Tag Archives: ireland

Sustaining the stoke 4000 years ago.

cooking on the beachSo a short while back I was at the clean coasts gig supported by some great local people and local businesses. There were various talks on where the groups had collected tonnes of rubbish. Hopefully we will start to providing an underwater part of this in the future. There were also some talks on the archeology in the area. Now I had heard about this fulacht fiadh back in September but I have to admit its significance at the time was lost on me. I am not aware if the exact date has been calculated yet but 3-4000 years seems to be agreed upon. The fulacht fiadh was used for cooking or bathing by putting hot stones into it, but it’s really unusual to have one on a beach.

Now I like tripping in me van. So do some friends of mine and without doubt some of the best experiences we have had as a group have been to rock up and circle the wagons at a beach spot, Post surf, dive or swim the bbq gets fired up, we eat and imbibe a few drinks. Good friends, good food and maybe a spectacular sunset over the Great Atlantic. It’s a combination that’s hard to beat. You retire to bed tired from the Ocean but stoked to be alive and to be so blessed. Given the recent good spell of weather, history is just repeating itself.

It’s a real mind bender to think our ancestors were doing much the same gig 4000 years ago. Won’t be long before they unearth a bronze age surfboard or speargun. No doubt a lot has changed in 4000 years but some things stay the same.

One thing that has changed is the debris some of us leave behind. I do think we need a cultural shift on this. The take three initiative, where anytime you are walking on the beach you pick up three pieces of litter is a great idea. On the walk on the beach yesterday evening as the sun was nearly setting I was mentally recording what bits I would pick up on the return leg. There were empty bins in the car park so I didn’t even have to put them in the van and bring home. No the beach wasn’t spotless when I was finished but some people noticed it. Hopefully the more of us do it, the more people will be inclined to do it until we reach a tipping point and it becomes the norm,

It starts with you and me.

Clean Coasts.

Heart to heart,

picture of a heartThe heart is a pretty amazing organ. You only get one but if you’re lucky maybe you get to share it today and every other day with someone else.

As freedivers you gradually learn to control it better, mainly by slowing it down. Relaxing, breathing, calming. You can also train it to react to a form of autogenic training. The heart just pumps away, second after second. The way it evolved from when you were a foetus in your mothers womb is pretty amazing. Starting with two cavities like a fish, it further divides to three cavities like an amphibian as if preparing us for a life both above and below the water and finally to four cavities and our mammals heart. The slowdown of the heart (bradycardia) is a well documented dive reflex when we are immersed in water. This happens to everyone, even people who hate water and panic, eventually their heart rate will fall too.

A freediver simply trains to work this reflex. It makes you a “better” freediver. More relaxed and at home in and under the water. It also makes for countless hours of fun at medicals. At the end of the day it still needs care. Regular exercise gets it going faster, relaxation and meditation gets it going slower. Some people will say you only have so many beats in it anyway so whats the point? Like anything if looked after, it will look after you.

Stressing the heart through exercise is a good thing. Stressing it through stress is a bad thing. Seems pretty simple to say, sometimes harder to do in reality. If you have never worn a  heart rate monitor during exercise please try it. If you freedive, try it during a breathhold. It’s amazing to see what happens. You can listen to mine here. This was part of the Doc on ! we were part of which is here.  We could have gone lower but as you hear the Doc’s machine could have been damaged. Was really cool afterwards when he showed me the flatline too. Anyone’s  heart will do this with the right training and time. Nothing special about mine, except of course to me. Negative stress raises the heart rate and keeps it raised in our flight or fight response throughout the day. That stuff causes heart disease. Raising it far higher for brief periods during exercise helps prevent heart disease.

An amazing organ, an amazing muscle. It can catch you out of course. Sometimes when you least expect it. Walking down the street your eye might just connect with that someone special and your heart stops, even if only for a moment. Don’t worry it will start again, hopefully.

Happy Valentines Day.

Reasons to be cheerful,

Dusty.dusty 134

 

Many of us are attracted to the sea or the Ocean or just a body of water. It’s evident in the property prices near the Sea, it’s evident in any map of any country, people given the option will live close to the coast rather than in the midlands.

 

 

 

Problems seem smaller when you stare out at the vast infinity of the Ocean,  all the issues of this terrestrial existence melt away when you are on, under or just beside water but in particular the Ocean. If you are reading this blog chances are you have some kind of affinity with the liquid element too. No matter where I go, if there’s water nearby my fins come too. Even if conditions are bad I’ll still dive in just cross it off the list. I am with child to dive somewhere in the Pacific, maybe less so The Arctic and Antarctica but under ice somewhere at some stage has to be on the cards.

