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Trust In Freediving – A Freediver’s Lifeline
It’s a good sign when you’re diving so much your hair never has a chance to dry. It’s been a while since I last wrote anything but that’s also a good sign that I’ve been in the water a lot. I figured I’d take a break and do a little catching up before the end of the year. With that said, I’ve spent 90% of my in-water time freediving and the rest on scuba, including completing a Rescue Diver course (which I highly recommend!).
A few months ago I was irritated at my lack of progress in freediving and chalked it up to the fact that I couldn’t push limits because I wasn’t diving enough and I wasn’t diving enough because I didn’t have a dive buddy there to keep watch so I could push limits… So, finally I was lucky enough to find someone who turned out to be as passionate about freediving as I am. Long story short, we’ve logged a lot of dives.
What I’ve learned along the way is that discussing safety is paramount to building a foundation of trust in knowing that you both are on the same page and that you both know what to look for in signs of danger. Yes, same rules in scuba, but with freediving it’s on a very intense level where turning your back for one moment can mean you won’t even know where to look for a body. We’ve learned to never be more than arms reach apart and how to tell just by a change in body movement when the other is going to dive – always one up, one down. I’ve found that I’m more excited to see my dive buddy succeed and reach personal bests than I am to reach them myself (maybe I’d equate this to spearfishers catching bigger fish). I know that I’m happiest when I can encourage someone to push their limits just a little, in the safest way possible, and see the smile of accomplishment on their face when they reach their goal. I’ve also found trust of a sort that I was previously unfamiliar with. It’s the sort of trust that comes with knowing that the person at the surface is familiar with how long my breath hold should be and has my back if anything should go wrong at any point. Trust is our lifeline.
We started off with the intention to do pool work where one of my goals was to push past my 40-meter mental block and reach 50-meters Dynamic. But the lure of the ocean kept us away from the pool for some time and it wasn’t until recently that we finally made our way back. I did a nice long, relaxed breathe up and began my attempt at a 50-meter swim. As I approached the point of slight discomfort, I began to adjust my form and make decisions about how to use my energy more efficiently. When I got to the second phase of discomfort something different kicked in and I listened to the voice in my head telling me that my dive buddy was right there if anything were to go wrong. The mantra formed…he’s right there…he’s right there…keep going. And I did. I made it to 50-meters and felt fine and yep, he was right there. It was in that moment that I realized 50-meters wasn’t all about me or how I progressed but more about us. When I do 75-meters and beyond, it will be in part because we formed the necessary trust to take each other to the next step. Knowing that kind of trust is priceless.
In the amount of time that we’ve been diving together, quite a few spearfishers have lost their lives while hunting and of those, most were not diving with a buddy. I’ve read gut wrenching accounts from their friends and family, crying my own tears for the loss to our small community. I’ve followed subsequent discussions on how important it is to dive with a buddy, yet time after time, people still dive alone or don’t practice safe buddy procedures. To me, this is as sad as it is disturbing. The funny thing is that I get it. Diving on one breath is addictive and if no one is there to feed your addiction with you, you’re still going to get your fix and if you have to put food on the table, you do what you have to do.
I’m not writing to boast that I have a dive partner and I certainly do not write this to scorn those who don’t. I write this because if I didn’t take the time to appreciate the important relationship dive buddies have, then I would be doing a disservice to the person at the surface who I trust with my life. And in sharing, not only do I hope that my dive buddy understands how much appreciation I have for him, but that in reading this, others might see the tremendous benefits of diving with a buddy and really working to be in sync with that person.
When we’re in the ocean diving down the line and are hitting new personal bests, we know that when we turn around and make the difficult journey back to the surface, the person waiting there will do whatever it takes to ensure we make it back, alive or not…we’ll make it back. And that’s just it. Alive or not, there is someone there. And though our triumphs are personal and we take a moment to revel in them, there is still nothing greater to me than seeing my dive buddy through his journey to reaching goals. That is what takes my breath away and makes me smile.
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Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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