No Limit Archives - Kaizen Freediving

1. Do you remember how and when did you find out about freediving? What made you start freediving? What were your 1^st steps in this kind of sports?

From born, I have always been a water lover. I started swimming competition when I was 8, then I passed my first level in scuba diving when I was 12, and then when I was 13 I watched the movie “The Big Blue” and I knew from this moment that freediving will drive my life. So I started freediving long time ago, in 1988 🙂

2. What is your favorite discipline in freediving and which one you don’t like? And could you explain why?

My favorite discipline is No Limit. This is also the discipline I did my best result with 141 meters during training in 2001. It was only 11 meters from the World record at this time. No Limit is just about sensations and free fall, without any effort. It is a journey where you can focus only on what happens in your body and your soul. I also like Free Immersion because it is very relaxing but you still need to be fit. It is a real sport 😉

A few years ago I really didn’t like Dynamic. I found pool disciplines very painful, without finding any good sensations. But when I was living in Sydney I didn’t get the choice. It was or pool training or no training at all. So I started to train in Dynamic and at the end I enjoyed it.

I think at the beginning, training a new discipline is always not very enjoyable. But more you practice it, more you like it 😉

3. Tell please few words about your freediving training approach: How many times a week do you train? And do you have a fixed schedule or you just wake up in the morning, look into the mirror and depending on your mood, body condition or weather decide what to do today?

I try to organize my training with some macrocycles, few months before the competition or event I target. I plan it as much as I can, early enough and try to stick to it. It is important for me to organize very carefully the planning of my training because I have to manage it between my work and spending time with my son who needs a lot of attention. It is sometimes challenging but this is the way I have to do to feel confident enough and match my goals.

4. And how often do you try something new in your freediving training?

Mostly every time at the beginning of the specific deep training session. There are always things new to try and improve about equalization, techniques, weights… But then when the competition day is close enough, like one week away, I don’t change major things and try to keep always the same routine and equipment.

5. The next question – what makes you day after day to go to train in a pool/sea? What motivates you to train hard? How do you fight humans’ laziness?

I just love it J. You can’t progress and make good results in your training if you don’t like it, especially in freediving. I use to say to all my freediving students that it is OK to go for a run if you don’t want really to go, you don’t risk much. But if you go to train freediving without pleasure, you will not do anything well and you can actually hurt yourself if you dive deep without any relaxation and without enjoying yourself. I love sports in general and challenging myself. I love to be in the water. So I am never lazy for a good training with some good friends 🙂

6. Do you believe that some food products could influence the ability to equalize? Like gluten or lactose, for example, create more mucus which is not good for equalizing? Do you personally follow any diet?

Lactose is a mucus forming food and some people are more sensitive than others. I am French and I love cheese ;). But I try to avoid any dairy at least 2 or 3 days before to dive to give me the best chance to equalize perfectly.

7. Let’s talk about money 🙂 Do you have any support from sports community of your country or may be some trade brand?

It is very difficult for competitive freedivers to make a living just with sponsors. Just a few of them succeeded this way. When I was competing 20 years ago I used to have some sponsors who were helping me with equipment and a bit of money to organize my training. Then I stopped competition for about 10 years. I am a freediving instructor and I work full time in freediving industry. I have the chance to own a freediving school, Ocean Prana, based in Bali, Indonesia. So I think teaching freediving is the way to make a decent living from Freediving. I don’t have any sponsors or partnerships for the moment. yoram1

8. What about your targets in freediving? What would you like to achieve and how deep would you like to get?

After 10 years without competitions or serious training, I feel that I am now mature enough to go back in the game. I won the Australian Deep National Championship last November and I allow myself 2 years from now to come back to an internationals level in deep competitions disciplines. I try to set up intermediate goals but I don’t focus only on numbers because for me good sensations and good feelings are the way to success. Putting pressure on numbers is not very productive. But if this year I can dive around 90/95 meters in FIM and CTW I will be very happy with that. This is the first time in my all freediving life that I can seriously and easily train with amazing facilities we have at Ocean Prana. So I will give it a shot :-). Then my ultimate goal is to go back to sled training…

9. What do you do except freediving? Do you have any hobbies?

I have a little boy, Ocean. He is 2 years and a half. He lives in Perth, Australia. I travel a lot to teach freediving so when I am in Perth with him, I just enjoy being with him full time. He is my favorite hobby ;). Otherwise, I practice CrossFit, but I guess it is related to freediving training 😉

yoram6 I also love to spend time home, watching movies and series, cooking and sleeping 😉

10. What would you advise to people, who just discovered this kind of sports?

Of course, never ever freedive alone. You should take a recognized freediving course to learn how to practice safely. Freediving is a sport of patience, so progress step by step and most of all always enjoy and have fun 😉

