http://www.evolvefreediving.com/event/mexico-training-feb-4-12-2017/
http://deepseabonaire.com/cenotes-freeding-adventure/
Hi everyone! I want to share my cenote adventure experience put together by Ren and Ashley Chapman at Evolve Freedivng and Gaby and Carlos Coste at Deepsea Bonaire. A little bit about myself. I’m a 36 year old physician practicing in Birmingham, Alabama in search for adventure during my off time. I spent my teenage years spearfishing in Hawai`i but moved to the mainland 12 years ago and have not dove regularly since. On a whim, I took the intermediate class with Ashley and Ren about a year prior to this trip and had a personal best of 30 meters by the end of the class. Being land locked, I have not spend any significant amount of time freedive training but remained seduced by the sport. I learned of the opportunity to dive the cenotes in Mexico through Evolve’s email newsletter. I recognized this unique opportunity to dive and adventure with world record freedivers and I jumped on the opportunity.
Cenotes at the Yucatan peninsula are in a circular arrangement delineating the Chicxulub crater. Geologist attribute the meteorite impact that created this crater as the one causing mass extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Ancient Myans used these sinkholes as a source of water. Swimming in these natural structures, one does feel a connection to an ancient and sacred way of life. The scenery and lighting was spectacular. Gaby did a fantastic job capturing it with her photography. Aside from that, cenotes present the perfect environment for freedive training. The diving conditions were clear, calm, and deep. In addition, the water was accessible by van. Most of the time, we had the entire cenote to ourselves. Our instructors set up three dive floats with 3 to 4 divers to a float. We took turns with Ashley, Ren, or Carlos providing safety and one on one coaching. With 10 adventurers, the pace was perfect for me and there was ample time for breathing up as well as ample opportunity to get multiple dive reps in. We dove one or two cenotes a day throughout the week with a mix of serious training and fun exploration dives.
This was as much an adventure for Ashley, Ren, Carlos, and Gaby as it was for us, and they truly are professional adventurers. It was such a privilege to share this experience with them. My favorite memories include the long van rides between cities and cenotes. During this time we all got to bond and talk about life. Sharing this kind of downtime with our instructors, guides, and fellow adventures has been invaluable. When it came to nerd-ing out on freediving, we discussed mouth fills, kick cycles, equalization, thoracic mobility, grouper calls, o2/co2 tables, and on. I got a peak at just how deep this rabbit hole goes and I received invaluable nuggets of wisdom from the top athletes in this sport. If left to my own devices, acquiring this knowledge set would have taken me years of trial and error. In addition, Ashley, Ren, and Carlos all watch you dive throughout the week and they get a good sense of your dive style and provide advice on how you can improve. I’ve implemented small tweaks to my form and mentality and the improvements have allowed me to go from a 30 meter personal best to 40 meters by the end of the trip.
If you’re considering taking a trip like this, I highly recommend doing so. I will remember the connection I made with fellow adventures and locals for the rest of my life. Logistics were taken care of and I was able to relax and focus on diving, eating, and connecting with people. The local food and people were amazing. As trust and camaraderie grew throughout the week, this trip also gave me the opportunity to test my limits and I learned a good deal about myself. I experienced a shift in my paradigm and the shell shock of coming back home was intense for a brief period. As I settle back into my normal life, I now have training on my brain and plan to take more trips dedicated to improving my freediving. If witnessing breathtaking natural beauty, connecting with like-minded individuals, and testing your physical and psychological limits is your idea of a good time, than take this trip when it’s offered again.
http://deepseabonaire.com/cenotes-freeding-adventure/
Hi everyone! I want to share my cenote adventure experience put together by Ren and Ashley Chapman at Evolve Freedivng and Gaby and Carlos Coste at Deepsea Bonaire. A little bit about myself. I’m a 36 year old physician practicing in Birmingham, Alabama in search for adventure during my off time. I spent my teenage years spearfishing in Hawai`i but moved to the mainland 12 years ago and have not dove regularly since. On a whim, I took the intermediate class with Ashley and Ren about a year prior to this trip and had a personal best of 30 meters by the end of the class. Being land locked, I have not spend any significant amount of time freedive training but remained seduced by the sport. I learned of the opportunity to dive the cenotes in Mexico through Evolve’s email newsletter. I recognized this unique opportunity to dive and adventure with world record freedivers and I jumped on the opportunity.
Cenotes at the Yucatan peninsula are in a circular arrangement delineating the Chicxulub crater. Geologist attribute the meteorite impact that created this crater as the one causing mass extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Ancient Myans used these sinkholes as a source of water. Swimming in these natural structures, one does feel a connection to an ancient and sacred way of life. The scenery and lighting was spectacular. Gaby did a fantastic job capturing it with her photography. Aside from that, cenotes present the perfect environment for freedive training. The diving conditions were clear, calm, and deep. In addition, the water was accessible by van. Most of the time, we had the entire cenote to ourselves. Our instructors set up three dive floats with 3 to 4 divers to a float. We took turns with Ashley, Ren, or Carlos providing safety and one on one coaching. With 10 adventurers, the pace was perfect for me and there was ample time for breathing up as well as ample opportunity to get multiple dive reps in. We dove one or two cenotes a day throughout the week with a mix of serious training and fun exploration dives.
This was as much an adventure for Ashley, Ren, Carlos, and Gaby as it was for us, and they truly are professional adventurers. It was such a privilege to share this experience with them. My favorite memories include the long van rides between cities and cenotes. During this time we all got to bond and talk about life. Sharing this kind of downtime with our instructors, guides, and fellow adventures has been invaluable. When it came to nerd-ing out on freediving, we discussed mouth fills, kick cycles, equalization, thoracic mobility, grouper calls, o2/co2 tables, and on. I got a peak at just how deep this rabbit hole goes and I received invaluable nuggets of wisdom from the top athletes in this sport. If left to my own devices, acquiring this knowledge set would have taken me years of trial and error. In addition, Ashley, Ren, and Carlos all watch you dive throughout the week and they get a good sense of your dive style and provide advice on how you can improve. I’ve implemented small tweaks to my form and mentality and the improvements have allowed me to go from a 30 meter personal best to 40 meters by the end of the trip.
If you’re considering taking a trip like this, I highly recommend doing so. I will remember the connection I made with fellow adventures and locals for the rest of my life. Logistics were taken care of and I was able to relax and focus on diving, eating, and connecting with people. The local food and people were amazing. As trust and camaraderie grew throughout the week, this trip also gave me the opportunity to test my limits and I learned a good deal about myself. I experienced a shift in my paradigm and the shell shock of coming back home was intense for a brief period. As I settle back into my normal life, I now have training on my brain and plan to take more trips dedicated to improving my freediving. If witnessing breathtaking natural beauty, connecting with like-minded individuals, and testing your physical and psychological limits is your idea of a good time, than take this trip when it’s offered again.