5,4,3,2,1.....!!
Hi people, I just got home from the airport and wrote to my wife who is in Bahrain(Persian Gulf)first, because I had no computer access in Vancouver, and I know she was worried about me.
First, I warn you that this going to be a long post, so if you're interested, then get a cup of coffee.
I showed up on Pete's (Laminar) doorstep not even knowing what he looked like, having only talked on the internet. He graciously welcomed me into his home, which I was very happy to see was full of wetsuits and monofins. I felt right at home.
Saturday we drove out to Ansell Point in Dan's van. Dan is an Aussie who lives in Britain, but is in Canada to do a TV show. He is an Animatronics Engineer, and a keen freediver. Steph was there too, she will be competing for the German team in Ibiza next month. Lucas, a local guy, was not competing, but like Steph, was going to be a safety diver at this competition.
When we got to the sight, the rest of the competitors showed up. Pete, Dan, Tom Lightfoot, Marie, Mike, Brent, Eric Fattah and myself. Needless to say, I was both happy to be around these awesome and seasoned competitors as well as nervous as hell. Everyone was very friendly, laughing and sharing techniques and stories.
We got into the water each in turn with the 45 minute warning, swimming about 75 metres out to the Medic Boat and the 4 floats; 3 for warm ups and 1 competition line. Eric Fattah was to go first as he had announced 65 metres, a depth that no-one doubted he could do; he'd done it many times, plus he set the world record of -82 metres last month! I did my negative dives to 8 metres, free immeresion dives, and 2 regular dives to 35 metres. They did not feel good, and I was wishing that I had been able to do more than one day of constant ballast training to 30 metres in the lake back home, but that had been all that was feasible, so that was that....too late to complain now. Lucas came to me and told me to move to the competitor line; I was close to my 5 minute countdown. The countdown had been explained to us...5 minutes, 2 minutes,1:30,1,30 seconds, 10 seconds, 5,4,3,2,1,+1,+2..etc up to+30 seconds. We had to dive in that 30 second window or be disqualified. "5 minutes", I heard the judge Helen announce to me. I gave an ok sign, and continued my slow deep breathe up. At 2 minutes, I would ditch my snorkel, gently turn on my back, then change my breathing at the 1 minute mark. I would start packing just after T-20, then dive in my window easily.
I breathed away in deep trance, despite the seasickness I was starting to feel....the next thing I heard was "30 seconds"....."What...30 seconds?", I said as I lifted my head out of the water and my heart jumped. "Yes!", said Helen. Without turning on my back, I floated vertically as I started VERY fast purge breathing and ditched my snorkel. Just as I started packing, I heard "10 seconds". I packed 30 shallow breaths and dived, knowing that I needed at least 50 solid packs but did not want to be DQ'd for diving late. My entry was good, and I slowed my kicks as I descended past 15 metres. Something was wrong....my heart rate was not slowing, and I did not get relaxed. My Apneist announced 30 metres, reminding me to fill my mouth with air. I did so, but it was not a good mouthfull. At 40 metres I could see the scubadivers' lights below, but I could not see my tag at 50 metres. I tried to reverse-pack more air out of my lungs, and got nothing. At 46 metres my ears hurt, and I still could not see my tag that was meant to be only 4 metres away.
I grabbed the line and turned up. The seasickness hit me hard there, I thought I was going to vomit 150' underwater with no scubadiver in sight. I did not puke. I swam up in good form with my hands pointed up together, biceps behind my ears. I remember thinking that it was taking a long time for my Apneist to shut up, which would happen as soon as I passed 30 metres. Finally it stopped beeping, but I knew that I was not going to make it. I wasn't scared,so I relaxed my kicks as I got bouyant, but I was dissapointed that I was not going to do what I worked so hard to do. At 20 metres, I remember thinking "Where are the safety freedivers?".
As I came out of the void, I heard Kirk Krack's soothing voice "Breathe, breathe". The darkness faded, and I slowly realised what I was, who I was, and where I was in that order. "How are you doing?" Kirk said. "Better now!", I said with a grin. I asked who had brought me up, and thanked them. Stephanie was my safety diver, and Kirk was filming the ascent. Apparently I was still kicking at 10 metres; Kirk said that my arms began to fall and he grabbed me at 6 metres.
