I’m new to the sport of freediving and don’t think I really realized what an opportunity it is to be visiting Dean’s Blue Hole and being part of Vertical Blue, that was until I mentioned it on Facebook. I then got plenty of comments from other freedivers saying, “how cool it is that I’m making the pilgrimage to the Mecca of freediving” or how envious they are.
With me starting to fully realize what this place and comp means to the world of freediving it was re-enforced while on the first flight to Nassau in the Bahamas. The in-flight magazine contained an article by Brittany Trubridge, William Trubridge's wife.
She wrote of her love for the island, growing up here, meeting Will and freediving. But as a kid she was scared of Dean’s Blue Hole, its darkness and the deep unknown, she avoided swimming in it and basically never across it. This made me start to realize what a special place it must be, Will obviously realized this a long time ago, hence his choice to make the island his home and the Blue Hole his playground.
After a 4 hr wait at Nassau airport we arrived in the evening at Long Island, Daan Verhoeven (a well known and very capable diver) was waiting to pick us up at the airport. Dean’s Blue Hole beach clean up had started at 3pm so when we arrived at the accommodation and no one was there we headed for the Blue Hole!
The clean-up had just finished so Johnny Sunnex and some of the other safety team and organizers were milling in the carpark. I said my hellos, Will was there but on the phone and even though I had never met him all I wanted to do was see the hole! So I politely excused myself and walked towards the beach.
From the carpark the hole is to the left, the weather for the last week has been messy and pushing into the hole, though reasonably sheltered from the ocean directly the water wasn't crystal clear, with plenty of weed and unfortunately rubbish floating in it. Though despite this it was still amazing, the evening sun was setting so the cliffs on the far side were glowing, and the beautiful white sand led the eye to the water’s edge.
I immediately was drawn towards the hole, half way across the beach I realized I still had my shoes and socks on, I bent down removing them quickly without even undoing the laces. I walked straight to the water’s edge, peered down then stepped forward into the water. Though not the most spiritual type I had an immediate argue that I wanted to connect to the place and the only way to do it properly was the feeling that I needed to be in the water.
On the edge the shallow water over the fine white sand is an amazing turquoise blue, but it quickly drops away and only 5m out the lurking darkness of the hole begins. I just stood and stared for a while, taking it all in.
People were done for the day (or so I thought, read part 2...coming), so it was empty, quiet, peaceful, and had a real energy about it.
Standing there calf deep in the water and feet buried in the sand I could now really appreciate and understand why people said Dean’s Blue Hole was such a special place.
She wrote of her love for the island, growing up here, meeting Will and freediving. But as a kid she was scared of Dean’s Blue Hole, its darkness and the deep unknown, she avoided swimming in it and basically never across it. This made me start to realize what a special place it must be, Will obviously realized this a long time ago, hence his choice to make the island his home and the Blue Hole his playground.
After a 4 hr wait at Nassau airport we arrived in the evening at Long Island, Daan Verhoeven (a well known and very capable diver) was waiting to pick us up at the airport. Dean’s Blue Hole beach clean up had started at 3pm so when we arrived at the accommodation and no one was there we headed for the Blue Hole!
The clean-up had just finished so Johnny Sunnex and some of the other safety team and organizers were milling in the carpark. I said my hellos, Will was there but on the phone and even though I had never met him all I wanted to do was see the hole! So I politely excused myself and walked towards the beach.
From the carpark the hole is to the left, the weather for the last week has been messy and pushing into the hole, though reasonably sheltered from the ocean directly the water wasn't crystal clear, with plenty of weed and unfortunately rubbish floating in it. Though despite this it was still amazing, the evening sun was setting so the cliffs on the far side were glowing, and the beautiful white sand led the eye to the water’s edge.
I immediately was drawn towards the hole, half way across the beach I realized I still had my shoes and socks on, I bent down removing them quickly without even undoing the laces. I walked straight to the water’s edge, peered down then stepped forward into the water. Though not the most spiritual type I had an immediate argue that I wanted to connect to the place and the only way to do it properly was the feeling that I needed to be in the water.
On the edge the shallow water over the fine white sand is an amazing turquoise blue, but it quickly drops away and only 5m out the lurking darkness of the hole begins. I just stood and stared for a while, taking it all in.
People were done for the day (or so I thought, read part 2...coming), so it was empty, quiet, peaceful, and had a real energy about it.
Standing there calf deep in the water and feet buried in the sand I could now really appreciate and understand why people said Dean’s Blue Hole was such a special place.
RSS Feed
