Courage

[Erik]

Hi list, I would like to talk about a somewhat touchy subject, rife with politics and emotion, especially among Canadian divers right now.
Eric Fattah has pulled out of Team Canada and retired his position from all AIDA affiliation.
There are some who are angry and frustrated over this.
We all have a right to feel whatever we feel, I don't deny that of anyone. But I believe that if we look at the big picture, the environmental context, then respect for anothers' decision will come naturally.
My point is that if you look at who Eric is, what he has done for the promotion of the sport, how much information he has freely given, how passionate he is, the amount of research he has done, and see how much he loves competition, then maybe you can appreciate what would have to happen for him to make the choice that he has made. Obviously he feels strongly. It appears to me that his concern is for life and safety: what could be more important than that?
It is possible to disagree with someone's method, even to be angry and dislike that person, but I don't think that respect for the person should ever be removed from the equation. With respect comes tolerance. With tolerance come careful words of opposition and intelligent resolution of differences in a civilized manner. Not easy all the time, but something to strive for.
To do what Eric did took courage, more than I have, and I respect him and his decision.
Cheers, with respect to all,
Erik Y.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Erik,

You raise an excellent point. The politics of the agencies (AIDA, IAFD, FREE and in a little way CMAS) at present is causing high profile divisions and public statements.

In any underwater sport, safety is key, and each agency has its own ideas on what is "safe".

I agree that Eric's decision to pull out of AIDA (and concequently the World Championships that start today- Friday) took courage and he had to put his point of view across, it is sad that he had to take such action to make his feelings felt.

However we do need to make sure that there is an open dialogue between the different agencies, and that they can work towards a single goal in performance freediving.

We at Deeper Blue are working with all the agencies to help facilitate this open dialogue and promise to keep reporting the facts not just blind press releases...so far the agencies seem to be receptive to our help.

These are difficult times for the sport, but as Rudi Castineyra said to me in a recent email...

this "cleansing" is neccessary and will, in the long run, be good for the sport, even if in the short term it makes things ugly. There is a certain balance and order that must be achieved in order for freediving to work better, and I think that's what's happening right now, so let's hope that it's all for the better.

 

[Erik]

Thanks Stephan, I agree with your philosophy and how it is represented on deeperblue. I appreciate the non-partisan reporting and factual statements. Also, I'd like to say thanks to Cliff for the new articles....is that an updated picture of the new lean, mean Cliff I see?
Cheers guys,
Erik Y.

 

[Cliff Etzel]

Lean, Mean Cliff Speaks...

Yuppers, Erik - That's me having lost 30 lbs since I started serious training close to six months ago...

Still have another 10 to 15 lbs to lose, but I am in the best shape of my life. Also trying to be as prepared as I can for attending Kirk Kracks Clinic in Long beach in 2 weeks.

You'll all be getting a first person account of my experiences while there along with photo's...

 

[thin_air]

although im new to the sport and its politics
i think that i am starting to see that the politics have a huge impact on many things

i visited a couple of the agencies web sites and found that they dont honor each others records, whats up with that??

oh well this has opened my eyes (alot) to the world of comp. freediving

thats my 2 cents
peace out

 

[Walrus]

politics

I am also not too familiar with all the politics between the different freediving organisations, but it sounds like there are some serious problems.

I think Eric's decision to pull out of AIDA took a lot of courage, and he wouldn't have done it if he didn't feel very strongly about it. Can't these safety issues be discussed ?

On another note I think it's just childish that some records aren't recognised by the different organisations. Most records normally involve a measured line & a depth gauge and will take the shorter length. Why should it matter what organisation the attending official belongs to ?
Is it not enough that an amazing depth has been reached ?

Has anyone actually broken Pipin's 531 feet/ 162 metres No limit's record yet ? (Don't know this one, just asking because the records are different depending on what freediving organisation's website you look up ?)


There should be more communication between the different freediving bodies......

 

[Erik]

Pipin's dive of 162 metres is the deepest....what AIDA is contesting is the method of judging and who does the judging, from what I've seen. I think if Pipin went down a line that is 162 metres long, video taped the whole thing, was watched by divers all the way to the bottom (something AIDA does not mandate for sled dives), and wore an extremely advanced dive computer that read 162+ metres, then he is the guy with the record.
I don't like the politics either, but because I am now a competitor I have to be concerned about the issues. If there are any holes at all in the safety protocol, they should be remedied, period. Most of us don't have to worry, as we are not sled diving or constant ballast diving beyond the depth of scuba divers, but some of our friends might be doing it, and that's a concern to me.
There have been attempts to communicate, but there appear to be egos and sticking points in the way unfortunately. You can sign up on the AIDA list on yahoogroups to see what has been said in the last while.
Cheers,
Erik Y.
+2 Celsius today...winter's coming