Suunto Blog

Phil Short has been a dive industry professional for over 20 years. He has explored some of the world’s deepest dry caves and spent thousands of hours diving water filled passages. Research and archeology are also his passion, including such assignments as the Antikhytera survey project in Crete. But what is down there that draws Phil to explore these submerged realms? Cave diving is the last field where human beings are mandatory for exploration. In Victorian times, when somebody climbed a mountain, that was it. They were the first. Now technology has taken over. You can take a look at a picture of a mountain, a valley, jungle, or a gorge before you go there. It has been all mapped. “When you get to the end of the line in a cave, tie your line to that line and swim around the corner, you're the first human being there. It's true exploration, much like Shackleton, Scott and all of these early explorers did because there was no choice. In cave diving, there's still no choice, and that's why I’m so passionately driven by it. Anyone with a sensible budget can find new territory.” THE CAVE DIVING ROCK NERD Millions of years ago, the seas were filled with very different kinds of life forms than today. Over the millennia, soft seafloor turned into limestone, preserving a snapshot of these creatures from the past. Caves cut right through these ancient layers, displaying a rich collection of fossils and telling a geological story of the Earth’s past. Phil Short has dived caves all over the world, spending thousands of hours diving exploring many kinds of dry and water filled passages. He knows that seemingly small details hide countless stories. Taking a close look, a bulge in the cave ceiling can turn out to be a tooth of an extinct tiger. “Think about swimming through 100 metres of cave passage today, and memorise all of it. And then get into a time machine and go 3,000 years into the future. The cave would be different because you're diving in something that is alive. The acidic rainwater is dissolving rock, and the flow of the water is eroding it. So the cave is growing. It's forming. It's changing as you're swimming through it.” SETTING THE PERSONAL LIMITS IN CAVE DIVING Cave diving requires rigorous training and the right equipment. But there also needs to be the correct mentality and respect for the forces of nature. Constant practise and safety margins are the cave divers tools for keeping the risks at bay. Phil Short has been a dive industry professional for over 20 years. He has trained hundreds of divers and participated in demanding cave rescue operations. With the experience of thousands of dives, he knows where to draw his line. “I don't consider cave diving an adrenaline sport. In fact, it's the opposite. Going to an extremely deep point in the ocean, just to get a number for a depth record, that is not my motivation. I would happily do, and have done a lot of very deep dives, for a reason such as a historic shipwreck that nobody's managed to dive. I have more of a kind of Peter Pan, never grow up, child-like approach to exploration. Being there is just magical. It's my drive.”

“There is something special about the connection between women that cannot be explained with words alone. It is that deep feeling of affinity we have that brings us close and sets a common understanding of what we experience in our life’s triumphs and tribulations. It is a connection only a woman can truly understand. That is what makes the Suunto Jewel so special. The very essence of its existence and what it represents, expresses that unspeakable bond that brings us together,” the Scuba Diver Girls say. Last February, Suunto sent three Suunto Guiding Star pendants on a journey around the globe. The pendants were passed from one adventure-minded woman to the next, travelling from the Alps to the Arctic Lapland and onwards, and from the Pacific Ocean to icy waters in upstate New York and back under the Caribbean Sun. We have been following the journey of one pendant in particular, as it was passed on among some of the world’s most inspirational female divers. Here is an account of that journey, told by the divers themselves. While the list of adventures and places the jewel has seen is impressive, what strikes as most extraordinary, is the invisible bond of sisterhood the jewel has created between these women. The journey took off in the Maldives, where Scuba Diver Girls Margo Sanchez and Stephanie Adamson were the first women to wear the jewel. The jewel spent some memorable moments diving in the crystal blue waters around Maguhdhuvaa Island and later on travelled with Margo and Stephanie back home to San Diego, United States. “The jewel came with us into our beautiful backyard, an ocean full of kelp, sharks, turtles and a myriad of other amazing sea creatures,” Margo describes. “After a few weeks of enjoying our precious piece of art, it was time to pass it along.” Scuba Diver Girls chose to give the jewel to Becky Kagan Schott, the Emmy Award winning underwater videographer, photographer and tech dive instructor. “Becky embodies an amazing spirit that every woman should embrace. We passed our jewel on, holding it tight as to pass on our energy with it. By now it has traveled the world and laid over so many strong women’s hearts. The energy it possesses is most certainly magical,” Margo writes now, looking back to that moment in February. One of the strong women to hold the Guiding Star next was Jill Heinerth, the underwater photographer and film-maker specialized on demanding cave exploration and 3D imaging. She took the jewel on a National Geographic cave diving expedition in Cuba, where she conducted exploration and survey dives, working with climate scientists and paleontologists: “My job was to photograph and video our work and also deploy an exciting 3D imaging technology. I was able to take numerous calibrated photographs that were assembled into a 3D model of some of the paleo animal artifacts inside the cave,” she explains. “These files were merged into an accurate model that could be printed in 3D so that scientists could examine and work with a model rather than disturbing the artifact underwater where is remains well preserved and untouched.” During the months that followed, the Guiding Star traveled onwards to technical diver Renata Rojas, who in turn gave it to scuba diver and submersible pilot Erika Bergman, who handed the jewel to marine biologist, researcher and deep ocean explorer Megan Cook. In August, the jewel landed in the hands of the explorer, teacher and instructor Cristina Zenato, world renowned for her work with shark awareness and conservation. At the time she was in the Bahamas, hosting the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society’s scholar, teaching sustainable shark diving and shark conservation. Her work aims to change the economic situation of the Bahamians, enabling them to move from traditional fishing to different forms of work and income, including professional scuba diving. During her time with the Guiding Star, Cristina also continued her long term project and conducted cave diving exploration in the area, successfully mapping and connecting previously undiscovered caves and water systems. “It has been a solo expedition and work and the jewel happened to be with me on the day I did the two most important ones. I consider it my luck charm,” Cristina concludes. Cristina passed the Guiding Star on to technical diver Gemma Smith, the first woman ever to dive at the world famous Antikythera Shipwreck. Gemma took the jewel to Central France, to the Lot/Dordogne region, where she completed her internship and became an Introductory Cave Diving Instructor on Open and Closed Circuit and managed to log some long-awaited cave dives. “I was also fortunate enough to complete a major cave diving personal ‘bucket list’ goal during the trip. I wore the Suunto Guiding Star to guide me 2.2 kilometers through the earth, reaching depths of up to 80m to finally reach the stunning cathedral-like Bivouac Chamber in the Emergence de Ressel,“ Gemma says. The journey of the Suunto Guiding Star still continues and we wish every future woman to hold the jewel to get a spark of that energy and courage these women have passed on with the pendant. “It has been an honor to carry the Star on such big moments in my diving journey, and I really hope I've inspired other women to follow their own diving dreams, and show that size and gender should never hold you back,” Gemma Smith summarizes.   To learn more about the Guiding Star – or to get it for an adventurous woman who inspires you – visit suunto.com

