Why do you freedive?

[Brad]

I recreationally solo freedive in South Florida to explore, look around, and just feel weightless. I've found very cool things on the bottom of lakes, the ocean, a clear canal, and even in my own backyard swimming hole. It relaxes me, especially at night, looking up at the moonlight. It's peaceful and I purposely stay away from people. They just don't understand.

If I ever find a dive buddy that shares my love of exploration and not spearfishing or competition freediving, then that would be nice. But even if I don't, it won't stop me from diving. [emoji4]

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My brother spent a few years near Port Charlotte. He tells me about the fish that he has seen there and it makes me want to move! He has seen some very cool species in the canals when the vis is good. It is a tough go for a fanatic fishwatcher here in So cal~The near shore is bleak, so you have to make long runs in order to see the remaining species..

I wish i knew someone like you around here! (only in the most manly way mind you! Someone who actually values their time on/under the water without having to profit (fishing) from it. It is rare to meet someone else who is fulfilled entirely by the visual experience--

It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance~

 

[SubCurrent]

You as well Brad. I'll leave a more lengthy reply tomorrow. [emoji4]

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[truaninja]

I've always loved being in the water, and freediving helps facilitate that love. It isn't bulky and cumbersome like SCUBA tends to be. It feels so natural to me, being free from all those restrictions. It makes me feel at peace.

It is also the closest I can come to being like Aquaman, whose always been my favorite.

 

[SubCurrent]

I've always loved being in the water, and freediving helps facilitate that love. It isn't bulky and cumbersome like SCUBA tends to be. It feels so natural to me, being free from all those restrictions. It makes me feel at peace.

It is also the closest I can come to being like Aquaman, whose always been my favorite.

I really do feel the same way truaninja. [emoji4]

I wanted to also continue my reply to Brad. I really appreciate your kind words. Too many people really don't understand the beauty that is right in their backyard. The water may not look blue but there's still life down there and it is awesome. I wish I could find a dive buddy like you who shares my passion for exploring.

I heard back in the 50s and 60s when there were real diving boards and deep ends, when FUN was allowed, people used to frequently swim in the those canals and they were turquoise blue. That must have been nice. [emoji41]

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[JayStarzZ]

I enjoy freediving because I like the feeling of solitude in a (usually) undiscovered & empty world (empty of humans at least) , which I find beautiful in so many ways.
If anyone has ever watched that older show, "Life After People" where they describe theoretic scenarios of what would happen to Earth if people just upped & disappeared one day - That type of stuff fascinates me, the thought of an empty world .. and I guess that kinda plays into how I feel freediving, being down there away from the rest of the world & everything else in it. Hope this makes some kind of sense
And beyond that, simply .. I enjoy the ability of diving down to see something or experience something I might not see otherwise from the surface.

 

[Brad]

I enjoy freediving because I like the feeling of solitude in a (usually) undiscovered & empty world (empty of humans at least) , which I find beautiful in so many ways.
If anyone has ever watched that older show, "Life After People" where they describe theoretic scenarios of what would happen to Earth if people just upped & disappeared one day - That type of stuff fascinates me, the thought of an empty world .. and I guess that kinda plays into how I feel freediving, being down there away from the rest of the world & everything else in it. Hope this makes some kind of sense
And beyond that, simply .. I enjoy the ability of diving down to see something or experience something I might not see otherwise from the surface.

Wouldn't you love to dive your favorite places 500 years ago??

 

[Brad]

I really do feel the same way truaninja. [emoji4]

I wanted to also continue my reply to Brad. I really appreciate your kind words. Too many people really don't understand the beauty that is right in their backyard. The water may not look blue but there's still life down there and it is awesome. I wish I could find a dive buddy like you who shares my passion for exploring.

I heard back in the 50s and 60s when there were real diving boards and deep ends, when FUN was allowed, people used to frequently swim in the those canals and they were turquoise blue. That must have been nice. [emoji41]

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I am very fortunate because i have a 19 foot skiff that allows me to go anywhere within a hundred miles off the southern California coast and stay for 2-3 days at a time.. This whole bight is my backyard.. As you know, most freedivers are hunters and most photographers are scuba divers..

Fish are the true celebrities! ...always yearning for that chance encounter. Here is a link to some video of my encounters: https://www.youtube.com/user/loveofsea1?feature=guide

Hope you enjoy them. Do you have any pics or vid of your encounters?

 

[SubCurrent]

As you know, I don't care for any type of hunting or spearfishing when I freedive. If I'm going to do any kind of shooting, it's going to be with a camera. So I guess I'm in the minority. Just call me an underwater urban explorer. [emoji4]

No, unfortunately I don't have any footage or photos. I have a Canon EOS but I'm not about to take it underwater. [emoji6] I really need to decide what type of freedive course to invest in. That way, I'm certified to know how to dive safely, even if I don't necessarily do deep or long dives.

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[Brad]

As you know, I don't care for any type of hunting or spearfishing when I freedive. If I'm going to do any kind of shooting, it's going to be with a camera. So I guess I'm in the minority. Just call me an underwater urban explorer. [emoji4]

No, unfortunately I don't have any footage or photos. I have a Canon EOS but I'm not about to take it underwater. [emoji6] I really need to decide what type of freedive course to invest in. That way, I'm certified to know how to dive safely, even if I don't necessarily do deep or long dives.

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What about that incredible chance encounter?? I use the nikon coolpix series--the AW130 goes to 100ft and it requires no housing, Worth strapping to your wrist just in case you happen to bump into the most incredible sight possible! It is really cool to keep a record of what you see--each encounter (photo) builds on the last one--before you know it you are compiling a virtual library of the species in your area..You swim in one of the coolest places anywhere, you should be taking images!

 

[SubCurrent]

I agree. I'll look into the coolpix cameras or something similar. Thanks Brad. [emoji6]

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[JayStarzZ]

Wouldn't you love to dive your favorite places 500 years ago??

I wish !

 

[SmallBlockShark]

For me it is the peace, the stillness it creates in my mind, the fluid movements and quietness under the water, the scenery as well. No one I know does this and most don't even go swimming. I am not out there to see how for I can go down, but for the weightlessness and the feeling of flying. I am fairly new at this and can't go down very far or for very long but I am working on improving my abilities. I also find myself thinking about it quite often throughout the day and wishing I was diving when I am not. It is nice to have this forum to read stories, gather info, and in threads like this to express how freediving makes one feel. No one around me understands why I do this and to them they think it is dangerous. I do a lot of lake diving with my kids at my side (floating on the surface with life jackets on), especially my 8 year old daughter. She thinks it's cool and brags to her friends, usually about how many golf balls I find or how deep I go, it's only 20'-25' but to her it's WAY down there.