An international freediving competition, replete with World Record attempts and an Ocean Mermaid Parade, is taking place next week in Bonaire.
From September 15th – 25th, the third edition of the Bonaire Deepsea Challenge will include competitions in four disciplines with no maximum depth: Static (STA), Constant Weight (CWT), Constant No Fins (CNF) and Free Immersion (FIM).
Competitors will have the opportunity to break national, continental, and even world record depths. At the end of the competition, the most outstanding athlete in all disciplines will be announced as “the most complete freediver of 2017.”
Athletes from Japan, Ukraine, Venezuela, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Brasil are scheduled to attend. The competition will be recognized by AIDA judges Christian Foetinger from Austria and Venezuelan Dr. Gabriela Contreras.
The competition schedule is as follows:
– Friday, September 15th Registration, and Press Conference 5pm
– Saturday, September 16th Opening Ceremony 6pm
– Sunday, September 17th Depth Competition Day 1
– Monday, September 18th Depth Competition Day 2
– Tuesday, September 19th Depth Competition Day 3
– Thursday, September 21st Static Competition
– Friday, September 22nd Depth Competition Day 4
– Saturday, September 23rd Depth Competition Day 5
The Static competition will be held at the Red Palm Village Pool beginning at 9:00 a.m. in front of a live audience. The Press Conference and Opening Ceremony will be held at the Courtyard Marriot Bonaire.
Additionally, Brazil’s Carolina Schrappe will be attempting a new female Variable Weight (VW) World Record on September 16th, September 20th, and 24th.
Further, as part of the closing ceremony on September 23rd, an “Ocean Parade” will be held featuring the athletes and organization team where participants will be able to express themselves by making their own creative art and outfit to celebrate the conservation of ocean life and the mysterious mythology about mermaids. The event aims to create awareness on how humans contribute to ocean pollution as well as coral reef damage.
On September 24th – 25th, a Caribbean Mermaid Festival will take place that will feature mermaiding workshops with advice from professional freedivers about the correct technique to breathe and swim with a monofin like a mermaid. It will also feature a professional photoshoot (on land and underwater) at the clear and pristine waters of the island while making underwater filming with 3600 Virtual Reality Technology.
For more information, check out the video below or go to the competition website at deepseabonaire.com.
