The best lesson champion freediver Umberto Pelizzari ever received was given to him some 20 years ago when he was fishing off a pier in the Maldives.
An old fisherman who had seen him freediving said: “You do it very well, but may I give you a piece of advice?” He had a piece of coral and a coconut, which he split and tossed into the water.
“The coral and the coconut are now together in the water. But the coral remains coral, while the coconut milk is now sea water: when you dive, do not be as the coral, but as the coconut milk.”
The world-renowned free-diver, 48, is currently in Malta to deliver a three-day professional course in freediving.
The best quality of a good freediver is the ability to know your body
Now retired from the competitive field, he holds 16 freediving world records and is the sole freediver of his time to have established world records in all the then existing disciplines of freediving. He is also the first man to reach the depth of 150 metres. In this sport, his personal best is eight minutes.
Freediving or apnoea is a type of diving which does not make use of any breathing equipment such as scuba gear. It requires extreme physical fitness, mental discipline and training.
All through the 1990s, Mr Pelizzari became famous for his sportive rivalry with the other world top freediver of the time, Francisco ‘Pipin’ Ferreras, originally a close training friend around 1990.
The rivalry of two top freedivers became the focus of the 2001 IMAX production Ocean Men: Extreme Dive, directed by renowned underwater photographer Bob Talbot.
Addressing some 29 students yesterday, including amateur freedivers, foreigners and beginners, Mr Pelizzari stressed the importance of relaxation.
The ability to be relaxed underwater is crucial in freediving since freedivers must minimise their oxygen use in order to extend their dive times.
“We must work on your technique first. You can’t focus on your performance and on your technique at the same time,” he warned them.
The course will be addressing numerous topics including breathing techniques (focusing on abdominal breathing and how to use the diaphragm), auto-suggestion techniques (influencing one’s own attitudes or physical condition by mental processes other than conscious thought), equalisation techniques and blackouts.
“Everyone thinks freediving means going as deep as you can,” Mr Pelizzari told Times of Malta.
“It’s not just about performance. The best part of freediving is the sensation you experience – the relaxation and the way you feel your body and your heartbeat.
“The best quality of a good free-diver is the ability to know your body, to control it and to limit the reaction of your body telling you: ‘I need to breathe, I need to take in air’”.
Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, who met Mr Pelizzari yesterday, said the government was working on developing niche markets and attracting more sports tourism.
Isaac Borg, the director of Blu Fin Marine which brought Mr Pelizzari to Malta, said the visit was possible after he had booked him back in 2011.
He hoped the three-day free-diving course would become a yearly activity.