Funkita Athlete Amber Bourke

Here's a quick update from Funkita athlete, Amber Bourke, our superstar competitive freediver who recently competed at the freediving pool World Championships in Belgrade!

How were World Champs?

I had a very successful competition and set lots of new PBs. I broke 3 Australian records, a world record and came home with a bronze medal. Overall an awesome experience for my first freediving world championships.

You mentioned last time you want to complete a 40-metre open water dive. How did you go?

I recently completed my freediving instructor course in Vanuatu where I achieved a new personal best depth of -48.5 metres. It is a great place for freediving as the water is clear, there is little current and it's very warm! My pool training helps a lot for deeper dives, the only real difference is equalising as you descend in the ocean.

What are some of the safety requirements in freediving?

Freedive training should never be done alone. It is an important safety requirement for any person undertaking any form of breathe holding in the water to be supervised. We use both in-water and surface safety. This means that when I am swimming there will be a diver following me on the surface as well as someone on the side of the pool watching. We do this during both competition and training. All freedivers are trained how to be a safety diver so they know what signs to look out for when someone is nearing their limit and what to do if they go too far. It is our number one rule - always have a buddy!

You can read more about Amber's World Championships here

Congratulations Amber, Funkita is very proud to be supporting you!