News news news for Spring Summer in Ibiza

Saltfish Freediving is back in Ibiza and already running along very nicely with the fantastic conditions Spring has brought for us.

Most of winter was spent in my, ok I’m gonna start calling it ‘second home’ of Dahab Egypt, one of Freediving’s nerve centres of the world. An amazing four months was spent hanging with the wonderful community there, teaching courses, some private coaching for more advanced divers and some personal depth training as well. I have learnt a lot with the guidance and inspiration of some of the finest Freedivers in the world, namely from the Uk’s top diver Gary McGrath, owner of Dahab Freedivers and Brazilian record holder Carlos Diezel and Spanish CMAS record holder Guillermo Gallo who trained with me for weeks. They offered insight, encouragement and guidance, what absolute gentlemen. After a seven week period of gradual progression I managed to put down 80m as my Personal Best in Bi-Fins constant weight and 75m in Free Immersion. I was particularly happy about the second one as I had never really attempted a max dive in Free Immersion, but after using it throughout this time as a training method I developed a taste for it and realised I might actually be okay at it. I felt strong still and tried a few times to tap into the 80’s but by then a green cloud of spawning algae had enveloped the region with the hike in temperatures and the Blue Hole was now a dark green scary BLACK HOLE. I felt it was a good time to leave the party while the dance floor was still full, as they say. But it’s easy to let the pursuit of a number overbear on the actual journey of learning in Freediving. I tried to enjoy the small victories along the way rather than focus on a final prize and treasure all that I have learnt this time around. The numbers then become merely an indication of your improvement rather than a goal in themselves.

Rather than teach during all this time I continued my little pet project called Dahab Curry Club. This is basically me looking for a party by cooking a couple of huge South East Asian Curries once a week, feeding everyone and then Djing to them on the beach, which invariably ended in some wonderful dance floor moments which I cherish as much as any gig I’ve ever done. Dahab is not full of seasoned music heads who spent their lives in clubs and that can be a refreshing change when you play. There is an innocence and pureness about it knowing you can really go ‘off piste’ with the music selection and they trust you and dance like crazy out of pure joy. I love playing in Dahab, it’s kind of unspoilt in that way. It also paid my rent. Ha!

Soon enough as the fierce heat began to kick in it was time to make tracks back to Ibiza. That there may have to be more to life than diving down the Blue Hole four times a week and dancing and cooking curry on the beach. Oh! Really? Yes really Dave. I ended my stay with a Curry Night and Djing at Milegy’s Dahab Coffee Wheel on the beach, the site for the new Molchanovs School. The place turned into a disco for a night with people, dear friends in the Dahab community going completely crazy. Man I love that place. I have put plans in place to get back there and compete this Autumn, but let’s see how this summer treats me. Maybe it’s time to start training like everyone else does, a bit of gym and bit of pool, a bit of this, a bit of that. Maybe, haha, I’m coming round to the idea. If I am it’s slowly! There are few high end Freedivers who still say that the best training for Freediving is Freediving, I like those cats.

Summer has kicked off in style here even though the first few weeks were a bit chilly and wet to be honest. But we got some good dives in and in April I was involved in an incredible project as a Freediving consultant and trainer in movie production, which SOON I will be able to talk about (I signed an NDA). But it was really special and a little bit surreal to be honest to be immersed in the wonderful wacky world of film production. More on that soon. When I can shout about it, boy am I gonna shout about it.

Now the summer heat is kicking in, the clubs in Ibiza are open and the place is looking lively. The water is warming up fast (too fast maybe?) and June has been Busy busy busy with my dear friends Gary McGrath and Lynne Paddon staying with me from Dahab. I am helping them run their Yoga and Freediving retreat here https://www.yogaandfreediveretreats.com/

It’s awesome check them out.

After this week I will be training with Gary in preparation for his appearance at Vertical Blue http://events.verticalblue.net/ this August (go Gary!). Also twice weekly sessions with Ruth Osborn https://www.instagram.com/ruth__osborn/another member of the ‘Ibiza Crew’ training hard (and I mean HARD) for the upcoming World Championships this summer. I’m feeling pretty fresh still even though teaching and training don’t often go together. This week we are off to Cave of Light, one of the gems in the Ibiza Freediving crown and this Saturday the Uk Freediving brand 29/71 will be showcasing their new buoys with photo session of swooping drones whilst we dive. Harry Chamas from Freedive Passion Dahab, one of the finest coaches and Freediving minds just flew in so it’s Happy Families this week. Courses are coming in thick and fast, there seems to be a lot more interest Freediving this year in Ibiza. Whoop Whoop!

Speaking of Whoop Whoop, Dj gigs are coming in for me as well. Every now and then we Ibiza heads need a party and I’ve got some really exciting gigs coming up. On Friday I’m in Paradise Lost, one of the finest bars in Ibiza, Saturday I’m in a private villa with its OWN NIGHTCLUB and later this month I’m playin all night in the legendary Pikes Hotel for We Love, who were responsible for 2o years of the best club nights EVER in SPACE Ibiza, one of the best clubs EVER. Nice to know that people still remember I’m a Dj as well and I’m very excited to take my Freediving pals and give them a glimpse of the crazy shit I used to get up to. I spent an amazing twenty years or so Djing professionally all over the world and this is a passion which will never leave me. But like Dahab is a Mecca of Freediving, Ibiza is a mecca of Dj Culture so I am never far away from my friends who went on that same crazy journey with me. Here’s a link for 20 years of Dj sessions by me. Something for every occasion…….

https://www.mixcloud.com/djdavidphillips/

I hope you enjoy this little update. I will try and keep these regular and hopefully make them more fun and packed with good stuff. Meanwhile I wish you all a wonderful June and please contact me if you are planning a trip to Ibiza this year.

Bye for now