The British Freediving Championships in Dynamic and Static Apnea 2007

[samdive]

In reply to feargus's message -

we contact the dive mags about stories/competitions all the time but unfortunately they have found that freediving doesn't sell mags - the one issue of Sport Diver that had a freediver on the cover (a couple of years ago now) was one of the worst selling ever

to quote one editor, who I approached trying to get them to run more freediving stuff, "come back and tell me about it when someone dies, that's all our readers are interested in"..... unfortunatlely, despite the fact that he was quite possibly drunk at the time, that basic philosophy does seem to ring true. The mags are always keen to put in the bad news, the good news takes much longer. I was invited to submit a decent sized piece, and photos on Double Dip to Sport Diver - got it in well in time and haven't seen it yet...

 

[alix.leclerc]

That's so sad, because I know of quite a few freediving/spearing mags that run reguarily in France.

 

[island_sands]

In reply to feargus's message -

we contact the dive mags about stories/competitions all the time but unfortunately they have found that freediving doesn't sell mags - the one issue of Sport Diver that had a freediver on the cover (a couple of years ago now) was one of the worst selling ever

I havent found that over here, people are really interested in freediving, especially as it so closely related to the pearl diving history of the Emirates. I have been approached by a few mags to write something. Do you think freediving is becoming old news in the Uk, or maybe, needs to be approached from a different angle? (Like a sporting angle, health&fitness angle).

 

[fabrice]

That's so sad, because I know of quite a few freediving/spearing mags that run reguarily in France.

Well, there's only one actually : Apnea (APNEE, CHASSE SOUS MARINE, PLONGEE, SPORTS SUB AQUATIQUES). The quality of this magazine is pretty good. They had a few years with two much bubbles diving, but since about 18 month they came back to lots more freediving and spearfishing content.

 

[alix.leclerc]

Well, there's only one actually : Apnea (APNEE, CHASSE SOUS MARINE, PLONGEE, SPORTS SUB AQUATIQUES). The quality of this magazine is pretty good. They had a few years with two much bubbles diving, but since about 18 month they came back to lots more freediving and spearfishing content.

IS that the only one! I was sure there were more. My dad has always had freediving mags lying around his house ever since I was a young 'un. Or maybe I have been imagining things (again).

That one you've mentioned is pretty damn good though

@Sands. Yeah maybe a new angle would help. Sport and fitness would be good, especially on an introductory level for a while, because it's no use having pages preaching about the newest fantastic monofin if no one really knows enough about freediving to know what one is! The problem is is that there are certain things that will interest a small number of freedivers, like in depth coverage of WR attempts, or articals about the best places to dive and training techniques. But for those newbies or those who don't even really understand what freediving is about that would be very boring. And right now, those people are the biggest audience.

But if there was some magasine that could actually get people interested in freediving, and maybe even pick up the sport whilst still having value to those freedivers who are looking for more information, well that would be great.

Also, I'm not sure how willing someone would be to take the risk and start a freediving magasine, or even run an artical. Probably not even a scuba mag would, like Sam said. I'd reckon it would have to be someone, or a group of people who had a passion for freediving and spearfishing. I would just love to see something like the french APNEE selling over here in the UK.

On a good note, my teacher today said he'd read an artical on Sara Cambell the other day, about her rise to freediving and record breaking etc. It's nice to know that not only are these stories being published, but the people I rant on to about freediving are seeming to take an interest it in! (I tend to get some stick for not shutting up about diving )

 

[samdive]

British Divers - interested in fitness!!! Sara - you make me laugh...

now maybe if we wrote something about how bacon butties were good for your freediving, we might be in with a chance!

 

[Pastor]

Did someone mention a bacon butty?

 

[alix.leclerc]

mmmmmmmmmm

 

[island_sands]

British Divers - interested in fitness!!! Sara - you make me laugh...

now maybe if we wrote something about how bacon butties were good for your freediving, we might be in with a chance!

Bacon butties?? NOT in the UAE! rofl rofl

Sam- rofl oh come on, were'nt you the RPM class queen? Or are you the only fit body out there We'll have to run a Best of British Sexy Freedivers comp

 

[Spaniard]

A magazine is a brilliant idea in theory but you need a high-enough subscription rate to cover costs and advertisers to make a bit of profit on all the hard work. Howard Jones and his magazine was very well executed but even they struggled to sell it. I advertised in it but was probably the only UK-based freediving/spearo re-seller around at the time. Apnea which is France-based is translated into a few languages and sold all around the world; they get all the big names to sponsor and they have a decent subscription rate; even they have to cover 'proper diving' though.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

The magazine business is very difficult to get into. Niche subscription magazines can work but the execution of it has to be near perfect. Freediver got it right by including lots of pictures but unfortunately the editorial control was next to nil with horrible spelling mistakes and poor grammar.

