Standing on the rocks looking out onto the lagoon, each of us was silent. Slipping into our wetsuits, we had a short, calm swim to a judges platform at the centre of this body of water. The competitors all appeared stern and focused, with the stakes raised high for this competition. The conditions on the lagoon were perfect; the event couldn’t have asked for better timing. But that didn’t matter at this moment, as nerves were high. Today, for these local Nicaraguans, history was about to be made. 

One-by-one, the competitors made their way to take hold of the long line attached to the platform. There, they’d collect themselves and begin their breath ups, preparing their body and mind for what they were about to do. And all the while, we were in the water surrounding them, observing as each one of them announced their discipline, anticipated depth, and flipped their faces into the water towards their remarkable descent. 

That day on Laguna De Apoyo – the incredibly deep volcanic crater filled with 30 degree Celsius freshwater – we were witnessing the first-ever freediving competition put on for the Nicaraguan locals. It was here that each one of them would attempt to reach their personal best in deep diving, and some of them would be setting the first national records for the country. There was a sense of tension, and gravity at the lagoon that day, but also a sense of hopefulness. For a country like Nicaragua, situated firmly in the middle of Central America, this was monumental for its people and the relatively new sport of freediving. 

First up was Carolina Ortiz Centeno, who was aiming for 25 metres in the constant weight bi-fins discipline. That meant she would be using a line dropped down to her desired depth to guide her, but she would not be touching it. Instead, she’d be using her fins to propel her down and back up to complete this dive successfully, all on one breath hold. The other option for that day was a discipline called free immersion where, instead of using fins to propel the diver down, they pull themselves on the line without the support of the fins. Both disciplines are equally challenging in their own respective ways – with constant weight requiring more muscle activation in the legs and free immersion perhaps requiring a longer breath hold as it moves slower. Either way, both disciplines are challenging and require continuous and strategic training. 

The judges, Thomas Dédès and Colleen Yaw, owners and co-founders of Freediving Nicaragua, nodded to her as she got in position. You could tell these two, who were the ones to put on the competition in the first place, were silently encouraging her to remember her training. Thomas and Colleen’s dream in setting up the first freediving center in Nicaragua was to train and mentor local athletes, helping them get to this point. So, their support in the water meant everything to these aspiring freedivers, as this moment marked the beginning of their trajectories in the sport. It was completely silent on the platform as soon as the first diver began their descent, everyone eagerly awaiting the result. Even though the lagoon was perfectly clear, Carolina’s body disappeared entirely after the 10 metre mark. 

Carolina’s dive safety, Sebastian – another instructor at Freediving Nicaragua – did his perfect duck dive down to meet her half way. And up they both came moments later, Carolina beaming with delight. She was the first of the group to hit her desired outcome. Signalling that she was fine and audibly stating “I’m OK” (part of the freediving protocol), she finished her recovery breaths and the judges counted to confirm her victory. The competition was off to a positive start, with Edwin Jose Flores Latino and Rafael Murillo up next in the lineup. 

Edwin, one of the staff members of Freediving Nicaragua, saw Thomas and Colleen’s training rituals every day with locals and international athletes alike, from beginners to elite. Watching from afar, he wanted to give it a try. And after a few attempts, he too was hooked, loving the relaxation and closeness to the water the sport provides. He was aiming for 35 metres in the constant weight bi-fins discipline, and just like that, hit the mark as expected. Thomas and Colleen were visibly proud as they splashed his face with water upon completion of the dive and clearing the safety requirements. It was at this moment that Edwin held the Nicaraguan record for the constant weight bi-fins discipline. Following that, Rafael (another student of Freediving Nicaragua) took things one step further, pushing to 37 metres, taking over the title in the same category. 

The thing about freediving competitions is that national records can often be exceeded one after another in rapid succession. As soon as a record is set, another competitor in the lineup dives only a few meters deeper than said record holder. Regardless, athletes will cherish setting these records, as even for a moment, they accomplished something magnificent. And that’s good enough for many. Especially in a place where competitive freediving is only just getting started. For Edwin and Rafael, this was their gateway into more competitions (and larger ones) that will take place in the country and around Central America. At least that’s Thomas’ plan. 

