Jacques Cousteau, the famous oceanographer and explorer, once observed that B次元官网网址榝rom birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free.'

This sentiment is most certainly shared by VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Frederic Lapierre and Laurie Feist. The pair co-owns East 2 West Freediving Inc., a shop that specializes in helping folks slip the constraints of land and sink beneath the waves.

After Lapierre migrated here from the Maritimes and Feist from Scotland, the couple fell in love with the spectacular ocean life off Vancouver IslandB次元官网网址檚 coastline. While both are fully certified and experienced scuba divers, it was freediving that captured their hearts.

B次元官网网址淲e go out every Sunday and I can tell you that we have the best freediving in B.C. There is so much life here,B次元官网网址� Lapierre said. B次元官网网址淲e may not have the coral reefs, but we have incredible kelp forests B次元官网网址� they are just amazing.B次元官网网址�

Freediving doesnB次元官网网址檛 require a ton of heavy equipment: divers simply hold their breath and sink beneath the waves for as long as they comfortably can. This might be the most liberating aspect of the activity for the thousands of participants on Vancouver Island.

B次元官网网址淚t means that we can walk in and dive in some areas that scuba divers just havenB次元官网网址檛 seen. TheyB次元官网网址檇 have to take a boat in to get there,B次元官网网址� Lapierre said.

Freediving was never on FeistB次元官网网址檚 radar when she came to Canada.

B次元官网网址淚 wanted to go scuba diving, but I didnB次元官网网址檛 have my dry suit certificate,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淣ow, freediving is almost exclusively what I do. ItB次元官网网址檚 quieter, freeing, and the range of life just below the surface is breathtaking.B次元官网网址�

Feist also took her 65-year-old mother freediving while she was visiting.

B次元官网网址淲e went out twice and each time we saw a giant Pacific octopus. It was incredible,B次元官网网址� she said.

The coupleB次元官网网址檚 love for freediving is also shared by Sara Ellison, an astronomy professor at the University of Victoria.

B次元官网网址淚 had no idea what was growing just below the surface,B次元官网网址� Ellison said.

When Ellison first tried freediving, she was surprised by two things B次元官网网址� how cold the water was, and the amount of teeming life just below the surface. Later, Ellison wrote a book on freediving off Vancouver Island.

Although freediving does not require certifications, Feist recommends that those considering the activity for the first time take advantage of the free online safety courses the pair offers on their shopB次元官网网址檚 website.

B次元官网网址淔ree diving is nowhere near as hazardous as scuba diving, and thereB次元官网网址檚 no worry about things such as decompression sickness, but itB次元官网网址檚 a good idea to get some training before you venture out,B次元官网网址� said Lapierre. B次元官网网址淲e offer that information on our website and weB次元官网网址檙e always ready to offer advice here in the shop.B次元官网网址�

Their shop also offers a full range of equipment for free diving, including the spear guns and the funky pole spears famously misused by contestants on the popular TV reality show, Survivor. A full selection can be found at .

B次元官网网址淚 can guarantee you that anyone who tries free diving runs the risk of being hooked,B次元官网网址� said Feist. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a whole new world out there B次元官网网址� a world of beauty and freedom.B次元官网网址