Nono.MA
Sketch.Nono.MA

Freediving: First impressions

Today I write from South Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.

We've been freediving for the past three days (yesterday morning at Tabaiba's "El Puerto"). I believe much of what we're learning will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Freediving is a highly technical sport. You can do it to explore the seabed, spearfish, or—as professional freedivers do—to go as deep as you can. (The depth world record is over 300 meters and the time world record over 24 minutes.)

Here are a few facts I've learned so far.

For the first two days, I went 6.5-meters deep. Yesterday, I went around 18-meters deep.

I wonder what would happen if we were to learn as many technical details about other sports—think of running—as we're learning about freediving. I probably do many things wrong when running—say, how I move my legs, how I breathe, or how I stretch when I finish.

It's been an incredible experience so far, and we still have four more days to go. I like the breathing, concentration, and relaxation techniques required by this sport and its meditative aspects.

I hope to share more with you in the coming weeks.

June 8, 2021
Nono Martínez Alonso


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Pencil sketch of Nono Martínez Alonso.