Freediving and competitions: learning from our mistakes

Freediving and competitions: learning from our mistakes

Behind every success, there’s 100 failures, trials, and mistakes to correct.

As I’m preparing for the last freediving competition of the year, I look back at my past season and the 6 depth competitions I had, which have proved to be huge learning experiences: 

You’ve got talent! Wait… What? Let’s talk about the SOFT SKILLS in Freediving

You’ve got talent! Wait… What?  Let’s talk about the SOFT SKILLS in Freediving

When people tell me that I have a natural talent in freediving, I tend to nod in silence, but really, deep down I don’t agree, and I feel my past experiences and hard work are somewhat diminished by the word “talent”.

Whilst my ego agrees it’s nice to feel you have somehow been infused with godliness at birth, on the contrary I feel very human and my ‘talent’ is only a consequence of my hard work (hard skills) and past experiences (soft skills).

You've got talent! Or better, let's talk about the Hard Skills in Freediving

You've got talent! Or better, let's talk about the Hard Skills in Freediving

Recently I have given a beautiful workshop in my hometown, Genova.

Most of the theoretical part of the workshop was concentrated around the concept that there is no such thing as talent in freediving, nor in any other thing if that matters. My work as a coach has been that to give a name to all things and skills that can be quantifiable in freediving.

Dryrobe® - Waterproof changing robe

Dryrobe® - Waterproof changing robe

This January I was so excited to get to start diving in the French Riviera in Villefranche sur Mer again, however I had a creeping problem - how will I ever get used to the Med winter again after two years spent in Dahab, Egypt? I am not so fussy about cold water being at 13 degrees, after all I have 2 World Records for diving at -7 degrees in Lake Garda with my 3mm wetsuit.. But would I be able to bear the cold wind on a winter boat?

Indiana 11'6 Touring Lite Stand Up Paddle Board by Indiana Paddle & Surf

Indiana 11'6 Touring Lite Stand Up Paddle Board by Indiana Paddle & Surf

The Indiana 11'6 Touring Lite Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board by Indiana Paddle & Surf is a great companion for adventure, cross training and fun, but also it’s a great piece of gear for freediving training, especially to reach a little bit of depth off shore.