Category Archives: Freediving Blog

You should always meet your heros

Eric.Danny 053

 

Most people say “don’t as you will be disappointed”. Of course there are loads of unsung heros in the world. This day last week I was lucky enough to meet one in the flesh and all I can do is highly recommend that you try as well.

Doug Allan, has been behind the lens on so many epic nature shoots but the ones I am most interested in are the under water ones. Think Blue planet. As part of the promotion for his new book Freeze Frame he is doing a tour of lectures around Ireland and the UK. Doug is an absolute gent. As I waited to get my copy of his book signed  (you have to don’t you) there was a six year old kid there with his mum. The way Doug spoke to the child with passion and enthusiasm speaks volumes about his character. In essence one child was going out of there with an ambition to become a wildlife photographer. I think after his talk there were many more adults wondering how they could do the same.

Dougs book is a coffee sized volume of stunning photos but with each photo is the story behind it so its not just a coffee table type of book. Sometimes the stories are funny, sometimes instructional and sometimes poignant.

Hiss concern for the environment and appreciation for wildlife shine through in this book and in his talk. Doug has never had any instruction in the art of photography or film making so as he says if he can do it so can you. You also get the sense that he was destined for this role in life. Destined to bring us, the world famous scenes from the Blue planet and Life in the freezer amongst others.

His nonchalance when describing interacting with Leopard seals, Orcas, polar bears and other “dangerous” natural life belies his understanding and experience. He describes how from his point of view there’s no point in getting close to film an animal if all you are filming is its reaction to the film maker. So in most cases a “relationship” or tolerance is built up over a period of time until he is accepted in the water and natural scenes go on as they would if he wasn’t there at all. Small wonder then that the natural wildlife film maker spends so long in the wild, in uncomfortable conditions just to get that one minute of film that can be used. Some of his footage has even been used by marine biologists to get a better idea of whats happening in an environment. The jet propulsion bubbles of the penguins in Antarctica comes to mind.

You can see the dates and venues here and like his facebook page. You can buy the book at the talks as well. Its well worth going to if you have any inclination to nature and think how often does a chance to meet someone like this come up?

Living or just existing?

 

Thumb 20.06.2010 013

It’s a valid question. I think!

You read and hear in so many formats that very question. Maybe Alan Watts sums it up best. Many of the self help or self development books and gurus seek to clarify or help us answer it.

 

Is it better to have the well paying job that you hate in order to try and live the life you want at the weekend? Or better to have uncertain income but the joy of living fully everyday? Answering your call instead of the organisations.  Exploring your creativity instead of being stifled by the rules and wants of the organisation.

There’s no right or wrong answer to this. There is only your answer. Justify it anyway you want to logically but if it’s not right then it won’t sit right within you. It will keep you up at night, it will gnaw at any given moment and a feeling of dissatisfaction will prevail. Do whatever you “feel” is right but search for it first. Live life, don’t exist.

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt.

We can also gain much inspiration from a man like Burt Munro, the world is full of ordinary people doing extraordinary things but we tend not to hear much about them as mainstream media continues its dumbing down run to oblivion. If you haven’t watched it go see the Worlds fastest Indian. Hopkins said it was one of his best films to work on as it was more him, his own character. The tapestry of your life is always just in front of you, always just ahead and something we should pay more attention to. It’s up to you where you will put in the stitches. The alternative is to have someone else do the stitching for you.

Perhaps the easiest way to drill down through the dross is to answer the ultimate question.

What will they say about me when I’m dead? Good. Bad or nothing at all?

Run fat boy,run!!

50-fat-diabetic-and-ahead-of-you-tshirt-240x180

50, Fat, Diabetic, Ahead of you.

Had my first run in a few months. I rarely enjoy a run, I do enjoy the satisfaction of having done it at the end but don’t think I have ever got the runners high and sometimes, like last evening the scenery and weather is spectacular. Lets be clear I am a plodder, the earth shakes as I trundle down the road while slim long legged gazelles saunter pass me. That’s why I usually go somewhere quiet to run. I have two short loops near my house the longest of which is 5k so that will give you some idea of the lack of level I am at. The music does help and I consistently find myself sprinting ahead when a faster part of the song comes along. I think this is good.

Runners (I think) call this fartlek training, all I know is that it helped me lose weight over the years and it’s how I run. I have no mad desire to do more or certainly not much more. Ran a few 10ks but that’s it. (for the moment) So from being a pretty overweight 17.5 stone I managed to get down to about a 13.5-14 stone. Here’s the reason’s why I think.

1. I was aware that my weight was holding me back in freediving. I am a reasonably sized guy anyway so most people were shocked when they heard my true weight, I used to carry it well.

2. I was aware of where I was going, at the time I had a reps job, in the car a lot and stopping for tea and sweets and shit along the way so I have no doubt that 20 stone was in sight.

3. I didn’t lose it in three weeks or months but probably more like two years. I started to train consistently 3 nights a week to the extent I got pissed off if I missed one and felt guilty about it. I cut the sweet stuff to weekends only.

4. I transformed my swims from being like a slow walk to a more intense mixture of distance and sprints with drills etc thrown in. So the heart all of a sudden was challenged and had to beat a hell of a lot harder even though the overall distance may have been less.

 

Now maybe its body dysmorphia but anytime I feel I am putting on weight again I get paranoid and start training hard for a while and get back to cutting down on the crap.

All this has made my freediving better no question, probably because I have more confidence in myself rather than out and out fitness but also my physical health and mental health are far better. So go get a pair of shorts and runners, do it today and commit to building a better heart. You know you can do it. It will stand to you forever.

 

Surfs up brah!!!

