Vertical Blue 2009

Vertical Blue has come to an end and it was an incredible competition! Five world records were broken and around 30 national records. There were 9 days of competition with 20 athletes competing. There was great photo coverage by Fred Buyle and video coverage by Blue Eye FX. Link the link below to see some picture, daily news updates, with top times and realized performances.

I felt very lucky to be amongst the elite athletes who were included in this exclusive competition. Going into the competition I tried to have minimal expectations for myself, and in the end the competition could not have been better for me. I did 5 dives total and all were awarded a white card (meaning a perfect performance).

My first dive was in CNF to 46M completed in 2: 05. I was nervous very nervous for this dive since it was the first of the competition and I had been having equalization problems since I arrived. However the blue hole was very clear and inviting that day and while preforming constant no fins I feel very connected to the water.

Next I decided to do FI 55M completed in 2:35. I chose this to work on my equalization and relaxation at depth. I was so relaxed on this dive that I went really slow, it took me 1:30 just to get to the bottom plate.

Then the big dive CNF 51M completed in 2:17. My personal goal for this competition was to do this particular dive. Not only is it a Canadian national record, it is a Continental record and a Pan American record. After I finished this dive I could finally relax, which I did, taking three days off and resting and enjoying the beautiful experiences that have been so graciously given to me here in the Bahamas.

Itching to get back to the blue I decided to put on my fin and play around with a CWT 55M completed in 1:44. I actually felt a little rushed and impatient on this dive. When I surfaced Eric Fattah told me followed me down for the whole dive and saw me kick the last couple of meters to the plate. It is really nice to get pointers from the worlds top athletes. Eric is know for FRC (exhale) diving and I watched his 72M dive, he did one kick off the surface then sank the rest of the way down, amazing.

Then today the final day of competition I did a CWT 60M completed in 2 minutes. Today the blue hole was really dark and I had a hard time finding the tag on the bottom plate at 60M . I thought going into the dive that I will probably turn early because of some last minute changes to my suit and not adjusting my weighting. I kicked to about 30M and the next thing I knew I was at the plate, GREAT DIVE. After I surfaced I turned to my coach Kerian Hibbs and said that was the best dive of the entire competition. Not only was it incredibly easy, but it was the qualifying depth that I needed for Worlds in November.

There are so many people that I would like to thank to start William Trubridge for inviting me to the competition and giving me access to one of the best places in the world in train depth. I would like to thank all of the freedivers who spend time working with me in the water and giving tips on how to be a better diver, Fred Buyle, William Winram, Kathryn McPhee, Walter Steyn, Eric Fattah, Liv Philip, Georgina Miller, Ilaria Molinari, Davide Carrera, Rob King, Herbert Nitsch, Mads Jorgensen and Sara Campbell. A special thanks to Kerian Hibbs, for being the best coach ever, helping me completely relax before my dives plus giving me some get exercises and also making me realize that compared to him I actually don't train that hard in the pool. Frank Pernett for being an inspiration and also bring me my fins that were delivered after I had already left for the Bahamas. Thank you to Megumi Matsumoto, Walid Boudhiaf, Leo Muraoka, Tomoko Yamanouchi and Ryuzo Shinomiya for being part of the competition and such great examples of the sport and dedication.

Also I would like to give a special thanks to the amazing Italian safety diver team, who I was always happy to see, my judges Grant Graves and Linden Wolbert and Joy Cottle, our medic and timer.

I arrived a few days ago on Long Island, Bahamas to train for Vertical Blue 2009. Unfortunately my second day in the water I barely got down 2M and I felt like my face was about to explode. I have sinus infection, this was definitely not in my plans, I will be out of the water for at least one week, which will only leave me two weeks to train before the start of the competition.

Instead of getting down on myself I have decided to use my time off and explore the island. Dean's Blue Hole is the main attraction on this island to a freediver like myself, however there are many beautiful secluded places to discover. I am a water baby and even if I can't dive down there isn't anything stopping me from taking a nice long swim in the sea. It'll actually help drain my sinuses faster. It was suggested that I check out Galloway beach, pictured above.

Galloway beach is the kind of place that when you approach you see the clouds part and hear the angels sing. Perfect white sand, crystal clear water and not another soul in sight. This became my hang out. I love to meditate while listen to the waves roll onto the shore, kick back read a book and soak up the sun.

I am very good about getting plenty of rest when I am training, however before I travel there always seems to be a million things to get done and of course I don't get enough sleep. I tell myself that I'll catch up when I get to where I am going. I learned a valuable lesson that I am ultimately paying the price for, but whether or not I am in the deep today, I am full of gratitude to be in such a beautiful place.