Freedive Flow

Manta Watch Camp – Training with Freedive Flow

Oli — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 06:42:58 +0000

Adam and Carmen are two dedicated Marine Conservationists who trained with Freedive Flow on Gili Air to deepen their freediving to further improve their important work – an enterprise Freedive Flow is happy to support!

Adam Beard
The ocean has always been close to his heart. He combined his two main passions, diving and photography. Manta Watch Camp was naturally the next step in his career. Both Adam and Carmen are the founders of Turtle & Manta Watch Camp and they have moved across the world to some of the most remote areas in order to conserve these beautiful underwater animals while helping the locals benefit from ecotourism.

Carmen Toanchina
has been diving for more than 10 years, she is devoted to the ocean where her passion lies in teaching scuba diving and conservation. Adam and Carmen started Turtle Watch Camp last year, this was a great success with +4700 hatchlings released. More recently they have founded Manta Watch Camp. Their aim, conserving the most majestic creatures in the oceans by providing vital data through research and education.

A Need for further Knowledge

Being based on such a remote island off Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea certainly has its challenges! Manta Watch Camp’s primary focus is to research the manta rays, help protect their thriving habitat and collect and share really comprehensive data through our marine conservation and research program. We constantly found ourselves needing to enhancing our ‘advanced snorkelling’ skills, duck-diving on a daily basis down to +10m to set up our less intrusive Manta ID capturing camera. This was a hugely successful way to capture shots of passing manta rays over the period of 3-12 hours, especially during times we were unable to SCUBA dive. This method proved to be extremely effective as we managed to ID a large number of Manta rays that perhaps might have been too shy for our company whilst using SCUBA. We soon realised we were onto something…

During our first season we started seeing an increasing number of inquiries from guests that wanted to join our mission. But as many of them were freedivers we sadly were unable to accommodate them due to lack of training on our side.

The popular question, ‘do the Manta rays interact differently with freedivers?’ immediately sparked our interest. After some research on the topic, ‘The Art of Apnea Diving’, we were astonished by our findings. The fact that some divers could hold their breath for up to 8 minutes and reach staggering depths of +100m absolutely blew our minds! We began to dream of innovative ways freediving could be used to impact our research strategy and we could already see the experience for the Manta rays would be improved too. This sparked our hunger for knowledge and the desire to be able to perform breath hold dives that previously had seemed somewhat inhuman.

Manta Watch Camp
Manta Watch Camp is a research and conservation program based in Papua New Guinea. They work alongside Manta Trust and Conservation international.

With the mission to gain valuable understanding and data on the Manta Rays of Papua New Guinea, by using a monitoring research program.
They work closely with local communities, tourists and government to ensure the preservation of these beautiful animals, through science, education, community based initiatives and government legislation.

Where to gain this inhuman Knowledge?

During our recent season, we finally decided to make the leap of faith and jump straight into the deep end. We were determined to expand our ‘advanced snorkeling’ knowledge and the thought of diving without the need for bulky tanks or regulators felt incredibly liberating. We also took advantage of the extra luggage space whilst travelling which was a huge bonus! As there weren’t any freediving instructors in Papua New Guinea (coming soon!), we found ourselves on route to the tropical paradise of Gili Air island, which happens to be home to a world renowned and highly recommended freediving training school.

Freedive Flow (www.freediveflow.com) has got an unparalleled reputation. Having the privilege to be visited by freediving legends such as world record holder William Turbridge really justifies their brand name and creates a really enthralling atmosphere to study and learn from the best. We were really surprised with the amazing facilities too and found ourselves extremely lucky to begin our new journey, training with such an elite group of freedivers in such an epic location!

Freedive Flow supports Marine Conservation

After a very friendly chat with Oli Christen, the inspiring owner of Freedive Flow, it was apparent that we were on the same page. We shared the story of our current project and described in great detail Manta Watch Camp’s current goals and ambitious vision for the future. It was abundantly clear that Oli had a real passion for marine conservation and it was really great to make a connection with someone who shares so many of the same values, especially when it comes to protecting our oceans. Oli is also an instructor/trainer and has many years of freediving experience under his belt. He was so supportive of Manta Watch Camp and our previous project in Malaysia (Turtle Watch Camp) that he suggested we apply for his generous marine conservation training program, that aims to support conservation projects like ours, by introducing us to the wonderful world of freediving. Finally, it was time for us to get out of our comfort zone and take a deep breath.

