British Freediving Association
Never dive alone
On the 3rd May 2011 British freediver Mike Board, 40, a former Royal Marine who now lives in Gili Trawangan in Indonesia, reclaimed his National Record in Free Immersion (pulling himself down and up a submerged, weighted rope) with a faultless dive to 72m. The dive, held at the ‘Freedive International’ Minicomp in Dahab’s Blue Hole, took 2 minutes and 41 seconds. Mike was again coached by four-times World Record holder Sara Campbell.
Photo by Jan Windszus
Seven British athletes attended the 3rd Mediterranean Freediving World Cup, between 6th and 20th June 2010, hosted in Kalamata Greece by Stavros Kastrinakis. Liv Philip, Georgina Miller, Maria-Teresa Solomons, Sue Pugh, Tim Money, David Tranfield and Mark Harris all competed.
In addition, Long-standing BFA committee member Ben Noble competed, representing Australia.
Photo provided by Laura Storm
A summary of their key achievements follows:
The British Freediving Association (BFA) is very proud to announce that Team GB will be sponsored by Elios, Fourth Element and Suunto.
To visit any of our sponsors please click on the logo’s below.
The British Freediving Association (BFA) has made its selection for Team GB to represent the UK at the 2010 Freediving Team World Championships in Okinawa, Japan. The event will take place from 30th June until 10th July,and Team GB will be sponsored by Elios wetsuits, Fourth Element clothing, and Suunto.
The UK will be represented by three of the most experienced athletes in the country: Sam Still, Maria-Teresa Solomons and Suzanne Pugh, making up a mixed team, which will compete in the men’s category.
To find out more about this or to download our offical press release please click here
The British men’s Free Immersion freediving record has fallen to a new-comer. Mike Board, training with Sara Campbell at her Discover Your Depths training camp in March, set the new record of 68m with a dive time of two minutes 39 seconds on Monday 22nd March.
Mike, already a freediving instructor, runs his own school near Bali on the idyllic island of Gili Trawangan. He completed the dive on the second day of competition.
Mike said: I didn’t really have any goals when I came to train with Sara in Dahab, simply to improve my own diving and become a better instructor as a result. However, my progress was so fast once she taught me the mouthfill properly, the British FIM record suddenly came into view.
Sara said: Mike trained with me for three weeks and am thrilled by his progress he arrived a 43m diver and leaves with a really impressive National Record, and is more or less touching 70m. He absolutely deserves this result and I look forward to seeing his name at the top of results lists in the future.
At the same event, Sam Still, who became World Champion in static five years ago, made an impressive come-back to the competition circuit after four years out, with two strong dives, racking up a total of 124 points to put him in first place in the competition overall. Mike came a very close second with 121 points after equalisation problems forced him to turn early on his attempt at 70m Constant Weight on day one.
Most of the divers were competing with a hope of qualifying for the British Team going to the World Championships in Okinawa, Japan later this year. However, many were less successful, several competing for the first time ever and learning valuable lessons in terms of the rules for international competition and the surface protocol.
Sara added: Many divers forget that a successful competitive dive is 50 percent the dive, 50 percent technical details and rules, which must be studied and practiced ahead of a competition as much as the actual depth and breathhold training.
To contact Mike please click here
Six British athletes will be battling it out for a place on the Team going to Okinawa later this year, at two competitions being held in Dahab by Sara Campbell, supported by Freedive Dahab. Athletes listed to attend are:
Jay Cluskey
Chris Holmes
Mike Board
Anna Parayiar
Charlie Edwards
Sam Still
Static will be held on 18th March at the Swiss Inn Hotel, followed by two depth days on 21st and 22nd March in the Blue Hole for athletes to improve their rankings in Constant Weight.
Sara will be coaching the athletes in the run up to the competitions and all are hoping that her ‘magic mouthfill’ will rub off on them to get deep enough to qualify!
Good luck to everyone hoping to get on the squad!
The 2009 AIDA Depth Freediving World Championships, in Constant Weight with and without fins is taking place in Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island in the Bahamas this coming November/December. The official Registration and opening ceremony starts on Wednesday the 25th November and closes on the 5th December.
To enter you have to have achieved the minimum of 30mts CNF , 55mts CTW for women, and CNF 40mts and CWT 75mts for men. These need to be AIDA ranking dives after 27th November 2007.
Only athletes who have qualified as the criterion states above or who have been awarded wild-cards by AIDA International may register for the WC.
If you are interested in competing please send your request to chair@britishfreediving.org as an AIDA requirement states the BFA must ratify the individuals qualifications to the event organiser.
If you wish to apply to AIDA before September 6th a reduced fee of 695 USD will be accepted for the entry fee, thereafter it will cost 800 USD with the deadline date of application closing on October 4th.
To find out more about the competition or how to make payment for the event please view the official document by clicking here.
On the 3rd April 2009 at 11.10am local time on Long Island in the Bahamas, British freediver, Sara Campbell, who turned 37 on Monday 30th March, set a new World Record in womens freediving of 96m Constant Weight on just one breath.
The dive took her 3 minutes and 34 seconds, and although light-headed on the surface she successfully completed the surface protocol, securing a white card from the judges.
On completing the dive, Sara said:
“This was by far the toughest World Record I’ve earned. The emotional journey to 96m and back was just a formality, compared to the emotional journey of losing my mum last year, and struggling to dive in the most challenging conditions I’ve ever experienced here. I have completed only 17 training dives since I became World Champion in November 2007. I’m delighted to be back!”
For interviews Sara can be contacted on 001 242 337 1247. Please feel free to call or email her at any time (doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of the night, she’d love to talk!)
Photography and videos can be downloaded from Sara’s FTP server. To gain access to this server please contact e-media and we will send you the details.
Sara Campbell
NEW WORLD RECORD HOLDER -96, CWT
WORLD CHAMPION FREEDIVER
CONSTANT WEIGHT
The British Freediving Association is pleased to announce a new UK Record in Constant Weight for David King. On the 1st November 2007, David achieved a depth of 78 metres, whereby he had to swim using a single monofin to that depth and back again. This took place at the 4th Individual World Championship in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The previous record holder Alun George, had set the depth to 76 metres in 2004.
The British Freediving Association is pleased to announce a new UK Record in Free Immersion for Marcus Greatwood. On the 19th October 2007, Marcus achieved a depth of 61 metres, whereby he had to pull himself on a submerged line to that depth and back again. This took place at the ‘Triple Depth’ competition, in Dahab, Egypt. The previous record holder had set the depth to 60 metres in 2005.