Words By: Nico de Corato
Photos By: Nico de Corato and supplied
Umberto Pelizzari,an Italian freediver, widely considered among the best of all time. Of his generation, he is the sole person to have established world records in all the then existing disciplines of freediving
I’m a scuba diver; I’m in love with underwater bubbles. I made this a passion, if not a profession, as well as a mission, joining the Bergamo Scuba Angels, an organization involved in the in-water rescue activities during sport competitions. I never (as matter of fact now I have to say “I have never”) practiced freediving in my life.
Then I had chance to meet an Italian freediver, widely considered among the best of all time. Of his era, he is the sole to have established world records in all the then existing disciplines of freediving: Umberto Pelizzari.
An occasional meeting with friends of friends, who told me about the incoming freediving workshop held by Umberto Pelizzari together with one of his instructors, Gerardo Canta prompted me to give it a try. The location of the workshop – Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, the city where I’ve been living for years and where I go on making bubbles underwater.
I cannot deny that the idea of meeting such a famous athlete and becoming a media partner for such an event made me immediately honoured; I accepted the invitation but I was not thinking of attending the course in person. But when I’ve been asked to join other participants, the answer instinctively was “yes, of course”, although the recurring thought was “but under water I’m used to exhale continuously … you have to! It’s the first rule I’ve been taught and I always taught first: never hold your breath”.
Nonetheless, I attended the course, and I was fascinated by it. I was very impressed by the professionalism of the team, amazed by the commitment required for this physical discipline (although doing triathlons, I found these days very tiring) despite the mental component being crucial, and I was fascinated by a discipline so different from the one I usually practice, albeit in the same environment.
One of the things that mostly impressed me, was that the approach you must have when freediving. The preparation phase is much more important than the act itself of staying without breathing. Apnea is a voluntary suspension of your breath, so to learn how to practice apnea you have to learn how to breathe properly first. The ability to hold your breath for a long period of time is a much sought-after skill. Breathing is a natural thing for every living being, but breathing well is something that is learned and trained for. It is also vital that you relax completely and release any tension from your body as you hold your breath, with proper relaxation techniques (designed to increase our underwater resistance without breathing); not only when practicing the static apnea, but also during dynamic freediving — any movement or displacement must be carried out in order to minimise the consumption of oxygen which in effect, extends the time/depth reached.
At the workshop we also got chance to spend some time with Umberto, asking him a couple of questions:
Nico de Corato: Why did Umberto Pelizzari become a freediver?
Umberto Pelizzari: It happened by chance. I started since I was a child, in the swimming pool. Playing with other kids and practicing “breath-holding games”. Then the games became challenges: how long you can stay underwater, how far you can go underwater, and so on. I remember at that time I was not counting how many pools, but how many tiles. I think the idea of becoming a freediver started in those situations. Adding to the passion, I also studied the correct techniques to improve on my skills day by day.
NDC: How do you feel when you reach an important depth?
UP: In order to feel some sensation, you don’t need to go so deep. You can feel something special when you are much less deeper than record depths. One of the sensations I remember is when training in the swimming pool with the ballast, I feel my body lighter and lighter, up to feeling only my mind in the water. I feel like a mere spot in the deep blue, especially when I’m out in the open seas.
NDC: How did apnea and the world of freediving evolve since you started?
UP: Apnea has evolved a lot. I remember back in ’98 when we were in the World Cup team. The maximum depth was 60 metres and I was the only one to have reached that. There were a dozen athletes between the 50 and 60 metre mark. Today, there are over 150 athletes in a team competition with depths starting at 50 metres without no limits whatsoever. Today, there is more knowledge about the physiology of the body sleep apnea and the areas that need to be trained in order to go deeper. When I started racing, it was more on instinct rather that empirical proof. I had to understand what was going on in my body and I acted accordingly without the now available information that are behind how the body works.
NDC: What is the most important skill of a good freediver?
UP: To know yourself, and to listen to the signals given by your body: when to turn back, when to stop, when you can’t do what you did yesterday or when you can push your limit a little step farther. Technically speaking it’s also important to be able to equalize easily, in a natural way.
NDC: Fins, wetsuit, mask. Freediving seems to require no technology at all…
UP: Freediving is a human activity, more than a technological one. In the Formula 1 for example, you need to have a great driver, but without a proper car, you cannot achieve great results. With freediving you have some small advantage in terms of the practicality of the equipment (from a good pair of monofins for example) but it’s the athlete making the difference rather than the equipment.
NDC: Freediving versus scuba diving?
UP: I’ll take from one of my favourite quotations: “A scuba diver immerges to look and observe, a freediver looks and observes himself”. I know lots of people doing both, but they are different. And in any case, a freediver can easily get their scuba gear on and scuba dive; but when it’s the other way around, it’s not necessarily true.
NDC: Any suggestions to aspiring freedivers?
UP: Choose a good instructor; holding your breath is an unnatural behaviour, so it’s important to have someone teach you to avoid some natural mistakes when performing apnea.
NDC: Umberto, one last question: How do you feel after your first course in Dubai?
UP: I could feel an incredible enthusiasm, will to learn. I’ve met plenty of beginners these days underestimating themselves, who achieved good performances from the first day. I can see in Dubai lots of things that still need to be done, but also lots of enthusiasm; the course for example was fully booked in a few days and without the need for promotion or marketing – a clear signal of a promising territory.
After this two-day workshop, I’m not sure if I’ll go on practicing freediving myself. Most likely I’ll go back making bubbles, or maybe I will dedicate myself to some specialized fields that I have been keeping in my mind for a long time (CCR/TEC courses). But in the meantime I’m keen to go some scuba diving and see if I can take advantage of the techniques that I learned: first of all, to breathe in a better way and perform correct movements underwater to consume less oxygen.
Apnea Academy is a school for training and research for apnea diving, inextricably linked to the name of its founder and current President, Umberto Pelizzari, former deep freediving world record holder. For more information about the Academy you can contact Mr. Gerardo Canta (+971 50 532 4956) or ApneaAcademyUAE@outlook.com.
Blogger, marathon runner, triathlete, dive master and heli rescue swimmer with Bergamo Scuba Angels. You can read my blog www.dubayblog.com, contact me on social networks or via email at admin@dubaiblog.itfor information about this story or just to say hello.