Freediver no longer exists, diving mags do cover freediving but find it difficult to spend too much time on as they don't see it as their core market.

I work a lot with the general media and generally they are very receptive to FreeDiving - however getting them to put out the right message is difficult. They all too often want to portray it as a crazy sport of daredevils instead of what it really is. The BFA and DB have had quite a lot of success in getting media coverage (Mark Harris is brilliant at promoting FreeDiving) and the right kind of media coverage but it's a constant battle.

 

[Kimmo]

Little idea for this magazine discussion for you. I used to read this: Underwater Photography web magazine And least for me the stories etc. works pretty well. And I guess these guys are not doing it for free.

- kimmo

 

[Stephan Whelan]

The idea is sound. I know the guys over at X-Ray Mag - International Dive Magazine. Subscription is free and it follows the same principle.

 

[Spaniard]

I wonder what the feasability of an English-written, UK-based new freediving/spearing magazine would be? It would have to be a quarterly I guess but do the numbers out there justify it? How many members does the BFA have? The BSA? UK based DB members? Just a thought........

 

[AltSaint]

BFA Members are around the 100 mark. But that's a bit arbitrary, as there are a fair proportion we believe to be inactive ( i.e. did a course and joined, but then moved onto other interests ). On the other hand, you would hope that such a magazine would have a wider circulation than just BFA members.

A slightly more general diving / sports magazine that incorporated freediving might be more feasible.

Thanks Stephan for the mention

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Our market research shows that there would be a reasonable interest in the UK to FreeDiving. There is around a 60% recognition rate about FreeDiving on the street and with programmes such as Tanya's BBC series, Nat Geo showing programmes such as "On a Single Breath" and film festivals such as the Adventure Film festival we are seeing an upsurge in interest.

The only way a magazine would work though is if it was glossy, full of beautiful photos, quarterly and global in it's reach.

I've been looking to launch a print magazine for a number of years (DB owns the rights to the back-catalogue of Freediver - my garage is full of old copies) but it's just too much expenditure.

One of my online media friends over at Wetpixel just launched a beautiful Quarterly u/w photography mag but he's doing it as a possible loss-leader for the time being - hoping it might break even - and that is for a market that is better represented (i.e. underwater photography and US based).

A lot of challenges to launching a magazine anywhere in the world.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Thanks Stephan for the mention

Credit where credit is due!

 

[alix.leclerc]

This is all very interesting stuff. Especially about the u/w mag. Surely fewer people are into u/w photography than freediving? I adore making magazines, in another life I would be aiming to take a media course and making my own. Marine based would be a dream.
Couldn't they be combined?

I think this whole business outlines a definate gap in the market; there's no marine based tv series or magazine done from a freediving point of view that's available to the wider audience. Tanya Streeter got close, but that series was far too focused on her personality rather than the diving and to be honest I just couldn't watch it. But the idea of a nature series filmed alongside freedivers is brilliant!
Having some sort of media that puts freediving in the 'bigger picture' -either more marine photography, or sport, or nature- would be a great way to increase audiences interest in the sport and just to tell them about it.

But that's the problem though isn't it? A freediving mag or series would get the audiences interest where it is at the moment lacking. But you can't convince someone to invest all that money when there isn't already an audience.

Freediving:- a relativly well kept secret for now.

 

[samdive]

Surely fewer people are into u/w photography than freediving?

I would guess there are millions more u/w photographers than freedivers... sorry Alix!

Sara - i still do RPM but you've only got to come along to Chepstow once (or any other UK dive site) to see that the average UK diver is far from fit.... horrible sights of big bellies wrapped in neoprene not to mention stinky dry suit liner babygro things straining at every seam........ generally topped off with a shaven head, loads of tattoos, a cigarette and a huge grease burger (sorry am I generalising???)

My mum once said "you must meet so many fit men working in diving" - she was SOOOOO wrong... freediving is of course a good deal better ; )

 

[Spaniard]

I wonder why Apnea is not translated into English? Seems cheaper than starting a new magazine, they could have UK reps to cover clubs, competitions etc (for freediving and spearing) and get it translated; it's what they do for the Spanish version of Apnea.