Ryan is taking a break from elite racing until 2016. © Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool It’s not uncommon for runners to push themselves too hard. That’s why many of us choose to work with a coach – they often stop us from overdoing it. They stress the importance of recovery just as much as training. Without recovery, there’s no improvement. “If you get overtraining symptoms it’s important to back off,” says Ryan. “The best thing to do, is nothing, watch a whole bunch of movies to allow your body and hormones to recover and settle again.” No spring in your legs? You might be pushing too hard. © Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool 1. Beware, the grumpy runner! When we push too hard with training it’s easy to lose motivation and wind up feeling flat or, worse, irritable. One minute you're feeling great and then the next minute for no reason you are feeling super grumpy. 2. No bounce in your springs If you find yourself plodding through your training with legs that feel like concrete, it might be a sign you need to ease off. You should have pep in your step. There’s a difference between tired legs and legs with no spring. 3. The force field is down! Overtraining results in a weakened immune system. With your biological force field out of commission, one virus after another can cruise in and cause illness. If you’re catching one cold after another or just feel lousy generally, then you need to rest. 4. Restless nights If you are battling to sleep at night and then feel exhausted during the day this might be due to elevated cortisol levels from too much training and stress on your body. 5. The dreaded niggles Overuse injuries, tendonitis and stress fractures are signs you might need to change down a gear or two. Remember, trying to bulldoze your way through a niggle often leads to full-blown injury. 6. Stuck in the slow lane When your legs are becoming chronically fatigued, it’s not surprising to find your training times getting slower. Rather than trudging on, it might be time to consider getting those legs massaged and allowing them to recover. 7. Running on empty Loss of appetite can be another symptom of pushing too hard. This further compacts the problem by starving the body of the nutrients it desperately needs. Main images: © Craig Kolesky | Red Bull Content Pool

