Diver descending (Florian Mioni photo)
MARIGOT--The first free diving championship organised by the Tainos Free Diving School took place successfully off-shore from the Belmond La Samanna Hotel on Sunday, with about a dozen free divers participating, mostly students from the school, from fifteen who registered.
Sea conditions were particularly choppy and a rough shore break on the beach at La Samanna meant divers, media, sponsors and organisers had to swim out through the breaking waves to board the boats that took them out to the dive site, some two miles off shore. “We did the best we could for maximum safety in the rough conditions,” said organiser Florian Mioni, adding that two attempts were made to anchor the committee boat. “We had two safety divers and a medical team on hand, and a judge, but we had no incidents.” Free diving is organised under the rules and safety requirements of Association International pour le Devéloppement de L’Apnée (AIDA) the same rules used at the Tainos Free Diving School. Divers were required to state the depth they would attempt on registration for the three disciplines in this order: free immersion (FIM), using the fixed line to pull oneself down, Constant Weight (CWT), using fins to descend and ascend, and Constant No Fins (CNF), using only breast stroke to descend and ascend, the hardest discipline. Depths chosen varied from the deepest at 38 metres to the shallowest of 10 metres and even seven and five for beginners. The maximum set by organisers on a single breath was 50 metres.
The fixed line suspended from the organising boat is held down by a bottom weight while an opposing counter weight can be released to bring a diver up in an emergency while a safety diver assists. The diver descends and brings back up a tag that proves the depth has been reached. Divers compose themselves by resting on a foam “floatie stick” before attempting the dive. As the diver ascends he or she is accompanied by safety divers for the last few metres. The judge then checks to see the diver on the surface is well and not having a black out. “All the divers reached the depths that they announced, and I’m proud to say the winners were my students,” said Florian. The deepest dive prize for the men went to Alfonso Cabrera (38 metres) and the deepest dive for the women went to Celine Garcia (25 metres).
Ranking points were also awarded. First place went to Alfonso Cabrera ( 38 metres, 25 metres and 20 metres), second place to Pierre Jean Brach (35 metres, 25 metres and 20 metres), and third place to Alex Speetjens (30 metres, 25 metres and 10 metres). In the women’s event, first place Clea Kalaitzis (25 metres, 25 metres and 10metres), second place Caroline van Hees (25 metres, 21.5 metres and 10 metres) and third Celine Garcia (25 metres, 16 metres and 10 metres).
Clea did not qualify for the deepest dive because she did not bring the tag back to the surface. A prize giving and buffet was organised after the competition. The event was made possible by WINAIR, Collectivité, What the Fin, Tri Sport, Go Sport, Sport Fit, A.T.C., SAD, Scuba Shop, Fisherman’s Paradise, Scaphander, Kookabarra, Double K, and Tainos Free Diving school.
