September 2026 "On One Breath" by Bryce Cornett

This past summer, I took an introductory certification course focused on freediving in Monterey, California. Freediving is the act of diving underneath the surface and only returning once you run out of breath. It's like scuba diving without all the clunky gear, on only a single breath. Your success in this sport is heavily dependent on your ability to calm down and clear your mind, since your heart rate needs to be as low as possible in order to conserve oxygen. This is thecomplete opposite of an adrenaline sport; the deeper you go, the calmer you get. Literally, your heart slows down the lower you go due to diving bradycardia, which helps conserve oxygen for mammals when underwater. Freediving gives you a more immersive ocean experience and allows you to really experience the current moment to the max effect. Any worries or problems you may have disappear the moment you go underneath. That guy who cut you off in traffic gets forgotten; that argument you had with your friend is gone; the sport requires 100 percent of your attention and focus. While I was diving, I remember feeling such an intense feeling of focus and tranquility, even though I was only under for 15-20 seconds max. I really felt like I was a part of the ocean.

Before I go on further, I have to clarify that this is an extreme sport with real consequences if you do not respect the ocean and your limits. The ocean doesn’t care about what you’ve done before or who you are, or how much or little money you have. There is no place for ego in the water, and I think that's what I like most about it. In order to safely practice, I recommend taking an actual certifiable class. There are several tests you have to pass, like holding your breath for at least 1:30 seconds underwater, and some other underwater related things. I passed every test except for one, which was to have a controlled dive down to 10m in the open ocean. My problem was the pressure in my ears; once you get to around 2m, you start feeling the pressure in your ears, and it can do serious damage if you continue without equalizing the pressure. The easiest way to equalize is by holding your nose and blowing until you hear the pop in your ears, but it's also the least effective since it requires a good amount of oxygen to do it. I tried the nose blowing technique and felt like I was out of oxygen by around 5m. Including that, you have to be able to hold your breath while moving as effectively as possible with no wasted movements. The more you flail and panic, the more oxygen your body uses. It's a scary feeling not being able to breathe, and it's hard to tell yourself that you're fine and not to panic. No matter how deep you go, you still have to come back up. I’ve started learning another technique in order to equalize the pressure, and I’m starting to slowly get it. If you hold your breath, your body will first tell you to breathe due to lowering carbon dioxide levels, not because of a lack of oxygen. You have to learn to be comfortable with the urge and know that you're not out of oxygen yet. I plan on going back to receive my certificate in the coming weeks in order to freely and safely practice.

Aside from all the relaxing calmness of the sport, it is the best way to experience the wildlife! In freediving, it's eerily quiet when you dive down, and curious animals will often not be as scared as they are with scuba. My ultimate goal is to have wildlife experiences, and I hope one day I will be lucky enough to have some animals come check me out. First, though, I need to get the equalization down, then get my certification. If you read all this, thank you. Have a good day, and consider the sport!