Back to School…

During our first week we were given some self study materials, so we could get a grasp of our new hobby. The material was supported with really useful presentations and revision-sessions with the amazing Yosh, a Master Instructor with years of experience both in freediving and close-up studies of marine life. As PADI Scuba Instructors, we found that there were some similarities, especially with the scientific sections of freediving that happened to be based on rules we were already familiar with, however, the deeper we dived into our studies, the more we realised that there were so many new theoretical and practical skills for us to learn and delving in was so refreshing.

It’s All About Technique

Despite having 2000+ SCUBA dives and 1000’s more in-water sessions, we found ourselves in drastic need to improve our technique in order to become efficient freedivers. It was just so different to what we were used to, but we embraced the challenge! We started with our confined shallow water safety & rescue training in Freedive Flow’s custom built 20m training pool on the premises of the renowned Oceans 5 Dive Resort and began learning some relaxation techniques. This was followed by our very first attempt at a Static Apnea breath hold. ‘Static Apnea‘ is the process of being face down in the water, completely still, whilst holding your breath for as long as you can. During this session, Yosh carefully watched over us, and was there to greet us when we surfaced to offer calming coaching to help us release the tension build up in the body.

This coaching session was heavily focussed on mind control training, a hugely important area of study for those thinking about having a go at freediving. After our first few attempts of static apnea, we were truly astonished that we had actually just held our breath for over 3 minutes! Remember, it was only a few days prior to this achievement where we thought this type of breath-hold required superhuman powers!

Our next session was Dynamic Apnea, which is swimming underwater on a single breath. Yosh was at hand to help us fine-tune our body position, hydrodynamics and of course our finning technique. This was the last hurdle before being unleashed in the open ocean and it was really valuable learning for us.

Continue following our story in PART II

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No more ear infections: Vinegar!

Oli — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 04:02:55 +0000

No more ear infections: Vinegar!

We tried it… and it works!

At Freedive Flow we went from having antibiotic ear drops on standby, to no ear infections for 9 months running – just by using vinegar, this is the story.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor! I am sharing my experience, and research I did myself. Getting a doctors opinion is always the best course of action.

About 18months ago I moved to the tropics, the small island of Gili Air, Indonesia suited me well. The warm water and climate sounded idyllic in every way. This is where I started as a freediver – I was freediving a lot, doing 3 or 4days of diving and then taking a rest day. I was still a student and was diving for myself, having the time of my life. The day after I got certified as a freediving instructor at Freedive Flow, I taught my first course. I ended up teaching 10days in a row, thinking I was invincible.

On the 11^th morning I woke up with a pounding pain in my ear. This was my first taste of outer ear infection, medically known as “Otitis externa“. Symptoms may include itchiness, irritation, redness and swelling of your outer ear and ear canal. You may also have a feeling of pressure and fullness inside your ear.

I stayed out of the water for 5days using antibiotic eardrops to heal the infection. I went diving again on the 6th day – the infection came back in full force! One of the local scuba instructors laughed at me when I told her my infection was back, she said, “Once it feels ok, wait another day.” Advice you should follow if you work in the water.

We were battling with infections on and off every second month. Until one of the diving doctors from DAN gave us some advise: Use a 5% mix of white vinegar with water to rinse your ears, every time you get out of the pool or the ocean!

We started this ritual in April 2016 – and since then none of us have gotten ear infection again! On the island we get 25% solution vinegar. We use 4 parts water : 1 part 25% vinegar.

But beware, this is not a magic tonic which will give you bionic ears. You still need to take dry days and rest days to give your ears a chance to recover.

How does it work?

