Freediving as the ability to fly: an interview with instructor Kirill Popov

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Our hero was engaged in IT development, but took a great interest in travel and made a sharp turn in his career. Now he dives into the depths holding his breath and teaches this to others. Kirill Popov, in an interview with Lifehacker, spoke about freediving and how this sport can change lives.

What is freediving?

These are breath-holding dives.

It would even be more correct to call it apnea diving, from the Greek word "apnea" - "without breathing."

What is the difference between freediving and diving?

Many people don't understand the difference between them at all. But comparing scuba diving with freediving is like comparing a car to a bicycle.

I highlight the outside and inside of freediving. External is the desire to look at the underwater world. We cannot be under water, like divers, for an hour. A beginner freediver has no more than a minute at his disposal. But the higher is the value of time.

In addition, we have much more freedom in movement, underwater creatures are not afraid of us and let us very close. It is difficult to convey feelings when you soar in the ocean along with graceful stingrays, repeating their movements in the water column.

Freediving is the realization of a person's dream to fly.

The inner side is the experience and feelings that are born in the process of diving. We learn to consciously control the breathing process and totally relax. In this sense, freediving is similar to yoga or meditation, only without the often inherent esotericism.

Is this an extreme sport?

For those chasing records, yes. But freediving can be enjoyable, safe and beautiful.

In extreme sports, people "sit" on adrenaline. In freediving, it is categorically contraindicated. Here people get hooked on the feeling of inner peace and relaxation.

There are risks, of course. But they are predictable and can almost always be avoided. The main rule is not to dive alone.

What can freediving teach?

1. Take good care of your body. People are preoccupied with productivity, but often don't realize that it's health is at the heart of it. You need to listen to your body and respond in a timely manner to its needs.
2. Easier to deal with problems and fears. If you have learned to relax underwater, without breathing, doing the same during normal office or household stress is much easier.
3. Appreciate life. How delicious the first breath after a deep dive is!

Freediving expands consciousness and understanding of the capabilities of your body.

Personally, he also taught me patience and minimalism. People often come to freediving to overcome their fear of the water element. The task of the instructor is to show maximum patience and support to such people.

Thanks to freediving, I can live on a small undeveloped island without metro and supermarkets and enjoy the simplest things. The Internet is helping to meet the needs for socialization and cultural diversity.

Who can freedive?

Any healthy person 12 years of age or older (according to SSI rules).

There is a list of diseases for which scuba diving is contraindicated. Do not dive if you have problems with the nasopharynx and ears. If you have, for example, a deviated nasal septum, it will be difficult for you to equalize the pressure in your ears. And this is one of the basic skills that is put on the first lesson.

In terms of fitness, sometimes a non-sporting mom of three gets into the process faster than a surfer with dice on the press. All because he knows how to relax and feels more comfortable in the water.

What is needed for this?

In the case of warm seas, the set is minimal:

• Mask with a small sub-mask space.
• A tube.
• Long fins.
• A wetsuit (at a water temperature of 27-28 ° C, one- or three-millimeter is enough) to retain heat and protect against jellyfish.
• Weight belt to slightly reduce its buoyancy.

During training, you definitely need a buoy, to which a rope with a load is attached. They always dive in depth along the cable.

Don't go amateur - find a good instructor.

There is a wealth of information on freediving on the Internet, both adequate and downright stupid and dangerous.

What does a freediving instructor's workplace look like?

I have two of them. The instructor must lead by example in terms of body and mind. Therefore, my first job is a yoga studio. I regularly practice myself and train beginners. With yoga and meditation, awareness of the processes taking place in the body begins, as well as overcoming fears.

My second workplace is the ocean. There are places where you can dive right from the shore. But if the current is strong, it is better to do it from a boat.

How is your freediving instructor day?

My day begins at six in the morning with two hours of yoga, followed by classes in the gym and / or in the water.

Then lunch break. The food is mostly vegetarian, occasionally fish. On Nusa Penida, the variety is bad - you have to bring food from Bali and even order from Russia.

After lunch, classes again. In the evening, if I have enough strength, I run along the beach at sunset. But more often I just work at the computer.

How to live on a small island in the middle of the ocean and stay productive?

In IT, the link between work and place of residence is optional. Our generation is lucky - we can choose the habitat that is most comfortable for us. If you don't like the cold, live in the tropics.

Relocation improves productivity.

I've been working remotely for eight years and I know what I'm talking about. The most important thing is motivation. If you understand where you are going, you will never have problems with productivity.

I like the following method of determining if you are busy with your own business or it is time to change something. Imagine the money was canceled. You don't need them anymore. And answer yourself two questions: "Will I continue to do what I do?" and "Will anyone benefit from this?" If both answers are in the affirmative, you are in your place.

Well, so that heavenly landscapes do not tune the brain to hedonism, you can use the same techniques as in the office, for example, Pomodoro. It is also important to drink a lot in Asia. Dehydration reduces performance.