Free diving or Apnea and photos of freedivers underwater leave me with the most serene feelings of peace and calm. These underwater sports people test their own limits as well as those records set by previous breath hold pioneers. As our understanding of human physiology expands, humans have begun to understand how to take their bodies further than ever before, down into the depths of the oceans, on one breath. Unfortunately these free dives and the divers themselves are not easily accessible for underwater photographers, as they aren't just out there when an underwater phototgrapher goes to sea. They train for particular events and even the slightest current or poor visibility can prevent them from getting out to sea to practise their art.

I leave you with the words of Umberto Pelizzari, the World Free Diving Champion...
"From the depths, headlong into the abyss, the heartbeat gets slower, the body disappears and feelings take on a new form. The only thing that remains in us is the soul, which seems to absorb the universe. I am often asked what is there to see deep down in the sea? Maybe the only possible answer is that one does not descend this way to look around but rather to look into himself. In the deep i look for myself. This is a mystical experience bordeing on the divine. So deep down i am immensely alone but inside it feels as if all humanity is with me. It is by being human that i surpass the limits we set for ourselves and diving makes us one with the sea and its surroundings. It is here that i become one with the sea and discover my true self."