The pH level in our outer ear canal is relatively more acidic compared to other parts of our body. Earwax assists in balancing the pH of our outer ear canal. Harsh chemicals like the chlorine in pool water can cause a breakdown of earwax. Removing earwax with cotton swabs or continually getting our ear canals filled with water (slowly removing ear wax) causes the pH level to become more alkaline. This is when the ear infection strikes.

Vinegar contains acetic acid. This acetic acid serves two purposes. It helps water in the outer ear dry out (or evaporate) faster. And secondly acetic acid plays the role of killing fungi that may lead to, and could be the cause of outer ear infection.

Conclusion…
By using the diluted vinegar mix to rinse our ears, we are killing any bacteria that could be present. The pH in our ear canal stays closer to the acidic side, this acidic environment does not allow the bacteria to settle and reproduce.

About the Author

MJ Kühn, Master Instructor and Manager at Freedive Flow, Gili Air, Indonesia

Starting off as a spear fisherman I wanted to go deeper to shoot bigger fish. After getting a proper freediving education, I realized I had broken nearly every rule of freediving. I was happy to still be alive and breathing… although I prefer not breathing at all

As a avid white water kayaker, I learnt all about eating CO2 when it really matters…

My professional back round as Rope Access Technician & Lifting Gear Inspector on oilrigs has given me vast understanding and knowledge of ropes, knots, safety and safety equipment. I have been able to apply all these in Freedive Flow.

Freediving is my addiction and I love every part of it, diving deep to see myself, as well as introducing newbies to the silence.

Manager and Senior Instructor
I make sure you have a buoy and a buddy. I whip you into shape during your Master Student Program making sure you know the ropes. I love ropes

References

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2009 Nov;118(11):769-72.
Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014 Jan; 66(1): 86–91.

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The Master Student

Oli — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 07:10:27 +0000

“Your freediving doesn’t matter anymore – it simply must be top-notch!”

The Master Student Program – Why?

by Oli Christen

I made a short video about this statement and why I think it describes nicely one of the main differences between instructors and other freedivers.

The Master Student Program is a great opportunity to make this transition.

Oli Christen
Owner of Freedive Flow
AIDA Instructor Trainer
PADI Instructor Trainer

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Know your Ropes

Oli — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 03:26:20 +0000

Text, Photos and Animations by Freedive Flow Master Instructor MJ Kühn

When I see people tying or using knots incorrectly, I get a subtle urge to slap their hand. Like you would when seeing a toddler putting his finger in the wall socket. Rope work is definitely undervalued in freedive education. Simply put: That rope that you are diving on is going to save your life, long before your buddy even knows something is wrong.
Don’t disrespect your best friend in the water.

When it comes to knots, hitches and rope work, “It works – let’s use it” is definitely not the recommended approach. Yes, this knot or hitch may work but is it the best option? There are pros and cons to every knot/hitch and it is up to you to choose the best one.

Let me start with the basics: What is the difference between a knot and a hitch?

Knot

Knots are freestanding and hold their shape regardless of it being fixed to something. Example: The Figure of Eight

Hitch

A Hitch works solely with friction. Hitches rely on an object like a carabiner to hold its shape. Example: The Clove Hitch

Guidelines to keep you safe

Getting familiar with new knots.
In the beginning always tie your knot from the same direction in exactly the same way.
Example: Position your bottom weight in front of you, with enough space that the rope can be slightly tensioned as you make your knot.

If you do this, its like following directions on a map. If you don’t know your directions by heart and you turn your map upside down. You will probably end up lost. When I teach our master students knots, I see it all the time: When they try and make the knot from a different direction or position, all sorts of things pop out except what they were planning.

Dress your knots
This means keep your knots tidy. Make sure the rope stays parallel in the bends of your knots. It makes it a lot easier to untie once it’s been loaded. Undressed knots loose strength and security!

Dressed – Ropes stay parallel in the bends.

Undressed – See how the ropes cross in the bends.

Tighten your knots
When a slack knot gets loaded it looses its shape (in other words: it gets undressed). The tension is not evenly distributed as intended for the knot. Slack knots that are tensioned create friction which damages your ropes.

