Whatever is Wrong With You?

Your mission for today
Originally uploaded by samdive.

Fancy a quick sherbert? How about a Double Dip?? A fortnight ago, quite a few of us had that in mind. Those strange people who frequent cold murky quarries, not breathing for minutes at a time. Whatever is wrong with them? Seeking plastic tags, seeking blue glass? Or seeking each other??

I could give you a blow-by-blow account. Who went down, who went up. Those who saw their dinner on a plate, but couldn't quite reach it. ( We all saw the light though, not one surfaced in darkness. ) And what would it all mean?

Years ago, freediving was a dark art,shrouded in mystery. Some of us wanted to change all that, and we did. Through teaching, through the internet, through the media. Now there is something of a renaissance going on. Qualification levels in the UK at an all-time high, and training facilities struggling to meet demand.

So now, I'm not going to say too much about Double Dip. I wouldn't want to say nothing. I'm extremely grateful to everyone who made it happen – Sam, Laura, the AIDA judges, Angels, safety divers, timekeeper, photographers, staff at the National Diving and Activities Centre, coaches, helpers, and athletes. I don't think anyone who took part didn't contribute in some way. Every year it seems to get better. But as to what actually happened? Best way to find out is book up for next year.

Well done to Alan Barber. He's the man who can swim underwater for 186 metres with nothing more than a full breath of air ( unlike some of us who can't resist unnaturally pressurising our lungs with just a few centilitres more ). 18 months of freediving and two very respectable records under his weightbelt now. More to come, I say.

Two years ago a group of us had a play around underwater in Makadi Bay, Egypt. Matt Kitchen filmed us, and kindly passed the video footage on to me to do something with. So now I've edited and entered it into a competition being run by my favourite prog-rock outfit, Marillion. If you watch it, then it puts me one step closer to winning. So please do. I'd like to dedicate it to my friends Ben and Penny Noble.

Whatever is wrong with you?