Wang Aolin:Reaching Deep

Well-built and sun-tanned， na- tional freediving （skin diving） record holder and founder of the Freefall Freediving Academy China（FFAC）， Wang Aolin has been the face of deep diving in many ways. Once， he was just a boy afraid of water. Today， swimming down into the depths of the blue is the defining passion of his life.

Making a Difference

In April 2016， Wang Aolin set the Chinese freediving record by venturing 92 meters deep with fins at Vertical Blue at Dean’s Blue Hole on the Bahamas’ Long Island， becoming the first Chinese to join the world’s top freedivers.

Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas is the second deepest blue hole in the world at 203 meters deep. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and features a sand beach and became the global mecca of freediving because the waves are blocked. Every April or May， the International Association for Development of Apnea launches a depth challenge there， attracting dozens of national and world record holders.

Competitive freediving not only requires good physique but also intense concentration to avoid several life-threatening risks such as oxygen deprivation， decompression sickness （“the bends”）， and cramps. In front of Dean’s Blue Hole are two steles， one for a local young expert swimmer who never returned after a swim， and another for Nicholas Mevoli， an American athlete who， while competing in 2013， died on the way to the hospital after suffer- ing a pulmonary edema during a dive. The plaques are silent reminders of the dangers of freediving.

The dangers inspire international freediving organizers to encourage competitors to compete within their physical limits. Results are not announced until the competitor accomplishes three required routine tasks after emerging from the water： taking off face equipment， showing “OK” sign with his hand， and saying “I am OK.”

During his practice sessions， Wang could dive stably as deep as 90 meters， and 92.9 meters was his best. “My tension and excitement melt when I go really far down，” he explains. “Water makes a big difference in me.”

Feelings over Figures

“I used to be like many other people： afraid of some unknown creatures deep in the water， like in movies，” grins Wang. Born and raised in the inland city of Kunming， Yunnan Province， he made his first“intimate contact” with water during his sophomore year in college on a trip to Southeast Asia. Training in the Philippines four years ago opened his eyes to the world of freediving. After a first attempt of a mere eight meters， he started worshipping those who could reach 30 meters down.

He was inspired by the 1988 French movie The Big Blue， which recounts the stories of two of the world’s top skin divers. The sea becomes darker， the deeper one gets. Divers must conquer not only physical difficulties but also psychological fear the darkness brings.

Wang was plagued by a fear of water for a long time. The situation changed dramatically in 2013 when he was inspired by the line “Danger is real， fear is a choice”from the movie Star Trek： Voyager. He tattooed the English on his forearm to help drive away his fear while diving.

April 2016 marked his second trip to Vertical Blue， at which he broke four of his own Chinese records： 80 meters， 85 meters， 90 meters， and 92 meters. He found himself enjoying more and more of the deep. “There is nothing to be afraid of down there，” he asserts. “You should be afraid of blindly challenging your own limits.” He has witnessed too many mistakes and accidents， and he himself experienced oxygen toxicity by rising too fast during a snorkel dive. The phenomenon can lead to dizziness， weakness， fainting， and even drowning.

“I hate to pursue numbers， which runs counter to the spirit of freediving，” notes Wang. “The ocean will punish me if I don’t show respect to it and nature.” After his early successes， he began practicing diving in a more scientific manner and learning the practices to do and avoid. Still， he dives for feelings over figures.

Life Without Answers

After majoring in communications engineering at college， Wang Aolin joined a foreign company as a manager for business development and customer relationship affairs. Diving remained a “heroic dream”buried beneath his ordinary life. When he started training， Wang quickly realized that Chinese divers have few places to purchase diving gear. So， he quit his job to open an online shop to feed increasing demand. Eventually， he joined hands with some friends to establish China’s first professional freediving institute， FFAC.

Today， alongside teaching core curriculum， FFAC has launched various campaigns such as overseas trips， public benefit activities， and master diver interaction. Wang Aolin also serves as president of AIDA China. “I hope to popularize the sport， inspire more people to participate， and see more Chinese athletes to compete in the world arena，” he declares.