Keep fingers and hands out of hitches
When a hitch “bites”, not much tension is necessary to keep you from getting your fingers or hand out of it. Let’s say your bottom weight gets stuck on the bottom with reasonable current, and it happens just as you were making your hitch: Your hand or thumb gets stuck in the hitch and you will be pulled below the surface instantly.

Sure there’s many of us who can get out of the situation. The whole point is not to end up in the situation in the first place.

The ones you need to know!

Clove Hitch

The clove hitch is by far my favourite hitch to use for setting depths on the buoy. It is definitely my favourite to use in most rope situations. Its easy to tie, easy to untie, strong and just bites tighter the more it gets loaded. So keep those digits out of the loops.

Water Bowline

The water bowline is a bowline with an added half hitch on the tail end. When under tension the half hitch grabs onto the tail making the knot more secure. Bowlines are great in general, super easy to tie and untie even if the knot was heavily loaded. The water bowline is ideal for example to attach a bottom weight to the dive-line.

About the Author

MJ Kühn, Master Instructor and Manager at Freedive Flow, Gili Air, Indonesia

Before becoming a full-time freedive instructor I spent my time as a whitewater river guide, a whitewater kayaker and worked on oil-rigs in Africa for 3 years as a rope access technician.

Especially during my work as a rope access technician my life often depended on one single knot! In this time I built up a good deal of experience and understanding of ropes, knots and hitches. No matter what the problem is, my first instinct is always to solve it with ropes and knots. There are few things as satisfying as uncoiling a brand new rope, even if it’s not mine. I want to cuddle it, make friends with it and tell it how amazing it feels.

MJ Kühn
Also follow my blog on Raw Adrenaline!

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Bi-Fin Technique for Freediving

Oli — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 04:35:02 +0000

Text and Photos by AIDA Master Instructor Yoshua Surjo

In this article I would like to convey my personal thoughts on the most efficient technique to use with bi-fins. Fin kicks can make a huge different in our diving: An efficient fin kick propels us further in shorter time with minimized effort. The more efficient we are in our movements, the deeper we can potentially dive or prolong our bottom time.

I believe there are two major parts that characteristic for most efficient fin kick. These are:

– Leg position and movement

Bi-Fins technique

– Amplitude and frequency

The best leg position during a fin kick is a straight legs. To reach this position you will have to lock your knees and ankles. The easiest way to imagine it is when you are tip toeing just like a ballerina. The front kick and the back kick should be symmetrical and well balanced.

Now that we covered the leg position and movement, we are going to discuss the amplitude of our kick and the frequency. The amplitude of our kick is basically the wideness of our kick while the frequency is “kicks per minute”.

The amplitude and frequency of our kick depends on the length of our legs and the characteristics of the fins we are using. If you have a long legs, most probably you will be more suitable with softer blade and vice versa. And if you use a soft blade, your amplitude should be small with a higher frequency. Vice versa, when you are using a stiffer blades, your kick amplitude should be bigger with a lower frequency.

To soft or too hard?

If your fins are too soft, wide kicks will create more drag while the blades are fully bent. In this position the fins will no longer generate maximum power and you will need a higher frequency of kicks to prevent you from losing momentum.

On the other side, if your fins are too hard, you will need bigger amplitude to get the maximum out of your blades.

Written by: Yoshua Surjo, AIDA Master Instructor

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Feel the Silence

Oli — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 10:36:26 +0000

Text by Oli Christen, video by Adrienne Gittus

Why do I freedive? I can say for sure that it is not for the fame, not for the money and not for the numbers. We will have to dig a little deeper to find the answer to this frequent question.

I freedive to feel the silence. I would tend to agree if you say now that this a little cryptic. But let’s start with this: Those who did an instructor course with me will remember one of my favorite sayings: Freediving is a meditation with feedback.

