It really is simple: Just forget about breathing

I am a certified scuba diver, and before I ever tried freediving, I was convinced the two styles were little different to one another. In fact, if anything, I thought freediving would probably be a lot easier. After all, you don't have the hassle of having to assemble and operate the scuba equipment if all you put on, apart from you swimming gear, is a mask and fins.

When a freediver friend kept telling me how amazing freediving was, I was skeptical. When I dive with scuba equipment I can stay underwater for 30 to 45 minutes exploring the depths, but if I freedive, I can stay there for only two minutes at most, so what exactly am I going to see?

With all these reservations I traveled to Phuket, Thailand, during the recent mid-Autumn festival. My mission: to find out what the big deal over freediving is.