The 6th day of training for my 2 Giants – Walter Chivescu and Jeroen Van Haudt. We had been doing a lot of empty lung training, to acclimatize to pressure. Learn my advanced technique of equalisation for depth, and get used to the noseclip. Yesterday the sea was perfect, 20mt visibility, no current and the surface like glass. The white line, a thread, an invitation into the deep blue, there were smiles exchanged, I felt a surge of joy and knew it would be a good day. Things began slowly, each wrestling with their own challenges, then the magic began to happen.
Jeroen had been getting used to a lot of new things. Finding the correct weighting for our very saline conditions, getting used to the noseclip and a new technique of equalisation and the seductiveness of
great visibility and warm water.If you have been diving in +10°C dark water it does take a few dives to adjust. Jeroen finished the day with a 29.4 mt dive in bi-fins with excellent style, not yet utilising the glide. Entry, style, rhythm, alignment to the rope and equalisation were impeccable.
Walter, a veteran with the noseclip but new to going “naked face” (no liquid goggles) started slower, wrestling with the pacing, previously we had been working on the entry and first few meters in CNF and he had achieved 13 mts with 4 strokes, very acceptable as he was lightly weighted. He finished the day with a excellent 36 mt CNF dive where everything clicked.
Today the sea was not quite the perfection of yesterday, light chop and small current, but still wonderfully inviting. We were joined by Mikhail Krutyanksy and he decided to join Walter in CNF. Mike had previously done 30 mts and had been wrestling with equalisation issues, but we had talked them through after the dive. We decided to introduce a single warm up dive.
Then the magic began to happen. Walter’s first dive CNF 40 mts!!! And easy – he has much more in the tank. Mike took his place on the line and 34.5 CNF a great dive in spite of fighting with the lanyard for the first 15 mts, I thought he would turn but he was very concentrated and dealt with it and went on to a brilliant dive.
Jeroen fulfilled all his objectives and crossed the 30mt! Yesterday he had been suffering a sinus/left ear problem – the result of fighting the air conditioner, and began today cautiously. To put that in context, last week for 2 days the temperature hit +50°C and every day since we have been in the +40°C’s. Every single day he has improved and is a joy to work with.