Think you can take on one of the world’s top ultra runners? We asked this year’s Ultra Trail World Tour silver medallist Gediminas Grinius for his favorite places to run around the world. Check out his list below. © Ultra-Trail World Tour Squaw Valley, California, USA Distance: 13.22 km (8.2 miles)Elevation: 970 m (3,182ft)Time to beat: 1:49’51Why: If you want to feel the Olympic atmosphere of the resort and at the same time climb the very first and the most beautiful part of the legendary Western States race this trail is for you.Click for Gediminas's tips on transitioning from road to trail running© Pete Forsyth via Wikimedia Commons Mt Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands Distance: 63.95 kmElevation: 4,671 mTime to beat: 10:29’21Why: Long, but an amazing run, especially if you start in the evening. With a bit effort you can see the sunrise from the Volcano, which is the highest peak in Spain. © Nikodem Nijaki via Wikimedia Commons Roque Nublo, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands Distance: 38.23 kmElevation: 2,189 mTime to beat: 5:25’42Why: A nice run from Artenara Cave hostel to the picturesque Roque Nublo from where you have all the island stretched out on your hand. If the sky is clear you can see Mt Teide on Tenerife on the horizon. © H. Zell via Wikimedia Commons Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island Distance: 12.01 kmElevation: 544 mTime to beat: 2:18’30Why: It is must to run this trail, as it is in the middle of la Reunion island and part of the Raid de la Reunion race, also known as the Diagonale des Fous – the route of crazies. At the end of the trail you are on the top of a still active volcano. It’s an incredible and very difficult trail. © B. Navez via Wikimedia Commons. LTU Trail Running People trail, Lithuania Distance: 28.37 kmElevation: 1,263 mTime to beat: 3:08’45Why: This is what you are forced to do when you don't have real mountains :) But it is home and a place where the (local) LTU trail running community was born, so it’s close to my heart.© Kontis Šatūnas via Wikimedia Commons

Suunto ambassador Ueli Steck has set a new speed record on Eiger for the third time, beating his previous record by 25 minutes and the 2011 record set by Daniel Arnold. Ueli Steck, the Swiss Machine, took advantage of good climbing conditions this week and clocked a lightning fast 2h22m summit of Eiger via the classic Heckmair Route. The Eiger (3970 m), a mountain in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps, has long been an iconic testing ground for alpinists because of its severe north face and accessibility. The Heckmair Route boasts 1800 m of vertical gain. In 2008, Steck smashed his own record by over an hour, clocking an impressive 2h47m summit. This week he broke Daniel Arnold’s 2011 record of 2h28m. “I didn’t push myself as hard as in 2008.” “This time I had a good track, good conditions and I was pulling some gear that made it quite safe and I believe it makes much more sense this way,” Ueli says. “I didn‘t push myself as hard as in 2008 and I felt very comfortable. This made this ascent a beautiful experience and a great day.” He adds: “We can never compare ascents on a face like the Eiger because the conditions and weather are always different. This is what makes alpinism interesting and unique. For me it’s the personal challenge and your own experience that really matter.” The record breaking accent was a finale for Steck after spending the last few weeks taking advantage of good conditions to attemp a number of routes on the Eiger with fellow climbers and trail runners Nicolas Hojac and Killian Jornet. More about legendary climber Ueli Steck

Suunto ambassador and freediver William Trubridge has given his life to the sport of diving as deep into the ocean’s depths as any human can without scuba equipment. But he recently decided to explore the other end of the planet – the heights of the Himayalas. He trekked 300 km, with 10,000 m of vertical ascent. The longest day was 13 hours of hiking. We asked him what he learned at the top of the world. Why did you go trekking in Nepal? It was mainly to do something together with my father David and brother Sam, as we live in separate parts of the world. We chose the Himalayas, as my father loves the mountains, and neither Sam nor myself have seen those kinds of mountains. "I think freediving training definitely has a crossover effect to mountain climbing." Where were you?We trekked to Kanchenjunga base camp in eastern Nepal. Kanchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world, and one of the holiest. The remoteness of this area means there are few trekkers and even fewer amenities. This is exactly what we wanted. At 5163 m, the atmosphere is half as dense as at sea level, meaning half the volume of oxygen per breath.Vastly different environment than you’re used to – how was it? It was humbling. I realised just how un-adapted my body is to that kind of world. After 12 years of only freediving training in the water my knees were unacquainted with any kind of impact, and the first day's gruelling descent paid its toll. In fact, all the descents were tough for me. I really enjoyed going uphill because I was able to push myself. You’re used to having a lack of oxygen – how was the higher altitude for you? The altitude wasn't a factor. Our ascent was very gradual, which allowed the body time to adapt. I think freediving training definitely has a crossover effect to mountain climbing by developing haemoglobin oxygen storage in the blood. Freediving training stimulates erythropoiesis, which is the generation of new red blood cells, in order to store and transfer more oxygen. This benefits all hypoxic activities, whether apnea or trekking at altitude. What did you learn? It gave me an appreciation of volumes, and the vastness of the mountains, but also the seas. When looking up at a towering 7,000 m peak and thinking that huge mass could disappear in the huge well that is our planet's oceans it made me marvel at the scale of these environments. What can freedivers learn from trekking or the mountains? Trekking can be a kind of meditation, as the slow pace of changing scenery lulls your mind. It also gives you an appreciation for the 'other end of the spectrum' of our planet's ecosystem, and for the many other various forms that water can take: snow, rain, mist, waterfalls and rivers.