Hong Kong free-diving: where to learn, and why it's catching on
Free-diving is catching on in Hong Kong. Exponents find it a challenge for both body and mind, and are not put off by the death last month of Russian free-diving queen Natalia Molchanova
The tightly knit community of free-divers around the world was stunned when news emerged in early August that Natalia Molchanova failed to return from a dive near Ibiza, Spain, and was presumed dead. The 53-year-old Russian had long been an inspirational figure in free-diving, her 41 world records making her the undisputed queen of the sport.
Although the tragedy highlighted the risks of free-diving, it has done little to dampen enthusiasm for the extraordinary discipline whereby athletes such as Molchanova can plumb depths of 100 metres on a single breath.
In Hong Kong, a growing number of scuba divers have been setting aside their air tanks to explore the underwater realm like graceful mermaids - or mermen.
Since its inception in 2012, the Hong Kong Freediving Association has grown from a tiny community of 10 like-minded people into one of three free-diving schools in the city. The association has trained about 200 students - mainly Cantonese speakers - and gained a following of 1,000 people on its Facebook page.
Last November, Freediving Planet, a Philippine-based school founded by five-time world-record holder Jean-Pol Francois and Suzanne Lim, a former pharmacist from France, expanded its operations to Hong Kong to fill the vacuum in English-language courses.
Both schools offer courses certified by AIDA (International Association for Development of Apnoea), one of two world organisations governing competitive free-diving.
