Meet the Gold Coaster making a living out of holding his breath
The second you put your face in water, something amazing happens - your heart rate lowers up to 25 per cent; blood starts rushing from your extremities into the core; brainwaves soften ... and then there’s the serenity
CLINTON Laurence can hold his breath for nearly five minutes and dive to 50m underwater. And no, he’s not a fish. The 55-year-old Gold Coaster is a freediving instructor and left for the Philippines last week to push his limits even further.
Although the thought of holding your breath for a long time scares most people, Mr Clinton said his sport was becoming increasingly popular on the Gold Coast.
“This year we have had the most inquiries and people on courses,” he said about his apnea training school.
“I think it’s one of those sports. It’s unusual and most Australians are sport and water-loving people.
“People went down the scuba route and realised they could do it without equipment. There is that curiosity.”
Freediving is a relatively new sport and 50 years ago scientists believed the deepest a human could freedive was about 50m.
But athletes are constantly going deeper, including Mr Laurence who hopes to break his personal record overseas.
“I’m (going) to the Philippines for two weeks to do some advanced training,” he said.
“There is a major freediving area just off the coast where it’s about 100m deep. Hopefully I can break 50m.”
Although the freediving appeals largely to extreme sports lovers, Mr Laurence said it was a relaxing way to discover the ocean’s wonders.
“The reality is that they don’t have to take up extreme competition diving but they can learn to hold their breath long and safely,” he said.
“I believe most people are capable of diving to 20m.”
Mr Laurence holds his courses at the Gold Coast Seaway, which is 10m deep, and at Wavebreak Island about twice a month.
“I’m interested in how to relax and be calmer and I think freediving teaches you that,” he said.
“I’ve been doing it for about six years because I love the water and I wanted to go deeper.
“It’s still a small sport but I’m hoping to change that.”
Assistant instructor Cristy Gearon, who is also a professional boat skipper, said she was looking for a “breakaway experience” when she started freediving.
“Freediving has a simplicity about it and it gives you an honest awareness of who you are and where you’re at,” she said.
“Few experiences can be that raw but still enjoyable.”
The 34-year-old said she had always been fascinated and curious about the ocean.
“I wanted to improve my own safety with surfing,” she said.
“It’s also a break away from what’s complicated in life.”
Although Mr Laurence and Ms Gearon may seem to have super powers to hold their breaths for so long, they say anyone can try freediving.
“It doesn’t have to be extreme,” Mr Laurence said.
“I think a person of reasonable fitness and water confidence has this ability.
“Depths beyond 40m are largely for competitive freedivers.”
FREEDIVING HAS A SIMPLICITY ABOUT IT ... IT GIVES YOU AN HONEST AWARENESS OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU’RE AT - CRISTY GEARON