Freediving is a selfish sport. You go down, you come up and then feel relaxed and satisfied for the rest of the day. Apart from the safety diver, there ain't even any spectators to cheer you up. It's all about you.
A few months ago Ash King, one of our long-standing members introduced me to an organisation called EMR which stands for Experiencing Marine Reserves. They take schools and general public on guided snorkeling trips in or near marine reserves. It is a small not-for-profit org consisting mostly of volunteers. Their events are completely free, including the gear. I tagged along to see what it was about and to offset some of that selfishness of my freediving habit.
Look, seaweeeeeeeeeeeeeed!!!!
My first EMR gig was taking a group of kids from Mt Roskill for a snorkel in choppy waters of Matheson Bay. I had four charges. One could not swim. Another could neither swim nor speak any English.
We kitted them out into well-worn wetsuits that barely fit their highly varying body types. Each got a mask and a pair of little flippers. I looked like an aquanaut next to them in my fancy wetsuit and a pair of freediving fins. We briefed them about what to expect and launched into about 2m of vis following a more experienced guide.
My role was to keep them close together and make sure no one got in trouble. The non-swimmers hung onto a boogie board. The other two zigzagged around us while I mustered them over a desolate sandy bottom to a rock with a patch of kelp. The moment they saw the kelp they were screaming in excitement. They had never seen a patch of kelp waving its long arms in the swell. They were screaming "SEAWEEEEEEEED!!!".
I fetched them a kina and a snail. Both were passed around and treated like a taonga. Their excitement went through the roof. They even tried to dive with me to see what else was down there. It was their first time experiencing the ocean in such a way.
Unlike other more affluent schools, Mt Roskill Intermediate didn't have enough parents to supervise the trip. It was staffed by a small group of EMR volunteers and would be cancelled if we had one or two less. It was one of those days when your presence actually makes the difference. I felt like it earned me a few selfish dives.
Tawharanui Marine Reserve Snorkel day
Apart from school trips, EMR runs open public snorkel days as well. I went to help with the one in Tawharanui. I speared a few critters around that area, but never dived in the reserve itself, so it was an easy "yes" to EMR's request for help.
We had 3 waves of 5 or 6 groups, over 150 curious snorkelers in total. Most of them never snorkeled before. Having an experienced guide bridged that confidence gap they needed to get into the ocean.
It was one heck of an adventure for me. I got to interact with people who did not speak English, could not swim, were too scared of the sea or could not even put a wetsuit on on their own. Nonetheless, we all got in the water, swam out and saw some decent size fish. The reaction was a mixed bag - from complete indifference to "Wow, this is amazing!".
There was no opportunity or need for me to freedive. Ash tried looking for crays in 3m deep water and I had to fetch a lost snorkel. Most of my time was spent looking for interesting things to show to the group and making sure they were OK. It was "rough as" with only 4m vis, but the absolute majority of people enjoyed it. Can I add a few more well-earned selfish dives to my ledger for that?
EMR needs our help
AFC members have the ocean skill and experience well above the average snorkeler. EMR would love more of us to join as guides or support crew to help people, especially children, to make that first step into exploring the ocean. If you can help, talk to Ash, Wednesday, Max or approach EMR directly.
