Words By: Paul Winter
Photos By: Yahya Al Hooti and Mehmet Arikok
The Sultanate of Oman has a fantastically rich maritime history, going back more than 5000 years ago. During these times, Oman’s maritime influences spread throughout the Indian Ocean, and right down the coast of East Africa to the island of Zanzibar. Throughout the ages, Oman’s merchants and explorers, some daring pirates and smugglers, and influential Omani navigators like the famous Ahmad Ibn Majid, brought wealth to the country through their spirit of adventure, and their willingness to engage with new cultures and economies.
Along with many other nations in the Gulf, Oman was also a key area for the pearl diving, and the ability of Oman’s pearl divers was legendary. They dived while holding their breaths, and uncovered some famously beautiful pearls from the depths.
And, it is this spirit of pearl diving that could be the reason why the sport of freediving is fast establishing itself in the Sultanate of Oman, and why there are an increasing number of divers – both local Omanis and international visitors – heading off into the deep every weekend to freedive Oman’s popular divespots.
The Art of Freediving
Freediving, or apnea diving, is a form of diving, either done recreationally or competitively, which relies on a diver’s ability to hold their breath underwater until it is time to resurface.
Instead of using breathing apparatuses like scuba gear or re-breathers, a freediver uses only a low-volume mask, snorkel, fins, weight belt and a wetsuit. Or, when extra gains in performance are required (like during freediving competitions) more specialized equipment like monofins, noseclips, and neck weights for added economy and efficiency.
Recreational freedivers hold their breath for comfortable (and safe) lengths of time to explore underwater reefs, shipwrecks, and marine life. Competitions are another part of freediving, and trained freediving athletes take part in traditional style deep-diving events, and pool-based disciplines.
Of course, the time that a freediver can spend underwater on a single dive is restricted in comparison with scuba, and longer breathhold times require practice and training. They also require the knowledge of how to make the most out of several of the human body’s oxygen-conserving adaptations that manifest under diving conditions – like a slowed heart-rate, blood flow redistribution to the vital organs, and the release of additional oxygen-carrying red blood cells, by the spleen.
But with minimal equipment to wear and a hydrodynamic profile, even beginner freedivers can enjoy the benefits of greater mobility underwater, short preparation times before a diving session, and no scheduled decompression times at the end of their dives. The silent, controlled and languid movement that freediving requires also means that closer, more intimate encounters with marine life are often possible.
Lesser equipment and no air cylinder refills also mean that the costs to enter the sport are reduced.
Oman on Breathhold
For freedivers, Oman has plenty to offer – especially as an adventure freediving venue. Most dive spots feature coral reefs, combined with spectacular underwater rock structures. There is a huge variety of tropical marine life, including whale sharks, dolphins, large gamefish, and hundreds of species of tropical marine animals.
The regular freediving spots include Fahal Island, which is four kilometres offshore of Muscat; and the Daymaniyat Islands, which are a collection of rocky desert islands surrounded by coral reefs, about a 30 minute boat ride from the coastline. Both of these are popular scuba diving spots as well. There are also several other spectacular dive spots in the area, including some interesting shipwrecks.
Depending on a freediver’s requirements, depths range from knee-deep snorkelling depth down to 10 metres, 20 metres, 30 metres and deeper. In spring and summer, visibility ranges from decent (10 metres) up to 20 metres and even much more on good days. There is also often very little current, and calm surface waters, which is a good thing for freediving, as divers can concentrate on doing very relaxed breath-ups before heading down into the blue.
For serious deep freediving, Oman has plenty of depth that is relatively easy to access via a short boat ride. While Oman does not present freedivers with the absolute perfectly calm, clean freediving conditions of places like Dean’s Blue in the Bahamas, or the Blue Hole at Egypt’s coastal town of Dahab, or certain parts of the Mediterranean, freedivers will have little hassle planning and executing a series of deep and safe dives during the spring and summer season.
There are also dozens of sheltered bays and coves around Muscat itself where freedivers can train and develop their equalizing skills, duck-diving, finning technique, and various other depth adaption skills.
Of course, the Sultanate of Oman has around 3 000km of spectacular coastline, nearly all of which is absolute dream territory for divers (freedivers and scuba divers), surfers, sea-kayakers and beachcombers.
Competitive Freediving in Oman
The competitive freediving spirit is also very much alive in Oman right now, with several freedivers training regularly to improve their personal best performances in traditional deep freediving disciplines and pool events.
Recently, a number of Omani freedivers also took part in the now-famous Fazza Freediving Championships, which takes place each year at the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai. The event, which takes its name from its patron, the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, a passionate freediver himself, provides a link to the past pearl diving culture and heritage of the people of the Arabian Gulf. During the event, participants compete to hold their breath for the longest time in the venue’s 5 metre deep pool.
To make sure the event remains true to the pearl-diving style of old, competitors are not allowed to wear any modern freediving equipment like dive watches, masks, wetsuits, noseclips, or weight belts. Oman’s freedivers achieved some good results at the event, and there is talk of having a similar style event at home, in the city’s capital, Muscat.
Competitive freediving in Oman was also recently given a boost by the presence of the current static apnea world record holder, Branko Petrovic, who visited the country to host a breath holding performance clinic.
Travelling to Oman: Bring Your Freediving Fins!
If you are a total beginner in freediving, or an experienced deep diver, the Sultanate of Oman has some spectacular reefs and islands to explore, and deep waters to descend into – as well as a bunch of freedivers who are very willing and qualified to be your freedive buddy for the day. So bring your fins, and a big breath of air!
Competitive Freediving: Terminology
Constant Weight: The athlete dives down a dive line as deep as possible, using bifins or monofins for propulsion.
Constant Weight No Fins: The athlete dives down a dive line as deep as possible, using only their arms and legs for propulsion.
Free Immersion: The athlete pulls themselves down a dive line as deep as possible, using a hand-over-hand pulling technique.
Static Apnea: In a pool, the athlete holds their breath for as long as possible, while floating on the surface of the water.
Dynamic With Fins: Using bifins or a monofin, the athlete swims as far as they can underwater, in a competition swimming pool.
Dynamic No Fins: Using only their arms and legs for propulsion, the athlete swims as far as they can underwater, in a competition swimming pool.
No Limits Freediving: The extreme, No-Limits form of freediving is currently practiced by a handful of competitive freedivers around the world. No-Limits divers use a weighed sled device to descend, via a dive line, to spectacular depths on a single breath of air (the current world record is 214 metres!) after which they are lifted back up to the surface via a pulley system, or air-filled balloon.
Freediving Safety
If not done correctly, and without qualified tuition, recreational and performance orientated freediving can be a dangerous leisure activity. Before any type of freediving breath hold activity in the water, divers should seek qualified instruction from an established freediving school.
Find Out More
For more information about freediving in the Sultanate of Oman, readers can visit www.facebook.com/FreedivingOman or contact Yahya Al Hooti, an SSI Freediving Instructor, on +968 998 10004.
