(Filmed by: Cláudio Vieira)
I produced this video last year, while tranning for the freediving event Conquista Azul 2007. It was totaly filmed in apnea by Cláudio Vieira.
This year, my mermaid, convinced me to present the movie in "VideoDigiSub - Portimão 2008", an underwater video festival dedicated to wrecks in Portugal.
Well, I didn't win any awards, but it was a great experience and I learn a lot more about filmaking while underwater.
*** National Record
** Regional Record
* Personal Record
This month I'll be occupied with a freediving record attempt project called "Conquista Azul" (Blue Quest), where i will try to beat the portuguese freediving record in the freediving discipline of Free Imersion (FIM).
To get the record i need to dive at least to 41m depth.
The previous record is held by Paulo Nóbrega from Azores with a depth of 40m obtained in June 2004, in Faial Island, Azores.
The record attempts are schedule between 15 and 24 of August in Madeira Island.
During this event, I will also make some marks in Constant Weight, in order to qualify for the Freediving World Championship, held in Sharm el Sheikh, in Egypt, between 23 of November and 3 of December 2007.
News will be updated on the website of the event:
I published this video in YouTube to celebrate a freediving national record I established two years ago on the 25th of June 2005 in Faial Island - Azores, during an event called "Rumo ao Abismo".
Below is a memory of that special day:
"We woke up early in the morning, around 7 o’clock, I ate some cereals for breakfast and around eight we were already at Horta harbour preparing the last details for this day of records.
Around 10h30, we moved out by boat passing Monte da Guia and heading towards one of the trainings places in front Feteira harbour. After settled the safety-system, I started to prepare my self to make the first freediving national record in the discipline of constant weight no fins (CNF) with a mark of 30m depth.
I did a preparation dive in free immersion to see if the new equalization technique was functioning correctly. Ok, I was ready and the judges gave me the 4 min. countdown…
I just let my self relax, floating in the sea while observing the clouds in the sky, breathing calmly and after some moments I heard the judge: “… 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, zero!”, I prepare my last breathings and here I go… "it’s time to go down now"
The first strokes were the most demanding, I had to win the force of impulsion, keep align with the official cable and equalize my eardrums, but after the 20m mark, I closed my eyes, relaxed and let myself sunk, focusing my attention solely in equalization…
Around 25m I looked for the first time to the bottom and I saw the plate, “It’s already there”, I thought, I made my last equalization and let my self go until I grabbed the cable at one metter and a half of the announce depth, let a smile come out to my face and didn’t resist to take the 30m tag, it’s not mandatory, but it feels well to bring something from the bottom besides a memory.
In the way up, I tried to spent the less energy possible and in the final meters I just let my self ascend to the surface…
At the exit I grabbed the official cable, recovered my breath with deep inspirations and proceeded with the surface protocol assuring that everything was OK, after some seconds the judge validates the dive and I celebrate with everyone who made this record possible."
Faial, 25th of June 2005
João Costa