1. Do you remember how and when did you find out about freediving? What made you to start freediving? What were your 1^st steps in this sport?

carlos5 From my childhood I was very curious about the ocean and non traditional sports and hobbies. I kept very close to the ocean doing bodyboarding-surf, observing, reading some books and watching TV documentaries. I think the first time I heard about freediving was when I watched Big Blue film, then my curiosity and interest increased more, a few years after a classmate in the University invited to me to join him to one pool training session in the Underwater Activities Club (UCV, Caracas 1996). I get hooked with that feeling of going deeper and longer every time I tried. Then I started train regularly freediving & spearfishing. I have been holding my breath with passion from that first pool freediving experience in 1996. carlos1

2. What is your favorite discipline in freediving and which one you don’t like? And could you explain why?

Constant weight & free immersion were my favorite ones in my first years, but in the last 3 years I have been enjoying and focus on CNF. I don´t like STA because it is boring as my best was 7.35 min in 2004. But I prefer the movement. I don’t like anymore the NLT, because it is totally assisted and too dangerous (I had a big accident in Egypt, 2006).

3. Tell please few words about your freediving trainings approach: How many times a week do you train? And do you have a fixed schedule or you just wake up in the morning, look into mirror and depending on your mood, body condition or weather decide what to do today?

carlos2 In the last 3 years me and my wife Gaby have been living in Bonaire, where we founded and lead our Freediving school & training center DEEPSEA (www.deepseabonaire.com). I’m in the sea almost every day, mostly teaching. I organize my yearly schedule to have more training time 2-3 months before our annual event (Deepsea Challenge Sept 15-23th). My training plan increases the intensity 8 weeks before the Competition (3-4 sessions by week: pool, depth and gym), the rest of the year I train 2-3 times in the gym, pool or with my students. occasionally. Normally every session take around 60-90minutes.

4. And how often do you try something new in your freediving trainings?

It depends, if some new idea come to me or if I think a technique looks interesting I try it. It could happen 3 times by year or none.

5. The next question – what makes you day after day to go to train in a pool/sea? What motivates you to train hard? How do you fight humans’ laziness?

Interesting question! I had more than 20 years practicing freediving in a regular way. I renew my motivation every week, every month and every year! My motivation consists of having new targets to chase every year. I renew my objectives every year and after every competition or season I start to visualize them and work for it. Of course, the passion that I felt to train every day & week in my first years practicing freediving is not so powerful now 20 years later!, but with my 41 years old I keep training regulary improving myself!, I have now more diverse objectives, like developing my school, logistics, other disciplines like CNF and more. I enjoy that, It keeps me happy. carlos4

6. Do you believe that some food products could influence the ability to equalize? Like gluten or lactose for example create more mucus which is not good for equalizing? Do you personally follow any diet?

I think that freediving diet & equalization are very personal, and there isn´t the only one answer or formula for all freedivers. I think everyone has to test, and find which food is better to avoid. I don´t have a specific diet, but I can say that I´m 80% vegy, and I try to eat colorful and healthy.

7. Let’s talk about money. Do you have any support from sports community of your country or may be some trade brand?

The last 4 years it has been very hard for me to train like competitive athlete, mostly because the big crisis in my country. Me and my wife moved to Bonaire to start from zero our life in a safe place. During my career in the past I had private sponsorships and government support. Since about 8 years ago it has been almost impossible. In the last 4 years with the crisis and because of political reasons all support in Venezuela was destroyed.

carlos6 I had an international watch brand Oris supporting my career for 9 years. They launched four watches limited edition with my name. But they changed marketing strategy last year and don’t support me directly anymore.

Our school has increased step by step. We are recovering working hard with our freediving school, but it implies that I have to teach every day, because we need to pay the bills. Now it is so difficult, not enough time and resources to keep me as an elite international competitive athlete.

My wife has found some local support to develop our annual international competition on Bonaire Island Deepsea Challenge. At the moment, we are looking for sponsors for 2017 competitions, we are open to new proposals and brands.

8. What about your targets in freediving? What would you like to achieve and how deep would you like to get?

I have already achieved 12 World Records, many Continental and National Records during my career

I have been focused in CNF discipline for the last 3 years, getting South American Records and improving my performance every year, my last one and current SA Record is 69m. Now, I´m training to improve that performance. carlos3

As well I´d like to set new World Record in the caves (DYN) again. And I have another special project like books, TV serial, and more.

9. What do you do except freediving? Do you have any hobbies?

I like to travel with my wife, we love photography, I like to read and watch good movies.

10. What would you advise to people, who just discovered this sport?

I think, the best advice that I can give is: “take a good course to learn the basics, and invest some time & money in travelling around the world exploring cool freediving spots with a camera”.

You can follow Carlos on his Facabook page and Instagram