Exploring hidden depths with Alice Hickson
What does freediving feel like?
I’m not very good at staying still, but in the water it’s like the flick of a switch. When you’re diving deep, you just feel completely insignificant; nothing else matters. It can almost feel like you’re flying.
Did you expect to win gold in your first year of competing?
No! I was working two jobs and at university part-time, so I had to start a crowdfund to get there. I went with no expectations. I did two disciplines: dynamic no fins (how many lengths you can do in one breath) and static (face down in the water, holding your breath). I was really anxious on the day of the dynamic final, but I ended up winning gold. In static, I got a PB and broke the national record. It was one of the best weeks ever.
Do you worry about blacking out?
I did black out in the 2016 World Championships, during static. It was only a little one, a few seconds. I was used to a warmer pool. When you’re cold and start shivering, you’re using energy, which uses oxygen. Now I know that I needed a thicker wetsuit.
Freediving is as much a mental game as it is physical. It helps that I feel more comfortable in water than I do on landFreediving is as much a mental game as it is physical. It helps that I feel more comfortable in water than I do on land
Does freediving cultivate an attitude of mindfulness?
There’s the mammalian dive reflex, which slows down your heart rate when your face is in water. The blood from your extremities goes to your core to save energy. Everything feels calmer. You learn to let everything go. If you start thinking, “I’ve left the oven on,” it raises your heart rate and you’ll use up oxygen through panic. This transfers into daily life: if you learn to breathe slower, calmer or deeper, it can impact on your emotions and help you manage everyday problems.
How does it feel when you start to reach your limit and your body feels the urge to breathe?
Freediving is as much a mental game as it is physical. It helps that I feel more comfortable in water than I do on land. For me, it’s meditative. You realise the contractions are just a signal from your body, and if you relax into it you can overcome that and go a bit longer. The best dives are when you’re in a state of flow and don’t even notice them.
What’s it like to explore the ocean with no equipment?
It’s a lot less cumbersome than scuba diving, and not as scary for the wildlife – we’ve had dolphins and seals join us. You might see spider crabs as big as footballs. There’s a reef nearby [in Cornwall] where you can see wrasse, sea bass, jellyfish… Then you come to a dark hole in the rock. You swim through and follow the light to the surface. You know when you visit an amusement park and you want go on a ride again and again? It’s like that. After not being in the sea for months because of lockdown, I went to the bottom of the line and lay down in the kelp. The sway of the ocean is like being rocked. That’s a really lovely feeling.
How has freediving changed you?
It’s helped me become calmer and more confident. When you’re aware of being a tiny drop in this huge ocean, it’s like nothing matters. Like a tide, things come and go. Nothing’s permanent.
What’s next in freediving?
Fifty years ago, they thought that no one could go past a depth of 50m. I don’t think the limits have been reached yet. Freediving isn’t like most sports – you get better with age. You get stronger mentally and your metabolic rate slows down. I’ve got loads more potential. I’m continuing that journey.