I spent a week doing some freediving in Ibiza last summer. It was my first and only visit before now. About 4 months later I realised I should think about moving to the island. I arrived here a few weeks ago, with my dog, having let my flat and given up my work in London… And now the new life begins..
After finding my feet, organising a vehicle and settling in, I’ve made it into the water. The first couple of times were fun freediving safaris, checking out some lava holes and caves around the island, and a few days ago we did for some proper freediving training with the rope and buoy.
We found a beautiful calm site next to a little Island (or very large rock) called Sa Conillera. Freediving from a boat is a different experience for me, being used to ‘shore’ diving at the Blue Hole in Dahab (Egypt). Here in Ibiza, we put the anchor down and see which way the boat moves to decide where to connect the buoy, and then its straight in to the water. You can lower the bottom weight down from the boat, and pull it up the same way, which is a bit easier than pulling it up whilst still being in the water.
The first warm-up reminded me of the wonderful feeling of peace and calm I had the first time I dived here. People say Ibiza is an especially magnetic place. I don’t really know what that means, but the legendary Es Vedra Island is just round the corner from our dive site, and maybe its mythical healing powers that attract yogis and wellness gurus to meditate in its vicinity can explain the deep feeling of relaxation…?? You decide.
The water tastes different here too! It’s less salty than the Red Sea, so I might take off a bit of weight next time. The Mediterranean has that deep navy-blue colour and clarity that is apparently due to the posidonia meadows (posidonia is a sea grass endemic to the Med) that are protected in the Balearic Islands because of their importance to the eco-system. The presence of posidonia, also known as Neptune Grass, is a marker for lack of pollution.
The water here is 24 degrees at the moment, about the same as it was in Dahab when I was there in May-June. Only difference here is the slight ‘freshening’ you feel in the temperature from about 20m. Again its not something I’m used to but it was actually quite nice, and when I checked my computer, its only a gradual drop of a couple of degrees. I was fine in my 3mm suit for the whole session, and we even went for a little snorkel round the island afterwards.
Most blissful of all was getting back on board to enjoy a picnic with the sunset, plus a glass (well, a plastic cup..) of Cava, before gently motoring back into shore.