This competition was an introduction to what it’s like, as Thomas had been working on a much bigger, internationally recognised version which took place in August 2024. It’s here that these local athletes competed against elite contenders coming in from other countries, and pushed to go farther and deeper than anything they had done before. This larger scale competition was a huge success, allowing the Freediving Nicaragua team to effectively take a strong step in putting the country on the map as a premiere freediving destination, attracting talent of all levels from around the globe. 

But before any of this happened, there was one more competitor that needed to take the line: Santos Alexander Espinoza Pavone. Alex, a local spearfisher and ecotour operator, was quite expressive in sharing his love of the water. Because of his significant breath hold stemming from years of diving to hunt fish sustainably and his passion for surfing, one of his friends had mentioned he should try competitive freediving. And that’s how the obsession began only a year prior to this moment. 

He was the last of the local team to approach the line. There was celebration and conversation among prior competitors on the sideline while Alex prepared himself. But the minute Alex grabbed hold of the long line, the scene fell silent, and the group’s eyes fixated on his calm and relaxed face. He was smiling as he began his breath up, clearly relishing in this moment regardless of the outcome. For Alex, the act of focusing on his breathing was clearly special to him, taking him to a place not many people in the world will experience. For him, this was a state of total and complete relaxation and appreciation – to be immersed in the natural world offered him stability, security and comfort.

Alex intended to dive to 50 metres in the free immersion discipline (you know the one where he would be using no fins to propel him up and down the line and instead using his arms to pull!). The aim in this discipline is to keep a strong breath hold, make it past the 20 meter mark in this freshwater, and let freefall pull you down further. This is something many freedivers strive to experience, and requires you to go deep! Colleen called the countdown, signalling to Alex that it was go-time. And flipping to the surface to pack in his final breaths, Alex dropped out of sight slowly, with an air of confidence suggesting he was born for this sport. 

Thomas’ dream to bring freediving to Nicaragua for competitors like Alex didn’t happen overnight. This vision has been long in the works. As a teacher first and foremost, and a freediver secondarily, what matters most to Thomas – and in fact all of Freediving Nicaragua – is giving access to the sport to those who would not have had the chance otherwise. Opportunities to train, compete and flourish, not only as divers but as individuals generally. So, seeing Alex emerge from 50 metres, so proud of what he accomplished – that was everything for Thomas. The dream and vision was in full effect, even if it was only just the beginning. 

A celebration on the platform was in order, as each competitor, coach, judge and safety cheered and high-fived the next. “I’m proud to represent my country and my people. I’m proud of what I did today,” Alex shared as he grinned while holding onto the platform edge. “I worked hard, but now I’m going to work so much harder, because I want to hit 70 meters at the competition in August. I am going to do whatever it takes to get there. I know I can do this.” 

Freediving isn’t a sport for those unwilling to push themselves. And holding one’s breath while pushing to daunting depths (not to mention continuing to hold it as you ascend) is not for the faint of heart. It requires not only a commitment to the training process which is long, tedious and often requiring a great deal of patience, but commitment to oneself as well. A diver will not be able to just smash personal bests in training every other day. There needs to be a strategic cadence to how you progress to the deeper depths. Freediving has an innate level of ‘fear factor’ to it, while also demanding respect for safety measures. It’s a sport that requires you to surround yourself with the pros, learn from mistakes, not push past your limits, all while embracing an awareness of when it’s time to just go for it. 

Freediving Nicaragua is helping those new to the sport to learn correctly so that they stand a chance on global main stages. It’s also helping to set best practices for the up-and-coming sport. Thomas, a long-time Instructor Trainer through Scuba Schools International (SSI), and now one of seven International Training Directors in the world under this affiliation, is committing his time and effort to building up the professionalism and legitimacy of the sport. And this mindset was clearly trickling down to the local competitors that day out on Laguna De Apoyo. 

Everyone was there to support one another to practice the art of freediving safely and, above all else, feel an unwavering connection with this volcanic crater water. And what that single competition did for these athletes was unlock the next chapter of their lives, all under the watchful eye of the Freediving Nicaragua team. This moment of an underdog nation preparing for the global arena was something out of a movie, like the warm up to the coming main event. And we were honoured to have the chance to witness and document it first hand. What happens next for this unlikely team we won’t know until August. 

Our biggest congratulations to the Freediving Nicaragua team and to Carolina, Edwin, Rafael and Alex for a big accomplishment and putting your country on the freediving map. We’re excited to see where this takes you next. But until then, we will all be rooting for you from the sidelines.