Some people take this one step further and abandon the land, maybe not altogether but they do sail off into the wild blue yonder on a regular basis. This isn’t just to travel but a way of life. A way of seeing the world and seeing yourself from another plane. The real you we are all so afraid of seeing. I am sure you might feel like Robinson Crusoe until you find out thousands of people do this all the time. There are thousands that have either retired, dropped out or decided that this is the path of life for them. “A tourist doesn’t know where they have been and a traveller doesn’t know where he’s going”. Paul Theurox.

We evolved from water so it’s only natural that once used to it, we feel right at home peaceful and connected. Our bodies if not our minds remember the ancient reflex that helps us stay down longer and deeper. Living on the West coast of an Island in the Atlantic you can’t helped but be moved by it, whether by the sunsets, the calm, the peace, the solitude or conversely the omnipotent raging power that sweeps all before it.The Ocean is a vast, vast beautiful thing and I hope and pray it’s still in good enough condition for future generations to enjoy down the road.

The film Blackfish aired on CNN recently and the storm of protest against cetacean captivity is building momentum year on year. Go see it and be moved. It’s hard to think what an individual can do against the tidal wave of problems and pollution that we seem intent on inducing into Oceans that provide the vast majority of oxygen we breath on this spinning little ball of ours. But you can, you don’t have to start a movement, you don’t have to throw stones through the windows of dolphinariums (but don’t let me stop you). Just pick up a single piece of litter from the beach and bring it home.

1. You will feel better about yourself.

2. The Ocean will thank you for it in some way shape or form.

3. Someone might see you and be inspired to do the same.

Reasons to be cheerful 1,2,3.

 

Wanderer

 

spear weekend 06.08.2011 012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sterling Hayden, Wanderer.

“To what avail the plough or sail, or love, or life- if freedom fail?

Freedom. Freedom to what? Escape, run, wander turning your back on a cowed society that stutters, staggers and stagnates every man for himself and fuck you Jack I’ve got mine?

To be truly challenging, a voyage like life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen, who play with their boats at sea – “cruising” it is called. Voyaging belongs to sea men, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot or will not fit in.

Little has been said or written about the ways a man may blast himself free. Why? I don’t know, unless the answer lies in our diseased values…Men are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of “security,” and in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine – and before we know it our lives are gone.

The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed.

Dedication to the sea is the symbol of migration and movement and wandering. It is the barbaric place and it stands opposed to society and it is a constant symbol in all of literature, too.”

Carpe Diem I guess.

 

You really should play with yourself more!

Jans photo of me

 

 

Photo thanks to Jan Ploeg

 

 

 

 

As adults we really should play with ourselves more.

That’s a headline and a half right there. For those of you giggling down the back, I am deadly serious. On the freedive courses we use play a lot. Obviously there are serious bits about safety, technique and we tend not to play with them. But we should always play with and play in water. Despite what you were told when you were growing up. The proviso being when its safe to do so.

We learn when we play. One of my favourite things to do in water is play superman. We do this by pushing off the wall underwater. At mid-glide you perform a roll of 180 degrees so that you are now upside down in the pool under water. Just like Robin Williams you get a different perspective. But its much more than that. Yes you may see and feel the water differently. Yes you may pop up and break the surface and yes you may misjudge it and hit you head off the pool floor. (common) But you keep playing and like learning to walk as a baby after you fall down so many times eventually you get the hang of it. Eventually you are streamlined, sleek and move with the water. Now you can literally do anything. You have just added another dimension to your movement. As terrestrial beings we can only move forward, backwards or side to side. As aquatic beings we can now add up and down to that. We can roll, pirouette, spin, tumble and above all play. The body learns and use makes master. Try this with fins and without. You must either use a nose clip or a mask and yes you will get strange looks from other pool users but if you are not getting strange looks from people on a regular basis maybe you are not living life to the fullest.

The last thing we do is blow bubble rings like in the picture above. The dolphin is optional and never in a pool guys, that aint cool. So to blow a perfect bubble ring takes a little practice. Neck weight is good or a small weight belt and hold it beyond your head. Lie down on the pool floor. You may need to start with an exhale or not full longs to stay down. Wait and let the bubbles from you, the mask etc disperse and the water column settle. Take your time. Wait for a second between attempts. Keep practicing. Yeah its a neat trick and looks nice but it also ends up with you on the bottom of the pool with empty lungs so go shallow and play a bit.

Both of these playful acts do something other than make you feel like you are 8 years old again which in and of itself is no bad thing. It builds up what the master calls Aquaticity. If you ever watch Umberto dive just for fun you can see the way he moves isn’t diving, isn’t swimming. Its more like a dance, a flirtatious movement with the water where both elements, body and water really become one.  It’s beautiful to watch and even more beautiful to emulate. So go play.

 

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?

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.