Breathtaking breathold
A huge thanks to British freediving champion Georgina Miller for her words providing a thoughtful insight into her career in freediving and the amazing photos from the internationally renowned photographer Daan Verhoeven.
My name is Georgina Miller and I have been freediving competitively since 2007. We run Aquacity freediving in Cornwall at the gorgeous Porthkerris dive centre. I am an SSI instructor trainer and have also held six national records and been national Champion in the UK several times including last year (with highest total competitive points across all disciplines).
We find that most people who come to us to learn to freedive think of competitive freediving as madness and find the idea stressful- so a common question is why do you do it? Most people want to learn to freedive to explore the underwater world and get closer to animals…. But there is something really magical about the competitive side of the sport as well.
As much as it is a really measurable the longest, deepest dive wins- it’s actually very internal. You are only ever there to explore your potential, and for me- instead of competing against people- I have always found the community to be incredible. We are all deeply committed and in love with the same sport and overwhelmingly seek to enjoy each other’s company and support each other.
Credit - Daan Verhoeven
My first competition came as an invitation from some friends- they were going for a weekend trip to the south of France and asked me along. The concept was that a very experienced competitor should team up with a complete beginner and the winners took the highest team scores. I was lucky enough to be looked after by someone very special- who became a mentor- Mark Harris. He said that he would have his zimmer frame along with him- far from it. The man is an incredible athlete. He led me through the rules and took care of me all the way- with the only slight glitch being on a count down that we both missed- he said ‘shit- put your face in the water quickly!” It was my first static in a competition- which had a stressful start but I was super happy with as it was close to 4 minutes. I feel extremely lucky to have begun freediving when I did, and with the people who introduced me to it.
The Blue Hole - Credit Daan Verhoeven
At the time the more experienced people really mentored beginners, in a very hands on way- we safety dived for each other and gave a lot back to the community- in terms of education, friendship and the running of committees and events. So I feel like I had a great start and as I gained more experience- I took on the role of trying to help more people get started with it.
The nature of the competitive side sport has changed radically since I began and looks really different now. Not only have the records advanced in unimaginable ways, the rules and safety procedures are so much further along now it is becoming a professional sport.
Some of my most cherished memories from early competitions are hilarious, back in the day some of the loveliest events- like the Great Camberwell breath holding competition- organised by the amazing Liv Philip, who was herself competing and setting impressive records. It had prizes of carrots…if that reference is lost to you try watching the British film ‘Withnail and I- where the Camberwell carrot referred to is a really huge joint. Its a far cry from todays events that are streamed live from incredible venues around the world, with some even offering prize money and certainly equipment sponsorship. I remember at the time though- that Camberwell carrot was such a prize.
Georgina. Credit - Daan Verhoeven
The British Freediving Association arranged a pool competition back in 2008 in Brockwell Park Lido ( which by today’s standards was slightly on the shabby side- but so wonderful for it). They had rented a couple of lanes, but the pool was otherwise open to the public who seemingly had no idea what we were doing. During the static apnea event- which is a timed breath hold where people float face down in the water for as long as they can… not a spectator sport… a local lad was laconically leaning against a wall watching us, and said- loudly- ‘dat man dems ded- innit- no one gonna do sumfin?” To which the poor athletes who were trying to concentrate fell apart laughing.
Indoor events such as these are one side of the sport. Pool diving. Back in 2007, the men's world record in dynamic (where someone swims lengths underwater in a monofin) was an unthinkable 234m, set by David Mullins from New Zealand. Today it stands at 301m by Guillaume Bourdilia. The ladies record in 2007 was 205m set by Natalia Molchanova from Russia and today is 277m by Magdalena Solich Talanda from Poland.
Credit Daan Verhoeven
We have different disciplines in the pool, static is a timed breath hold. Dynamic which sees athletes swim lengths underwater can be done in a monofin, Bi fins or without fins. Its fairly common for people to choose either pool or depth training- but I love the challenge of trying to compete in both and have enormous admiration for the competitors who do both to a high level. I have an incredible coach, Dean Chaouche, who is a rare expert across all disciplines and multiple UK record holder himself. His programs have been a challenge, but in such a good way- it keeps you accountable, motivated and on track.
