reasons; the quiet serenity, the unique interactions with wildlife it affords, the freedom of less equipment, and the personal challenge of apnea are among the most cited. Like in many parts of the world, freediving in Grenada is steadily growing and gaining popularity. PADI’s wide reach and their integration of the Freediver programme has been a major help, as up until a few years ago the only certification courses were scarcely available in the southern Caribbean. The closest training centre was Blue Element in Dominica, which is still operational and hosts an annual international competition.
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