Live and dive

Freediving means to go as deep as you can on one breath and descending into the sparkling darkness of the ocean floor. Enjoy a stunning set with freediver and ocean lover Luciana photographed by Mauro Barberis whose breathtaking underwater footage is also captured on a single breath.

Mauro and Lou

Thursday 7pm
-Hey! There’s an opening of 5 nights accommodation at Lady Elliot. Shall we go?
-Yeah! When?
-We need to catch a flight tomorrow. Leave by tonight 10pm.
-Oh shoot! Ok! I’ll go home to pack. I’ll cancel my appointments on the way…
Just one thing…You know we’re insane, right?
-Yeap. I do.
-Cool, love ya, see you soon.

We have been freediving for a little over 6 months. It’s a very short time, but it has been the best time of our lives. It feels like it was just yesterday and yet it feels like forever.
We started out as diving buddies. Mauro is one of my best friend’s partner, and we both seemed to have free time around midday everyday to explore the depths of Shelly Beach. We became friends not long after we met. Ever since we got to know each other, we have been going freediving every single day. Every. Single. Day.

Freediving is something we can’t separate from. In it now lies our essence. Our lives were so moved by diving that in our eyes these two concepts now go hand in hand. Live and dive. Dive and live. But… What do we want to achieve by going deep? What is it that we seek?

Jump in the ocean, close your eyes and you can find yourself alone with your soul. You become aware of your inner-self, of where your mind goes. Master your breath and you’ll master your mind. Bring peace to the being by staying calm. In an environment where you can feel you totally belong, and some other days you feel so insignificantly small.

All is impermanence, that’s the first rule of life. Push through the uncomfortability. The unbearable can then prove to be kind. The contact of the skin with the water. The touch point of the breath to the self. Where friendships are forged and forever sustained.

I think I speak for the both of us when I say that we became our mutual drive and inspiration. Diving with Mauro, with his enthusiasm and generosity made me a diver. He has always been an amazing diver, a natural talent, diving deep so fast and so gracefully, – that made me want to imitate him. And I think maybe, for him, diving with me and other muses, made him an exceptional underwater photographer in such a short time.

A friendship forged in the water, for a life that wants to be lived underneath the surfaces, one breath at a time. This life we started has become part of us. It’s more than a part of our life, it’s every day’s drive and a big reason to roll out of bed in the mornings with a fresh smile. Wether it’s cold, windy or uncomfortable… we go diving. We. Just. Go. Diving.