“I want to show my gratitude by helping the sport to develop, and give young divers the chance to compete around the world.”
Ranks world No. 1 in 2005 for free immersion events. In 2008 becomes the first Asian to reach depths of 100 m in constant weight events. 2009, passes Jacques Mayol’s personal best of 105 m to reach a record depth of 107 m. In 2010, sets the current Asia record of 115 m. The same year, helps to bring the World Championships to Japan (and Asia) for the first time, captaining the Japanese team in Okinawa and taking out the silver medal.
Currently in the Bahamas for an international contest, we managed to get an exclusive interview with the always evolving freediver Ryuzo Shinomiya (篠宮龍三). First up though, take a look at Shinomiya’s Asia record dive past 100 m into what they call, ‘The Domain of the Gods’.
Ryuzo Shinomiya Freedive 115m
Tell us about what got you started with freediving.
Shinomiya: It was during my university years. One of my seniors recommended I watch the movie, ‘The Grand Blue’. Seeing freedivers in that movie reach depths of 100 m without using tanks really left a strong impact on me. That was the initial trigger, I think.
Were you encouraged to play any sports?
Shinomiya: I started skin diving when I was a child, when my parents would take me to the ocean off of Chiba. I started scuba diving when I was in university.
Could you tell us what kind of sport ‘freediving’ is?
Shinomiya: To put it simply, it’s a skin diving contest to see how deep one can dive. There’s a distinction between the pool and the ocean. In the pool there are three disciplines; ‘static’ in which you are face down on the water’s surface holding your breath, diving with fins, ‘dynamic with fins’, and diving without, ‘dynamic no fins’. In the ocean you have ‘constant with fins’ in which you use only leg power to move under the water. Then you have the same without fins, ‘constant no fins’. In ‘free immersion’ you use a rope to pull yourself while under the water. So, there are some three disciplines in the ocean.
In the past there were events which would make use of equipment like weights to help divers sink, but these days most events take place without the use of such things.
Does freediving have a competitive contest circuit? Is there a system of ‘ranking’ divers?
Shinomiya: There are contests held in various parts of the world. Every year I go to the Bahamas in the Caribbean, for example. There’s also Hawaii, and in Japan, Okinawa. Places like these hold contests. However, there isn’t a contest circuit that determines an overall ranking.
Divers pick the contests that they like, and participate in them. Out of the international contests, the highest grade is the World Championships. This year’s World Championships for the pool only are in Finland, and the combined pool and ocean contest will be in Greece.
Myself, I’m focusing on this contest in the Bahamas. I compete here every year. Recently the number of divers from Japan has been increasing, and this year there are seven entrants.
How does the number of divers in today’s contests compare to when you first started?
Shinomiya: Both male and female athletes are increasing. Particularly female. In the individual events and the group events, they are strong enough to take gold. If I’m not careful, they’ll be able to overtake me, too. [laughs]
In regards to freediving, there are people of the opinion that it’s a fine line between life and death, or that it’s the most risky thing a human can do. Can you tell us why you find it so addictive?
Shinomiya: There are various reasons but for me, I genuinely love the ocean and nature. When I’m surrounded by these things I feel I can become the real me. When I was in university, I was a member of the Expedition Club, and I used to go exploring in places like Iriomote Island in Okinawa, and often went camping on the beach. Also, freediving is a risky sport but on top of the feeling of surpassing your own records, and winning medals in international contests, if you exert yourself and do your best, it gives you the chance to be active around the world.
What is the best thing that only freediving can give you?
Shinomiya: I had a great experience while I was training recently. It was the winter season so humpback whales had come from Russia to Okinawa to raise their young. If I dived deep enough, I could hear them calling out to one another. It was such a comfortable sound and made me feel like I was part of nature. It was an amazing moment.
In your book, ‘Skin Diving World No. 1’ (素潜り世界一 / motomoguri sekai ichi) you talk about a slump that you had in 2004. When that happened, how did you get over it?
Shinomiya: At the time of the slump, the Zen phrase, ‘inga ichinyo’ (因果一如) really helped. I entered this world aspiring to be like Jacques Mayol, a guy who was putting his life on the line when diving, and I hear that he was really into Japan’s Zen culture. During the time of my slump I read many books about Zen and came across that phrase, ‘因果一如’, ‘Cause and effect are one and the same.’. So, the idea that results are already born together with their cause, means that though we might strive and endeavor to do our best the results don’t necessarily come.
People tend to think that because they’ve put great effort into something and persisted with it, they will reap the rewards. However, for me, concentrating on the things you can do in front of you now, putting your best into your life, and not getting wrapped up with results, is the best way to lead life. When I was able to think in this way, I was able to become more comfortable.
How do you prepare for pushing yourself to the limit and surpassing that 100 m mark?
Shinomiya: There are routine things like, when you put your fins on, starting from the right foot. This kind of thing. Also, before a dive, so that the brain can go without oxygen, I close my eyes, clear the mind, emptying it of all thoughts, and then enter the water in this state.
For example, in things like ball games, I think you’re constantly thinking of the opponent, using your mind. In diving, in order not to do this, you need to reach a meditative state. At this time you can really feel a kind of comfort.
Tell us about the kind of mental preparation you do.
Shinomiya: In the mornings I do yoga to help with my breathing, and I meditate in order to get my mind in the right state. I think probably over 90% of freedivers practice yoga. Yoga helps with the body’s flexibility, its strength, with breathing control, and with meditation. It’s an essential component of mental training for freediving.
What are your goals for the foreseeable future?
Shinomiya: Currently, I hold the Asian record in three disciplines, but out of those the ‘constant no fins’ record has some way to go when compared to the rest of the world so I want to try and improve on that. Also, I want to improve on my 104 m ‘free immersion’ and 115 m ‘constant with fins’ Asian records.
Finally, a word for the people around you who give you support, if you don’t mind.
Shinomiya: One word isn’t enough but it’s down to the support of so many that I’ve been able to get where I am today. It’s been 12 years since I quit my company job and I feel I’ve done well to get to this point without getting too lost along the way. This is thanks to the support I’ve received from those around me, and I’m grateful for that.
Of course, I’m grateful to my current sponsors and to those who’ve sponsored me in the past. I’m also really grateful to the diving brands, and the people who appreciate and understand this minor sport. They’ve enabled me to do so much of what I love to do. I want to show my gratitude by helping the sport to develop, and give young divers the chance to compete around the world.
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