Adrian Dacosta Aase
Residence: Åsane in Bergen municipality
Attends Nordhordland upper secondary school
This interview was conducted in 2014.
When did you become an underwater person, Adrian?
I have always enjoyed being in the water, and started scuba diving in a pool at the age of 12, and then I got my scuba diving certificate when I was 15. After a period of scuba diving, I switched to freediving.
Why?
I discovered the possibility of diving without bottles on a trip that my father and I had. My brother-in-law was also on the trip, and he was freediving. This looked very interesting and I decided to give it a try.
I thought it was brilliant to be able to dive without dragging all the heavy equipment, and when I tried this myself for the first time I discovered that it was even more fun with freediving! And completely different.
It was fantastic to be able to be completely still under water, and to get so much closer to fish that were previously only frightened by bubbles and noise.
I probably didn't have particularly good technique at the beginning, but over the next few months I made great improvements where I quickly got down deeper and gradually could hold my breath longer.
Being calm and saving energy is absolutely essential to achieve good dives.
I rarely dive with bottles now, but it happens every now and then. In any case, it is freediving that without a doubt catches my eye the most.
And it's underwater hunting?
Mostly I dive with a harpoon to find fish. And eventually it became a lot of cod, ling and pollock. I also really enjoy gathering scallops.
At our country house in Gulen, there are a lot of skates, but I don't usually harpoon them. It's kind of a little too easy. But I now think they are good to eat, as long as they are prepared in the right way.
By the way, I have filmed quite a few skaters when I dive, and like most other fish, they are much calmer when you approach them during freediving.
So you put the harpoon away when you film?
No, the harpoon is always included, and the camera is mounted on the harpoon itself. So then there will be quite a few hunting scenes as well. I have posted some of these clips on Youtube under Addi457.
It is said that you like to be in the sea for a long time?
Yes, that's right. The longest dives have probably lasted 6-7 hours, but then I also need a meal break. And what food do you have with you in the net? Heh heh, I don't mind. I eat raw scallops that I find along the way.
Who do you dive with?
I freedive mostly alone, but also with 3-4 of my mates. I have also brought quite a few new mates who are trying this for the first time and who have borrowed equipment from me.
What do you think about safety and freediving alone?
Well, I never wanted to scuba dive alone. But for freediving, I believe that it is much safer as long as you know what you are doing.
And that means...?
You must use completely safe and simple breathing techniques, stay well within your own limits and not push yourself beyond comfortable diving.
In my opinion, the most important thing for a freediver is to dive in a safe way so that you cannot pass out. Then you must never push the limits or engage in "hardcore" freediving.
If you can't do it, you should take a whole bunch of safety divers and buddies into the sea with you for every meter you dive.
The advantage of being alone is having only yourself to concentrate on, and no one to scare away the catch you can get. You can also stay in the sea for as long as you want. The disadvantage is, of course, that if you should have problems of any kind, there is no one else to help you.
Are you aware of what you catch in the sea?
Yes, I only pick out what I want to take home, and take into account the minimum size regulations. It's probably worse with single boat owners, perhaps? This spring we saw a crab stone with a giant lobster in it. We started to haul up the stone to release the lobster, but then a boat came speeding towards us. We just pulled away a little, and looked at him while he pulled up the hook that was clearly his. He didn't let the lobster in, but just drove off to the next hook. Then we got a little tired and annoyed.
And now we're going out on a night dive for crab?
Yes, I've actually never tried that before, so it should be fun! Sunniva and Jens join us, and we drive out into Fosnstraumen late in the evening. After an hour in the sea, we have enough crab for several meals over the next few days.
Happy autumn, Adrian, and thanks for the chat!