When we meditate comfortably seated on our front porch with the singing birds in our ears and a fresh morning breeze in our face it is a small step to say “I am in the moment!” – the silence of the meditative state feels actually very close to the blissful morning scenery. Quite often your mind flip-flops forth and back between meditating and recognizing the birds. In fact, realizing the birds and the breeze is already giving it away that you have “left the silence”.

During freediving it is possible to find that meditative state of “being in the now” as well – some freedivers might say this is actually the goal of freediving, and I agree with that. Freediving means to become one with water and when this happens, the silence becomes palpable – you can feel the silence! This is why I freedive.

The instant my mind snaps out of the moment and I start worrying about how deep I am, how long I have been down here already, what could go wrong or what maybe went wrong in the past, I leave this meditative state. Either I can instantly find a way back into it or I will have to stop my dive. My freedive ends when I leave the meditation. There couldn’t be any clearer feedback.

In this video, Adrienne Gittus of Soulwater Productions has masterfully caught the serenity, the meditation of freediving. I hope you can feel the silence in this video, too!

Oli Christen
Owner of Freedive Flow
Instructor Trainer AIDA and PADI

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Jamboree DAY 4: About Blacklists and Double-Daisies

Oli — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 08:45:33 +0000

All good things come to an end. Today was the last day of working on perfect freediving with William Trubridge and Freedive Flow on Gili Air. Now, it will be up to the freedivers to implement everything they’ve learnt during the Jamboree to push themselves to the next level.

It’s a wrap! All participants of the FREEDIVE JAMBOREE – GILI AIR 2016.

Freedive Flow’s boat, the Oma Cornelius, can fit 16 divers comfortably, and carries emergency oxygen and water onboard. Today we had some new faces on board. It was great to see that Will made time for everyone, to join and film their dives, and give constructive feedback. Trubridge isn’t about ego. It is rare for someone at the top of their game to display such constant humility, patience and genuine interest in people and the environment. This is a legacy to be proud of: a legacy that inspires people to do better for themselves and for the planet.

Most divers tried no warm-up dives again, while others chose to work purely on technique. Will demonstrated the most efficient duck dives for constant weight and no fin dives. The open water session yielded 3 PBs!

Will introduced a “blacklist” on Day 1. Actions that resulted in your name appearing on the list included:

being late
losing gear
turning early
getting a PB.

The offenders’ punishment is paying for everyone’s gelatos. Will also made it to the list but Stanley ended up generously footing the bill for everyone. Terima Kasih!

This afternoon’s workshop was highly anticipated by participants. The mental aspect of freediving is huge and freedivers are always looking for ways to tap into their potential, and caging that “monkey on the back.” Will talked about visualization, affirmation and mental anchors. You can read more about this on his blog.

He also explained how to schedule a training plan and how to adapt training tables to varying intensity levels to keep the body on its toes. When a table starts feeling easy, it needs to be replaced by something more challenging.

In his final evening talk, Will gave the audience a very intimate insight to his mind during a deep dive by taking us all, step by step, through his ground breaking CNF dive to -101m in 2010.

During the Jamboree we learnt that pros also have problems sometimes, after all they’re only human. Over the last four days, Will:

had a fogged-up mask
got stung by jellyfish and FELT it
learnt how to double-daisy chain a rope
is still learning how to make bubble rings at the surface.

Some other random facts about Will:

He used to play chess competitively
He used to row competitively
His lowest heart rate is 27 bpm

I would like to thank William Trubridge for making the FREEDIVE JAMBOREE – GILI AIR 2016 an unforgettable reality. Freedive Flow wishes you the best of luck in and out of the water. Selamat jalan! And to all of you out there, we hope to see you for the next Jamboree!

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Jamboree DAY 3 ..blew the other two right out of the water!

Oli — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 06:13:39 +0000

William Trubridge is a clever guy. While his intense sessions with Freedive Flow on Gili Air he likes keeping the training plan a secret until just before the participants get in the water. Maybe this way, no one has time to worry about trying something they’ve never done before. No warm-up dives and deep training tables were the order of the day! Surprise!

