Beneath the surface
When you’re 83m under the water and you haven’t taken a breath for nearly three minutes, it’s hard not to panic. The pressure on your body is nine times what it is on the surface, your lungs are shrinking, and your heart rate is slowing down. Levels of carbon dioxide in your body are rising, and your spleen is contracting to squeeze extra-oxygenated blood into your circulatory system. You have lost your natural buoyancy and you are effectively sinking. If you don’t know what you’re doing you are seconds away from drowning.
If, however, you’re an experienced freediver like Wendy Timmermans you can relax, let your body find its natural equilibrium, and enjoy the privileged sensation of exploring the ocean without any breathing apparatus. ‘Humans have a natural response to water known in our bodies, which leads to the contraction of the diaphragm,’ she explains. ‘It’s not a pleasant sensation, and the mind can kick in at this point making it hard to stay relaxed and not use more energy and oxygen than needed.’
