Hi, I’m Nick Simcock, an English Language coach. I help Italians to unlock their English. A transcript of this podcast can be found in the description.
Water - love, fear and free diving
Our fascination with water is always all around us. Standing on a beach and watching the neverending waves gives me a beautiful sense of calm and clarity. Whether I’m next to a fountain in a town square, sitting on a river bank, taking a hot relaxing bath or a refreshing shower, invigorating my body with a swim, or drinking a cool glass of water, I’m constantly drawn to it: 2 parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, H2O, water.
The human body is around 60% water. Our brain is around 70% water, so if you want to keep thinking straight remember to drink enough water. Our love of water is not surprising when you consider that we come from the oceans. Scientists are unanimous that somewhere down the evolutionary chain we used to be fish!
But it’s not all plain sailing. The fear of water is very common and somewhat natural. It goes without saying that we are not fish and water is not our normal environment. Also, according to the W.H.O. drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional death worldwide. So caution around water is always wise.
Thalassophobia is the fear of deep water and what lies beneath. I think we can attribute at least some of this fear to the famous novel Jaws by Peter Benchley from 1974 and the following film by Steven Spielberg. While a great white shark is a fearsome creature, it’s not the vindictive or cruel killer that it’s usually portrayed to be.
I always remember that when I was a child on holiday at the seaside and the conversation inevitably turned to swimming in the sea, my mum would always say the same thing, “I don’t go swimming where I can’t see the bottom, you don’t know what’s down there, do you!” And so, this narrative rubbed off on me and gave me a fear of deep water too. Thalassophobia is an irrational fear and in recent years my curiosity and subsequent love of free diving meant that I was able to overcome it.
Free diving, if you don’t know, is emerging yourself in water without an air tank and relying on the air you have in your lungs. It’s often talked of as a dangerous foolhardy activity, but with the right knowledge and buddies it’s as safe as riding a bike.
For me free diving is an amazing and exhilarating journey that makes me question my own limits and nature. It taps into our ancient aquatic past and triggers the mammalian dive reflex, which is a physiological response that lowers your heart rate and shifts your blood to your vital organs. There are many other fascinating and alluring aspects to free diving. If you’re interested, contact your local water centre and find a course or instructor.
Between my love and fear of water, love definitely wins. My fear is still present but it’s now more a form of respect and wonder.
Be safe, never dive alone, and most importantly enjoy the water!
A full transcript of this podcast can be found in the description. You can find out more about me on my website - speakwithnick.it
Ciao for now!