Open Water Session: A freediver, a buddy and a world record holder that takes footage for further analysis

Most freedivers have a set routine that they rarely vary from. Warm up dives with hangs and FRC (passive exhale) dives usually precede the actual deep attempt. Today, Will encouraged everyone to try for their PB in their chosen discipline and do it with no warm up. He warned that they might feel contractions on the way down, and perhaps much earlier than they’re used. He added that you should not be put off by this because it means that the Mammalian Dive Reflex (MDR) is kicking in and your ascent will feel much easier than normal. Some divers felt a bit nervous about trying this for the first time but knowing that the relaxation phase would be three to four minutes really helped getting the mind in the right place. Everyone hit their target and there were even two new personal bests (PBs) in the group. What an incredible confidence boosting exercise! It is never to late to switch up your freedive routine, play around with new things and see what really works for you. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut because of an irrational fear of the unknown.

The second part of the session, deep training tables, were also fun, but fun of the “no pain, no gain” variety. Doing CO2 training benefits your body and mind because you will also feel more confident after each table you complete successfully. Since the mental aspect is huge in freediving, it’s imperative to replace “I can’t!” thoughts with “I can!”.

Sunrise Yoga Session: Maite introduces Fly-high Yoga techniques as an very effective form of stretching

A perfect way to prepare for an open water session is a dedicated yoga practice. In this morning’s sunrise yoga session our yoga teacher Maite Mendez worked on participants’ chest flexibility using straps and short breath holds. Chest flexibility is important for deep dives: it improves comfort, safety and equalization.

The afternoon session began with video analysis of the morning dives. Will highlighted the importance of hypercapnic and hypoxic tolerance training as part of a freediving regime. If you don’t have a coach, it’s easy to take it easy on yourself by making training tables too easy. You need to step back, think about your goals, commit to them by staying disciplined and challenging yourself. When your body adapts to a certain table, you need to make it harder. The key is to keep it tough but attainable. A decent training table should take between 15 to 20 minutes in the pool.

Will lead a workshop on lung stretching exercises that benefit thoracic, diaphragmatic and rigid airway flexibility needed to deep dives. Then it was back in the pool for another, more challenging training table.

The reward for everyone’s hard work was a stop at the local gelato joint, for some well-deserved sugar. No, Will didn’t have any, just in case you were wondering…

The evening’s talk centred on a lighter subject: Freediving through swim-throughs, including a freedive through the famous Blue Hole Arch in Dahab.

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Jamboree DAY 2: Morning Bliss and Pool-Workout

Oli — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 04:17:28 +0000

If you have to wake up for 6:30 AM yoga there are worse places to do so. Mandala Blue’s yoga shala offers a breathtaking view of the ocean, and the sun rising from behind Lombok’s volcano, Mount Rinjani.

Day 2’s open water session with William Trubridge and Freedive Flow on Gili Air focused on improving free immersion (FIM) and constant weight no fins (CNF). Will emphasized that during your base training, you should practice at a comfortable depth in order to concentrate purely on technique. The idea is to cement technique into muscle memory. After learning a new turn technique and implementing yesterday’s feedback, everyone’s dives felt easier and more efficient .

Freedive Flow is the only freediving school on the island with a custom-built two lane, 20m pool. It’s perfect for practising dynamic and no fin swimming. The No Fins workshop started off in the classroom, with video feedback and an explanation of how your dive stroke rhythm should be adapted to changing depth and buoyancy. Then everyone got into the pool for some CO₂ tables. Everyone thinks that low Oxygen levels make you want to breathe but it’s actually high CO₂ in your blood. CO₂ tables helps your body get used to high levels of CO₂ so that you can change your discomfort into tolerance.

Afternoon Workshop at the Freedive Flow Pool: Advanced CO2-Tables combined with no-fins efficiency training

During the evening talk, Will turned the spotlight on plastic pollution. This is possibly the most underrated yet most serious threat to our marine ecosystem and planet Earth as a whole. Will spoke about the Pacific Garbage Patch, an actual island of rubbish twice the size of Texas.

