Technically SpeakingDive Deep, Stay Long, Breath None By Bill Nadeau | |
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When does one technical diver require 28 bottles of bottom mix, 14 bottles of travel gas and a dozen or so staged decompres
sion cylinders? When he is a breath hold free diver diving to 230 feet of salt water. Ironic isn't it? I thought so when I finished
talking to Kirk Krack of the International Association of Free Divers, an organization dedicated to the development of safe free
diving practices. Founded in 1997 by Free Diving World Record holder Francisco "Pipin' Ferreras, IAFD has grown to over 50
instructors in 20 different countries. Traditionally free diving (where an individual dives free of any gas supply, functioning solely
on the oxygen stored in his lungs) was an activity conducted for the purpose of gathering treasure, spearing fish or collecting
shells, pearls or coral. Today it is a fast growing water sport with an aggressive style paired with a new twist on exploration. Free
diving may carry an aura of simplicity however it is manifested by a philosophy that is as involved as technical diving.
Despite the lack of tanks free diving is very much a form of technical diving for many reasons. In addition to the similarity in training and attitudes, free diving, at its extreme, requires the support of a team of well trained mixed gas divers. To date there are more than a dozen classes of world records with categories based on ballast, weight assistance, gender and various mechanical devices. The result has been a craze in the water sport industry with manufacturers and promotional agents feeding hundreds of thousands of dollars of promotional support. There is even now a diving computer solely dedicated to breath hold diving. Kirk Krack, a Canadian who recently established a new constant ballast (DPV assisted) free diving record to 257fsw, has been personal coach and trainer to other free diving record holders such as Tanya Streeter and Brett Le Master. Returning to his home land he is about to embark on a new twist in his career by developing IAFD and free diving in Canada. While in Grand Cayman I had a chance to speak with Kirk about what has made this sport so dynamic. For the complete interview with Kirk Krack pick a copy of the December issue of DIVER Magazine. | |
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