There had been some confusion with the tags, but my performance anxiety and missing my breathe up were the cause of the blackout. I had easily done 42 metres in training a month and a half ago; I know that I can do 50, and probably 60. But, I had not been diving deep for all that time, and that was the main problem. I couldn't, because of lack of proximity to deep water, so I know that for the next competition I will come to the coast 4 days early to train up (down) to my depth.
I had never been seasick before, but Eric Fattah told me that it had happened to him in his beginnings. He said it was the performance anxiety setting the stomach off, making it ultra-sensitive to the waves. That made perfect sense to me. He also said not to worry, that this was my first competition.
I was very dissapointed in myself, but Pete and I talked philisophically about competition and freediving, plus stuffed our faces at a good restaurant. We knew that Sunday was static day, and we should really be fasting, but we had just spent all day in the water and couldn't resist.
Sunday morning we didn't eat. After the briefing at the pool, we got our 45 minute warnings for the static competition. Marie was first, then the line moved up to me. I was second last; I had announced 5:30 and Eric Fattah announced something longer. I had done all my warm ups, and felt not bad, actually. I was concerned that since I had coughed up a little blood after yesterday's dive, it might affect the O2 transfer in my lungs, but I really didn't feel bad.
I got my 5 minute warning notice, and made sure I could hear the judges countdown today. I took my final breath, packed 15 times, and relaxed. I managed to get very relaxed, smiling and enjoying myself. I delayed my first contraction as long as I could, then it came. Quite strong, but I'm quite good at letting the diaphragm do all the work; not letting any other muscles get involved. Shortly after my second contraction, my spotter tapped me at the 4:30 mark and I responded with a small "ok" sign with my finger and thumb. The first 10 contractions were pleasant, and I was glad that they had come after 4 minutes, but the last 10 were not pleasant. I got another few taps from the spotter, but I lost track of what time the taps indicated. The second was 5 minutes, the 3rd 5:30, and then one tap every 15 seconds after that, but I had lost track, and I was a little puzzled, because I was thinking that I'm about ready to stop now, and usually I have had 40 contractions by the time I hit 5:30. I did not want to black out TWICE in one competition, so I came up, took off my mask and flashed "OK" to the judges, looking them all in the eyes to show them I was clear-headed. ""Not today!", I said with a smile on my face. I had done 5:41, my first static ever at a competition, and my first static ever in the water. I was happy that I would get my points for this round.
Kirk said, "If only you had stayed down 1 more second!". "What?", I said. Kirk explained that I had tied Eric's Canadian record of 5:41. I was shocked, also realising that I am a British Citizen, and maybe that would be a record in the U.K. as well.
Then I watched as Eric entered the water, and thought of the scene in the Big Blue where Enzo says "He's a 1 day champion; It gives me something to beat tommorrow", about the Tahitian who had just beaten him that day. I suspected that I would not be a champion for very long, not even 10 minutes, as Eric took his last breath.
I believe Eric did 5:35, or something very close. I was just happy that I had tied a contest with someone I admire very much, especially after meeting him.
Next came the dynamic contest, something I have little practise with, and no training. I did 69.5 metres, which was around what I thought I could do. The real story here was about our friend Peter, who you know as Laminar on Deeper Blue. Peter descended at the shallow end of the 30 metre long pool without a ripple. Dan and I watched as he moved ever so slowly through the water, turning at the deep end and then returning. We were all watching out for the huge monofin to come spinning around at the turn, splashing and slashing since the shallow end was REALLY shallow. Not so.....Peter slowly finned up to the wall, turned in slow motion, his fin gently and silently coming out of the water as he turned to face the opposite direction. With no trace the fin slid back into the water and Peter continued on in his unhurried manner. Dan and I looked at each other in awe..."Beautiful!", said Dan. Pete came up at 106 metres, a new Canadian record, looking non-plussed and happy. HOOYAHH!!!we all yelled and clapped.
I am planning my strategies for the next competition, and feel good about getting one under my belt. I thank all the safety freedivers and scubadivers, judges and volunteers. Mostly to Kirk Krack for the days and days of work he does for free to promote the sport he loves.
My thanks to all who sent me good wishes and advice, and most of all Peter, who took a stranger under his wing, and became a friend.
Warmly,
Erik Young