Here in Indonesia, plastic bags and straws are used without thought and sadly most of this will end up In the ocean. Plastic absorbs toxins like DDT, break into small pieces that are ingested by fish, crabs, turtles, whales and seabirds. Animals either die as a result of eating plastic, or accumulate toxins moving up the food chain. Studies have shown that fish that eat plastic show stunted growth and are lethargic.

It is up to every tourist to minimize the impact left behind on Gili Air. It is no longer acceptable to use single use plastic. Use alternatives: cloth-bags; re-useable containers and straws. Please join us in saying “NO” to plastic.

Bahasa Indonesian phrases

“No plastic bag.” = “Tidak plastik kantong.”

“No plastic straw.” =“Tidak pakai sedotan.” or “Tidak plastik straw”.

Evening Talk: William giving a speech about Plastic Pollution in the Oceans and what we can do about it.

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DAY1 @ Jamboree Gili Air 2016

Oli — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 09:06:14 +0000

Miguel Lozano trained here before his Free Immersion world record attempt in May. Less than a month ago, Alexey Molchanov set an unofficial Constant Weight Record here. William Trubridge is currently visiting Freedive Flow on Gili Air. What is it about Indonesian waters that draws the big names in freediving? Depth, perfect water conditions and ease of access.

Oli Christen, the founder of Freedive Flow, believes that it is time to put Gili Air on the map as a world class freediving destination. Why should these great training facilities be kept a secret?

William Trubridge first met Oli six years ago in Switzerland. Now, after an intensely busy competitive season, Will went on a break, visiting New Zealand, and Japan. En route to the Philippines, he sent Oli an email along the lines of: “Hey Oli, I’m in the hood on my way to the Philippines. Still wanna do something?”. Cue the Freedive Jamboree Gili Air 2016. The four day event focuses on yoga, pool training sessions, open water sessions and evening talks presented by William Trubridge and hosted by Freedive Flow, the best freediving resort on Gili Air.

The first day started with a sunrise yin yoga session with a Pranayama focus, beneficial to freedive training. Yoga enables participants to warm up their muscles and get their minds in the right place for the open water session.

William gave a run-down on the focus of the open water session: warm ups, then a shallow depth focus on free immersion (FIM) and constant weight no fins (CNF) technique. The participants included Stanley Sradaputta, Indonesia’s depth record holder and represented all levels of experience: from beginner level to Stanley’s senior status in the sport. In this sport, there’s always something new to learn, a technique to perfect, so one’s level is pretty irrelevant.

The surface of the ocean was a mirror as we headed out on the boat this morning. Flat seas and good visibility always guarantees smiles and set the tone for a great dive session.

The buoy set up was intimate and practical with a maximum of three divers per buoy. It was great to learn a new warm-up position that allows you can keep your body relaxed and get a really good in- water static experience.

Some divers focused on their FIM technique, others on CNF. Will spent quality time with everyone individually, observing and giving constructive feedback on technique. It’s quite surreal coming up from a no fins dive and “OK-ing” the world record holder.

Most freediving courses don’t place much emphasis on no fins technique, so it was great to learn about the right rhythm, recovery, glide phase and the duck dive, which is completely different to a duck dive with fins! In keeping with Freedive Flow’s professional service, everyone’s dives were filmed for later analysis on a big screen TV.

Jamboree-Workshop at the spacious classroom of Freedive Flow @ Oceans 5: William Trubridge explains how to set the neutral buoyancy for deep freediving. (photo: Saki Ono)

The classroom session focused on proper breathing for freediving, including an explanation of what hyperventilation is and why it should be avoided. Will expanded on CNF and FIM technique and analysed the morning dives. Everyone got to practice proper FIM pulling and recovery technique on a rig set up for purpose.

Finally, Will gave a talk on diving to 100m and beyond. The talk was open to everyone on a donation basis, and all funds raised will go to a local charity that deals with the plastic pollution issue in Indonesia.

See you tomorrow for another update!

Jamboree – Evening Talk : William has a large audience on the edge of their seats with a very personal story about his journey to the latest World Record dive to -102m without fins (photo 1 and 3: Feisal)

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