Freedive UK arranged an incredible shipwrecked event where 14 of us stayed on a deserted island and had to fend for ourselves for 4 days with skills taught to us from some local Moken, learning how to freedive, build spears, spear fish and forage for food!
The first couple of days were spent learning the basics of freediving, getting acclimatised for those visiting from other countries and snorkling/freedive trips by longtail boat. The basic technique of freediving involves resting on the surface and calmly breathing to reduce your heart rate. The less your heart pumps then the less oxygen is taken from your lungs, moved around the body and transformed in to carbon dioxide. It is the build up of carbon dioxide inside you that makes you want to take another breath, not your body asking for more oxygen. You then take a series of deep breaths in, filling all of your lungs and mouth with air to get as much oxygen inside you as possible, then you calmly dive. I managed to hold my breath, on the surface but under water, for 2 minutes and 9 seconds, it wasn’t easy and was a case of mind over matter, I really wanted to exhale and felt very uncomfortable. When actually diving it’s even harder, as you have to equalise all the way to adjust to the pressure and as you swim you use up oxygen faster! I only managed 38 seconds and 10 meters when actually freediving, I need more practice and bigger balls.