Climb out of your comfort zone

These extreme sports will take you there

ANDY LAURIE – FREEDIVING INSTRUCTOR

Take a deep breath. How long until the urge to gasp for air becomes overwhelming? Thirty seconds? Less?

Step forward Andy Laurie. As an experienced freediver, he can hold his breath underwater for minutes at a time.

“I first tried freediving in 1999 after watching my friend try it in a pool,” says the 43-year-old. “I was on the surface watching him swim underneath me and realised I’d been holding my breath the whole of his 33m length.

“I bought my own mask and fins, became qualified and set up what’s now the UK’s largest freediving club.”

Amazingly, Andy has freedived to a staggering 60m and held his breath for just under six minutes.

“As soon as you put your head underwater and hold your breath, you’re freediving!” he beams. “Relaxation is key – not lungsize! It’s simply being underwater with little or no equipment.”

Dad-of-two Andy from Aberfeldy was one of the first instructors in the UK in 2001 and has set up freedive schools in Egypt, Honduras, Thailand and, in 2015, Scotland’s very own Alba Freedivers.

His scariest moment was in 2007 when he was a safety diver for Austrian freediver Herbert Nitsch’s 702ft world record dive.

“There were a lot of unknowns but my crew and I did everything as planned and Herbert made the dive surfacing as No Limits World Record holder. What a dive!”

Andy’s most exhilarating experience was on his way to a dive site in the Indian Ocean when he and his wife slipped into the water with a massive 400-plus pod of dolphins.

“I took a deep breath and went down to about 33ft. There were so many dolphins I could hardly see the surface and I realised I was freediving in the middle of them. I was part of the pod!”

Andy, an audio/visual installation project manager, has freedived wrecks worldwide and with many different animals, but sharks are his favourite and his dream is to freedive with great whites.

So why choose freediving? For Andy, it’s about enjoying the silence of being underwater, seeing amazing flora and fauna, and interacting with sea life, whether dolphins, sharks or whales.

Like all extreme sports, there are risks, but Andy reckons they are avoidable.

“People talk about blackouts but in 18 years, I’ve never blacked out, nor have any of my students.

“Like anything, if you push yourself too soon without training, you may experience difficulties. You need time to learn, practice and adapt.

“Only a freediver knows the feeling of incredible relaxation; being able to enjoy the beautiful oceans, the health benefits, and the ability to breathe correctly, which is important for all aspects of our lives.”

SIMON JENKINS – MOUNTAIN GUIDE

With 30 years of mountain guiding under his belt, Simon Jenkins knows a thing or two about climbing.

He’s taught everything from navigation to rock climbing and taken group trips up major peaks like the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, as well as Scotland’s Munros.

In 2003, Simon moved from the Highlands to Dundee to set up and manage Avertical World, Tayside’s only dedicated indoor climbing centre.

“There are so many sides to climbing; I love the variety,” says the dad-of-two.

“You can be out in all sorts of

If you’re thinking about doing a skydive, just do it

environments – in woods with steep cliffs, near villages, or you might take a remote walk into the mountains and not see a soul for days.

“I steer away from popular peaks – Mont Blanc in summer is a no-no because it’s too busy.”

Simon is a big fan of ice climbing, listing Labryinth Direct and Corrie Fee in the Cairngorms, and “Just an Illusion”, an ice wall in the Southern Alps, as favourite expeditions.

“The magic thing about climbing ice

Simon Jenkins climbing solo.