Deep diving is really for me the most magical and subtle side of the sport. We have different disciplines again- ‘Constant weight diving’ where you swim down a line with the same weight that you bring back up again, which can either be done with a monofin, bi fins or without fins. Also we have ‘ free immersion’ which sees divers pulling themselves down a line, just using their arms.
The No limits diving (which was popularised in the film Le Grand Blue) is largely off the table these days, where the governing bodies who ratify records deem it too dangerous to endorse. No limits diving is when a diver can take a weighted sled down and some sort of buoyancy device back up. The world record stands at a terrifying 214 m set by Austrian, Herbert Nitsch. A lot of athletes don’t see this as pure freediving as it is so reliant on equipment and has sadly been an area where we have had fatalities and accidents are common.
Credit Daan Verhoeven
I think it is in depth disciplines that we are seeing the greatest increases. In 2007 Herbert set a constant weight dive to 112m and Sara Campbell of the UK set 90m for the ladies. Today it stands at 136m, by Alexey Molchanov from Russia and 123m by Alessia Zecchini from Italy.
No fins has increased for the men from 83m by Herbert in 2007 for the men, and 56m by Sara to a whopping 102m set by William Trubridge from New Zealand and 77m by Katerina Sadurska from Ukraine.
So how do they do it?
Recently Katerina was interviewed on the Freedive Cafe podcast. Her words were too beautiful not to include here.
"Most of the time, it doesn't really matter if I go really deep or a bit less deep, a bit shallower. What is the main insight from this year?
This feeling ... that the dive should be beautiful not only on the outside, but from the inside. I got very inspired just from diving next to the deepest freedivers at Vertical Blue, and the atmosphere was pretty amazing.
These dives were very transformational. Of course, I was diving for the World Record, and I went through all the nervous parts of announcing it before, but when I went there, especially the last dive, it was amazing. I didn't achieve it, it just happened. Because I was ready, everything was ready, and I just went and did it.
And this is how it should be done. Not from pushing, but just from constant work, and then just letting yourself do what you can. It's something that we're searching for in freediving, to become a better version of ourselves.
I really wish this to everyone. " Kateryna Sadurska
Georgina. Credit Daan Verhoeven.
Undoubtably, techniques have advanced in the last 17 years, equipment has advanced and funding too- and some athletes are actually training as professional athletes would. The underlying spirit is the same though- people adore the process and the challenge and come to this with incredible dedication and respect for each other.
Just recently though, a darker side of freediving has uncovered itself. Some (and hopefully this is limited to only a few) athletes have been caught with performance enhancing substances, that would alter the outcome of an event. Its a tricky situation as freediving is such a unique sport- that certain PEDs that will assist freedivers would be ridiculous in other settings. No one would sedate themselves using benzodiazepines or sildenafil and cycle the Tour de France- but it definitely does help in sports that demand a lower heart rate and oxygen efficiency. Sadly- its created a divide- where many people who lack a moral compass will find drugs that are not prohibited under WADA (World Antidoping Federation) but are adjacent to them- having similar effects- and take them for freediving competitions… which to the rest of us is not just potentially dangerous but goes against the whole spirit of community and fair sport.
We currently have two main governing bodies in competitive Freediving, AIDA and CMAS. CMAS have taken a firmer stance against the issue of doping in freediving, but AIDA are being rather slow to act on the matter and until they do- it seems to be a tacit endorsement for the taking of PEDs.
I sincerely hope that this is a glitch in the development of competitive freediving- before it goes the wrong way and people are injured and the results are truly unbelievable. Any sport in its infancy has to go through a difficult puberty- which is I think where competitive freediving might be at the moment.
For most of us though- its not about records, recognition or money and certainly not about winning to the detriment of fairness and good health- its about a connection to the ocean, to ourselves and honouring each other. Training hard rather than cheating and there really is no glory in cheating. Going back to Kateryna’s beautiful words- being a better version of ourselves.
Credit Daan Verhoeven
If you are interested in coming to learn how to freedive- not for records or glory but for an amazing experience- give us a shout down here at Aquacity freediving in Cornwall. It’s a wilderness but an incredible place to be.
Thankyou again to George and Daan for the insightful words and beautiful photos. If you need a freediving medical - get in touch.