Italian competitor Andrea Richichi was the toast of Koh Lanta this month after he swept the boards in the third annual Andaman Freediving Challenge, the only competition of its type in Thailand.
The 52-year old reached a depth of 53 metres in the constant weight category and managed an equally impressive breath-hold of six minutes and 33 seconds during the confined water competitions at the Rawi Warin resort on the picturesque island.
After winning each of the six categories in both in the open sea and the pool over three days, the Italian donated an estimated 21,000 baht in prize money to two local charities, the Children of the Forest and Lanta Animal Welfare.
"I have never been a scuba diver, but I have always loved being under water,” said Richichi. “When I grew up, scuba diving wasn’t an option. I have never done any courses, but you really do learn a lot at competitions and you get to meet very good people. This competition has a wonderful atmosphere and it’s in a country that I love!”"
The most striking thing about this year’s Andaman Freediving Challenge was how friendly the competitors were with each other throughout the three days and how keen they were to help each other out with advice and tips to extend their time underwater.
Freedivers learn how to hold their breath for long periods without the aid of scuba equipment. Eight male and four female divers took part in Koh Lanta this year, many of them competing for the first time.
Ossien Pekkala from Finland and Australian Jay Davidson were the other prize winners in disciplines such as constant weight, static, and dynamic. Pekkala, who only took up Freediving at the end of last year, was delighted to reach 30 metres on a single breath.
The women’s competition was won by Jacinta Colvin, from Melbourne, who was inspired to take part in the Andaman Freediving Challenge after hearing about last year’s competition from friends in Australia. She reached depths of over 30 metres in her first ever competition and managed to hold her breath for just under four minutes in the pool.
Jacinta would have set a new Australian record when she reached a depth of 36 metres on a free immersion in the open sea, but for a slight technical breach which saw her receive a yellow card. After the initial disappointment of missing out on a national record, she was thrilled to register a number of new personal bests at Koh Lanta.
"It’s been really, really good and really friendly here and I feel I have learned so much over the three days. It’s great to get to hang out with other Freedivers and I feel so much more confident now," said Colvin, who organised a two week holiday in Koh Lanta around the competition.
The organisers, Blue Planet Divers, encouraged beginners and intermediates to take part, among them Phuket-based Petchrung Sukpong, who only learned how to Freedive two weeks earlier. She was thrilled to reach a depth of 20 metres on a single breath, a personal best, and found that the experience was akin to meditation under water.
"This competition is perfect for the beginner, because it is so friendly, and I think I have learned a lot over the three days. I had never even thought about going into a competition before and now I’m thinking of going on and doing the Advanced course."
The Andaman Freediving Challenge, which is run by Blue Planet Divers, takes place in mid-February each year.
