Dr. Subhash Rai, 54, a maxillofacial surgeon from Mangaluru, has transitioned from perfecting smiles to exploring the ocean’s depths as a self-proclaimed pelagic addict. His underwater journey began with scuba diving, but a transformative trip to the Maldives in 2015 introduced him to freediving. Initially a hobby bodybuilder, Dr. Rai has since dedicated himself to freediving, achieving a personal best depth of 42 meters and a breath-hold time of four minutes and 45 seconds.
Freediving involves diving underwater without using breathing apparatus, relying solely on a single breath taken at the surface. Dr. Rai’s interest in freediving sparked during his Maldives trip when he noticed people diving deep with fins and masks, sans scuba tanks. “Curious about this new sport, I discovered that freediving was still emerging and lacked instructors in both the Maldives and India. Determined to learn, I traveled to Ko Tao in Thailand and enrolled in a level 1 freediving course,” he told TOI.
At the time, Dr. Rai’s bodybuilding background worked against him due to his muscular, inflexible body. Weighing around 85kg, he failed his initial attempt. However, undeterred, he returned to Bengaluru, researched training methods online, and shifted his workout regimen to include more bodyweight exercises, cardio, and stretching. A year later, he successfully completed level 1, diving to a depth of 20 meters.
“I continued training in Bengaluru, primarily in swimming pools due to lack of depth access. I returned to Indonesia to complete level 2, achieving a depth of 25 meters. The sport led to significant lifestyle changes: I lost weight, dropping to 70kg, and quit smoking and drinking. Just before the Covid-19 pandemic, I completed my instructor course with SSI in the Maldives, an 18-day program that included dives to 30 meters and various drills,” he said.
The pandemic temporarily halted his progress, but he resumed training post-lockdown, frequently visiting the Maldives to train with a skilled instructor. “Two months ago, I reached a depth of 42 meters and continue to aim for deeper dives. I am planning another trip in July,” Dr. Rai said.
Dr. Rai describes freediving as a meditative sport that is yet to gain popularity in India. It requires a specific diet and body flexibility. Under the banner ‘Blue Venture Diving,’ he teaches at Nethrani island near Murudeshwar, partnering with Sangeetha in Bengaluru, who trains divers before sending them to Murudeshwar. He moved to Mangaluru about a year ago and organizes freediving adventure trips along with snorkeling, offering participants the chance to swim with whales and sharks abroad. He has not practiced dentistry for a year now, and his son, Siddharth Rai, 23, passionate about scuba diving, is a dive master.