This web page is created in an effort to keep a promise to my SCUBA Instructor, Professor Kang. After completion of my certification, I remember the solemn promise to always use the "Buddy System" while SCUBA diving. Professor Kang required me to read this agreement out loud before I was signed off on my certification. I feel honored that I received my training and certification from Professor Kang because both her mother and grandmother were Haenyeo. After completion of my 14th dive, Professor Kang sat with other divers enjoying kimbap and green tea. I took off my BC, tank and regulator and asked my instructor if I could try a little free diving. She told me to go out and enjoy.
On my first dive, I made it to a meager 8 meters before I saw other SCUBA diver below me after which I returned to the surface. I lay in the slow undulating waves as the divers continued to enjoy their snack break. After a short rest, I took a deep breath and began to swim toward the bottom again. At about 10 meters I passed a group of SCUBA divers and pressed on toward the bottom. At 13 meters I touched bottom and felt rested with enough residual blood oxygen to swim toward a shinny white shell there among the boulders on the ocean bottom. I grabbed the shell and made my way to the surface. I saw the surging mirror of the ocean surface coming up and with it a sense of low blood oxygen. I broke the surface with the shell in hand and she cheered me for making a trip that was nothing compared to her mother and grandmother’s frequent routine.
Since that time, I have just enjoyed swimming without tank and BC along the coast line. Occasionally I would dive to take a closer look at some sea life. It was during these dives that I was using my SCUBA skills to equalize pressure and go deeper. I pushed myself on at times to 7 meters or more. Later, I began to construct equipment specifically for the purpose of Free Diving using buoys and weighted decent lines.
Soon I began looking for deeper drop offs where I could drop a dive line and use a weighted decent line. It was during the last dive that I realized that my solo free dives were breaking the "Buddy System" contract I signed as a SCUBA diver. If you need a Buddy during a SCUBA dive, you need one much more if you free dive on a breath of air. I have never seen a lone Haenyeo diving because they dive in groups. If these women who have been diving from the shore of this island for years still dive together, I feel that an oath and common sense dictates that I locate Buddies to dive with.
It can't be emphasized strong enough that Free Diving is rated as the most dangerous sport. I have serious concerns about inviting anyone on a dangerous venture. Free Diving would at least require SCUBA certification (or their mother is a Haenyeo) into this sport. I enjoy the peace and quiet of no regulator air bubble noise.
I do like to practice on shallow dives and any are welcome; but even on a dive deeper than 5 meters you can blow your ear drums out if you don't know what you are doing.
I like free diving because it is truly free as in, no money needed. I put this page together to look for Buddies, I'm not interested in making money through diving; if you want to make money, this country is packed with schools looking to pay for English instruction. But if you have the time and experience, I do a lot of training dives. Or if you are able to snorkel, I would be happy to go along if you wouldn't mind my occasional decent to the darkness below.
I’m still learning. I am nowhere near breaking any records. If by chance you are a world class free diver, you will find me tagging along but returning to the surface to be safe before I push on into the more advanced skills of slipping into CO2 unconsciousness without breathing; for me the is an incomprehensible skill. I’m happy to go snorkeling and take the occasional 10 to 20 meter decent and return before I put anyone on a weighted drop line.
Competitive free diving is generally broken down into three categories; static, dynamic and depth.
Static Apnea is timed breath holding and is usually attempted in a pool.
Dynamic Apnea is underwater swimming for distance and has sub-categories for swimming with and without fins. This competition is usually held in a pool.
The depth category has four sub-sections:
Constant Weight competition is for self-propelled maximum depth, no weights or lines are allowed. This category is also divided into sections for fins or without fins.
Free Immersion competition is for self-propelled ascent and descent along a line and is for maximum depth.
Variable Weight competition uses a weighted sled for descent and the diver ascends by pulling themselves up along a line.
No Limits competition allows the diver to descend with a weighted sled and ascend with a buoyancy control device, usually an air filled bag with a tether.
Guet-ka-gee (Until The End)
Michael
More information as page develops.