FREEDIVING, according to world champion Guillaume Nery, is a journey between two breaths: the last one before diving into the water and the first one coming back to the surface.
And it is in between those breaths when the most competitive divers challenge themselves to push beyond their bodies’ limits in order to be named a champion.
Nery is in town to help in the Department of Tourism’s promotion to make the Philippines the Freediving Capital of Asia. And no one could better help in this project than Nery, who, as a competitive diver, is a two-time champion with multiple records. In 2002, when he was about 20, he became the youngest freedive record holder, diving 87 meters using the force of his fins. After that, he beat the world record three more times. He was the world team champion in 2008 and an individual champion in Greece in 2011 and set the new France record at 125 meters in 2013. In 2015, Nery started teaching at the Centre International de Plongee en Apnee. He dedicates this year scouring the world for the best freediving sites and the Philippines happens to be on top of his list.
“The Philippines has huge potential in becoming a freediving capital of Asia. It is warm all year. You have deep waters that are close to shore, there is little wind and current as well,” said Nery.
He added that he was pleasantly surprised that his first round of workshops last weekend at the Freedive HQ in Mactan was received well not just by locals but by foreigners all over Asia.
Although still in its infancy stage in the Philippines, freediving could become a popular sport, especially in a tropical country that has 1,700 islands and of people who has continued to show interest in the sport.
“I think it can be a popular sport for everyone. Everyone can start at any age and perform well,” said Nery. He added that apart from it being a sport, it is also important to note that freediving is also a great way to explore the magical underwater world, which the Philippines has a lot to boast of, with Cebu having the most aggressive community of freedivers.
He added that just like any sport, anyone can get into freediving. However, not everyone can become world champions.
“To be a world champion, it takes a lot of patience and a lot of time training and a lot of focus. Just like in any sport,” Nery said.
Freediving, just like scuba diving, lets you explore the underwater world. But unlike scuba diving, you do not need any breathing equipment. You are dependent solely on your ability to hold one breath until you surface for air.
Freediving competitions are divided into the static—where competitors hold their breath and the one able to do so the longest will win; and the depth discipline–where competitors reach a certain depth, retrieve a flag and hand it to the judges.
Cebu has, for the last few years, seen a boom in the freediving community. There are two freediving schools in Cebu that have been getting an influx of students: Freedive HQ in Mactan and Freediving Planet in Moalboal, that offer certifications accredited by the International Association for the Development of Freediving.
Although there are not a lot of tournaments from the Philippines yet, Jean Paul Francois of Freediving Planet Moalboal said that Cebu, logistics-wise, can easily host small to medium competitions and later, a world championship.
“We can do that step by step. In the last two to three years, we have gotten more and more people, whom we can train to be competitive freedivers. Next, we can train judges and gain exposure in smaller tournaments. Finally, the venue, which the Philippines has a lot of. I have travelled all over the world, and the Philippines has one of the most beautiful seas in the world. Given all these, we will be able to pull off a safe and maybe one of the best competitions in the world,” Francois added. (MCB)