In 2010, after setting three national records at the invitation-only Vertical Blue diving competition, Puerto Vallarta’s Alfredo Romo officially became the deepest man in Mexico. Not surprising, perhaps, given that he was personally coached by the deepest man in the world: New Zealand’s William Trubridge, the world record-holding diver in the no fins category.
For as long as he can remember, Romo has loved the water. “It’s my element,” he says in an interview with PV Pulse. “I was always swimming, then snorkelling, and surfing and spear fishing. I got into competitive swimming in college, [and competed] in national competitions. I tried scuba diving. Freediving was a hobby.”
Freediving, for the uninitiated, is diving without a breathing apparatus. Freedivers hold their breath for the duration of their submersion. Romo was a natural in the sport – a man whose personal best is 5 minutes 20 seconds. But it wasn’t until he attended a clinic 4 years ago that his adoration of all things aquatic would blossom into an unquenchable lust for the competition aspect of freediving.
“I was able to double my personal best in two days , which was amazing for me.” Romo saw an opportunity in his success. “I did research, I practiced and I trained,” he says.
Training for freediving is a unique mix of brawn and brains. Romo does laps and drills in the pool, followed by ocean depth sessions – and he does yoga and meditates, practices which he refers to as ‘dry training’. “Dry training is as important as the training in the water,” Romo asserts. “That kind of discipline really helps to develop myself in this sport.”
Romo’s diligence paid off. In 2009, he was given the opportunity to train on a course with champion diver Trubridge. “In five days, I learned lots. It was intense,” Romo recalls. “I was able to go from 28 to 52 metres.”
The wild improvement in Romo’s abilities got him invited to the exclusive Vertical Blue diving competition in the Bahamas, and he walked away with three new national records: 60 metres in a constant weight dive, 58 metres in a free immersion dive, and 47 metres in the constant weight, no fins discipline. Impressive numbers for a relative newbie, but Romo’s potential is anything but tapped. Just a few months ago, he broke his own record in a constant weight, no fins dive, reaching a remarkable 52 metres.
Romo’s love for the sport spurred him on to open his own shop, Apnea Sports, a business based in Marina Vallarta that offers clients the opportunity to experience freediving and spear fishing in Banderas Bay.
Apnea’s the perfect place to help you try to reach new depths. “The great thing about [Banderas Bay] is that there are some areas that are really deep so [you can] reach the depth you want to really close to shore,” Romo explains. “Here, I go 800 metres out… as opposed to 5-6 miles in some other areas which have very shallow oceans.”
For spear fishing enthusiasts, the Bay offers plenty of opportunity to find yellowfin tuna, a prized fishing trophy. “This is one of the best spots in the world for yellowfin,” Romo confirms. “It’s very rich in life. There are dolphins, manta rays. It’s great for taking pictures, the visibility is good.”
In addition to tours in the Bay, Apnea also offers F.I.I. (Freediving Instructors International) certified instruction, an advantage for safety-conscious adventurers. “[Freediving] is dangerous if you don’t know how to do it... Take a course, start with an instructor – then it’s not dangerous at all.”
Interested in spear fishing or taking a freedive? Romo welcomes all enthusiasts, from beginner to advanced levels. Contact him at (52) 322 221 2304, (52) 322 142 9494, or via email at alfredo@apnea.mx for information and to book your aquatic adventure.