Surfs up

 

 

 

If I’m not under the water I’m on top of it. I have been surfing a few years now and know what I can do and what I can’t. I am a longboarder so to the uninitiated that’s a super long board 9ft + that means its easier to catch a wave but a little harder to do tricks on. I don’t do tricks so it’s not an issue for me. Longboarding usually, but not always uses smaller waves so think head high and below and anyway that’s what I am most comfortable in. Sometimes you surf and its shit to be honest, but sometimes its hard to describe in words, its so good.

Depending on the state of the tide, swell and wind you can be paddling a lot and still just not get there, as the wave is either peaking too early and closing out/breaking into white water. Foamy white water is all fine and well to bring you back to shore but what you really look for is glassy green walls to carve up and down on or trim and glide your board over. Then, if feeling good and solid you can try to walk out to the front of the board and hang ten or five, so one foot or two feet over the front edge or nose. I can’t do this. At present I usually only get to a foot of the front of the board before I have to shuffle back or lose the wave, fall off. My favourite thing is to hunker back down so I am really low to the board and try to control it that way and if I’m lucky trail a hand through the green wall of glass as I go.

At worst its a decent workout for the arms and body. At best its Zen.

The waves have been created by powerful low pressure storms way off in the Atlantic, the earths rotation has sent this swell in to land in one direction or the other. It’s traveled hundreds and hundreds of miles to get here keeping its energy intact. As it hits shallower water it starts to peak up, just before it breaks and disperses all its latent energy. As you finally stand up on this wave, you are connected to the wave, harnessing its energy, feeling part of its energy, you and you alone are now part of the earths vital force.

On a recent day at a local quiet beach I pretty much had the place to myself. The sun was shining down onto a glassy calm sea only interrupted by the soft, slow, regular, pulsing swell. Imagine yourself relaxed on the board.The wave caught easily with just a few paddles, nice slow bottom turn to bring you to the shoulder and the good wave keeping its shape all the time. As you glide in, looking down you see the ripples in the sand below and that shimmering effect of the sun on the sea through clear water. Dancing, mesmerizing, spiritual, connectedness and you standing Olympian above it all. All too soon it’s over. No drama, just a short paddle back out and wait for the next one.

It doesn’t happen all the time but when it does, like the Guinness ad it’s worth the wait.

Back to school & the slaughter of Dolphins

the cove runs red

 

The Cove runs red.

September 1st sees the traditional start of the Dolphin hunt season in Taji, Japan. Please join us tomorrow at St.Stephens Green at 2.00pm until 5.00 opp the shopping centre to show our disgust.You can see all the details here.

So a while back I had asked for help off of any teachers that might be in a position to let me speak to 6th class about the film The Cove and dolphins in captivity. The thinking behind this is pretty simple. There are concerned individuals all over the world campaigning on this. Guess what, the companies that own these parks are just that, companies. You can reason with an individual but not with a company whose direct responsibility is to its owners/shareholders. It’s the major flaw in capitalism and brains as intelligent as Charles Handy have struggled with it.

So I don’t think any of these places will shut down because it’s the right thing to do. In their opinion I am sure they think they are looking after the animals as best as they can. I am sure they have won awards for their welfare or maybe not.  One thing I am sure of is that it’s just business. So educate the children, their customers. Positive peer pressure can spread worldwide via social networks etc. Once the kids stop going, the parks reason to exist stops. Hit them in the pocket take away their customers and watch them close. Seaworld may already be feeling it due to the film Blackfish from the same people that brought you the Cove.

Anyway on this basis I asked for help and was kindly let in to an Educate together school in Kilorglin, Co.Galway. In total we had about 60 students 2nd, 4th and 6th class. I showed a few photos and videos talked a small bit and then had Q and A. The questions these kids had were stunning. At times we may look at the youth of today and despair with some of the culture and the non stop texting but I am pretty sure all generations do that. Questions varied from the bends for a scuba diver to sharks and even down to how the dolphins would need to be rehabilitated to the wild if the parks did close down. Some of the kids had already seen The Cove. 

Energy levels in the classroom were high and while I was there about an hour the level of respect I have for teachers was raised considerably. Schools now back from summer so hoping to do a lot more of this in September and keep it going till we get it stopped. If you are a teacher or know of one please pass them on this info and I would love to talk at their school. I usually try and work it into the course schedule due to travel costs being what they are but all cost are borne by me. They can contact me by mail here.  I have been lucky enough to swim with wild dolphins in the Atlantic. The encounter has been repeated a few times since. But at all times the dolphins were free and able to swim off at any stage. This only made the encounter better and its the only way to interact with marine mammals.

The kids are alright.

Back to class

Back to class

Depths of the mind

Jellies and scubies 017

Walking in to the Ocean is like walking in to your soul.

At the start you just sit on the edge of the shore, on a rock and everything is fine. Everything is secure, everything is familiar. The gentle lap of the swell is calm and peaceful. Fins on and you fin out just a little bit. The Ocean floor falls away to the depths as you get further from the shore, further from security, further from the familiar. So too the wanderings of the soul or mind.

At some point we can no longer see the Ocean floor, we know it’s there but we just can’t see it. Same in the soul, we can’t see it or comprehend it but we know it’s there. We don’t know where it will lead us, afraid if we go too far down we may never come back. Like in The Big Blue sometimes you need a good reason to come back up. Time and time again though, we do come back and so with each passing episode we go deeper and deeper.

Exploring one or both. I don’t think we should be afraid. It’s what we are here to do.

If you are reading this blog chances are you have a relatively privileged life. Compared to two-thirds of the world anyway. Of course there will be someone better off than you but also someone one worse off. If you are not on the constant search for food or water for survival it’s beholden to you and your duty to humanity in my humble opinion, to search your soul and explore. Find out. Explore the planet, the beauty of nature, the Oceans and yourself.

Plumb the depths, its worth it.