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

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.

Suunto ambassador and underwater explorer Jill Heinerth dives the world's most incredible locations. Bell Island, Newfoundland is one such site. The video below shows why it's a diver's paradise. Tell us about the Bell Island and its wrecks. Bell Island is one of the few locations in North America that was under attack by German forces during the Second World War. In 1942, U-boats raided the island twice, sinking four iron ore carriers and destroying a loading wharf, killing more than 60 men. During the war, the mines on Bell Island, Newfoundland supplied iron ore that accounted for one-third of Canada's steel production. Germany knew that they could interrupt the flow of ore, even temporarily, and Canada's war output could be seriously affected. Click here to find out more about Jill Heinerth What drew you to dive there? I was part of a team documenting the recovery of a sextant from the wreck of the Rose Castle. Rick Stanley, owner of Ocean Quest Adventure Resort, worked for over a year to secure the correct permits and line up provincial conservators to preserve the important artifact that will be eventually be displayed in an extensive museum on Bell Island. Why is it such an amazing dive location? Newfoundland is a great destination for the adventurous divers. Today, divers visiting Newfoundland’s rich waters, can dive these remarkable wrecks that have transformed into stunning and colorful reef structures. Is there more to explore there? In the summer, divers can also enjoy diving on icebergs and swimming with whales that gather in the area to feed on capelin. I’ve been recently working with other cave divers to document the submerged mines which cover over 100 square kms. This coming season, mine operators hope to open diving activities to qualified cave divers visiting the area. The mine is still filled with all the equipment and artifacts of operations there. Seeing the large equipment, miner’s graffiti and personal items is an interesting opportunity.

Suunto ambassador Jill Heinerth recently explored dive locations around the Azores islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The destination’s wrecks, megalithic steps and lava caverns blew her mind, but swimming with devil rays was one of the greatest diving experiences of her life. The devil ray or mobula is species of eagle ray that can grow up to five meters long. They are sometimes called flying rays because of their propensity to breach the ocean surface. They are endangered because of water pollution and bycatch capture. Underwater explorer and photographer Jill Heinerth swam with about 30 devil rays in open ocean over a sea mount off Santa Maria Island in the Azores. Devil rays visit the area to feed. Jill recounts the experience below. “As I patiently waited, they seemed to line up in formation and repeatedly moved closer and closer with graceful ease,” she says. “Each followed along the same path arching towards me, sliding sideways for a look and then turning to come even closer. “Hovering over top of me, they would pause while I held my breath as long as I could. Finally I would exhale bubbles from the scuba regulator and the ray would slip away and allow the next one to move over top of me. “It seemed as though they were interested in getting tickled by my stream of bubbles. The dance went on for almost 90 minutes. “It was one of the most spectacular diving experiences of my life." Press play to watch this beautiful video of that day

You don’t need to be able to hold your breath for minutes to enjoy freediving. Below the Scuba Diver Girls’s Margo Sanchez explains why diving without gear can lead to the best underwater experiences. Scuba Diver Girls Stephanie Adamson & Margo Sanchez are based in California. © Scuba Diver Girls Why freedive? There is something very freeing about diving without heavy gear. It is a magical experience when you drop down into the silence of the ocean, but hear the distant chirp of a dolphin or crackling of shrimp. The sport gives myriad benefits over time. Learning the breathing and relaxation techniques teaches you how to relax your mind and body in many situations, both in and out of the water. After practicing, you get more proficient at using those techniques and can challenge yourself to extend the amount of time you can stay under the water. Press play and watch a harbour seal play with the Scuba Diver Girls How did you get into it? I started out scuba diving and gained my passion for the underwater world with a tank on my back. But it wasn’t until I started diving with sharks that I realized I was not able to get close while I was blowing bubbles loudly on open circuit. I decided to try taking off my tank and diving down with them while holding my breath instead. Once I realized that this brought a whole new dimension to my diving, I decided to take the beginner freediving training with SSI (Scuba Schools International). “As you swim through the forest, the sun streams through the kelp canopy like stained glass.” Best freediving experiences? We have been all over the world both scuba and freediving. There are beautiful coral reefs in remote locations of the world that are breathtaking as you skim along the top checking out the little critters that flit in and out. Waking up at dawn in tropical locations to silently slip into the water and then skimming across the surface, looking for what the location has to offer, before finally gliding through its depths is one of the most exciting experiences a diver can have. Click play to see the beauty of our underewater world and the freedom found in exploring itStop, you’re making us jealous! But go on anyway… Probably my favorite place to freedive is right in our back yard in La Jolla California. Dropping down beneath the surface into a thriving kelp forest is an ethereal experience. As you swim through the forest, the sun streams through the kelp canopy like stained glass and a multitude of fish congregate while you swim by. Sometimes you get a visit from a frisky sea lion or a harbor seal tugging on your long fins while other times you swim gracefully alongside a sleek grey shark while it looks into your eye and you hold a common respect for each other through that connection. Most of these sea life encounters can only be experienced on a breath hold and a dive. “Most of these sea life encounters can only be experienced on a breath hold and a dive.” © Lesley Grey Alstrand How do I learn? Starting out by snorkeling is a great first step. Finding an instructor is next. There will be some out of the water training first for the diver to better understand how freediving impacts the body. For example, what the ‘mammalian diving reflex’ does once in the water, what a diaphragm spasm is and how you should react to it and what the importance of clearing the ears and how often is etc. These principles are important as a foundation so that when you get into the water, you understand what is happening with your body as you dive. Golden safety rules? The most important is always dive with a partner. Understanding your body’s limitations and physical reactions to breath hold is also important. Which is why this is a progressive sport. It is important to learn about your body before progressing to the next depth or time threshold. © Ashley HauckGreatest challenges? There are two big challenges that may come as a surprise when a new diver begins. First, freediving is very mentally challenging. It’s natural to feel anxiety when holding your breath under water. Learning how to calm your mind is important. The second big challenge that many people face is ear trouble. Your ears are very sensitive and when you dive under the water it’s important to learn and understand not only the technique to clear them effectively, but how often. “Since I started freediving, I am more relaxed, happy and in shape than I have ever been.” Anything else? The first goal is to have fun! A freediver should first enjoy the experience. This means taking the training at your own pace and not setting unrealistic goals for yourself in holding your breath or going to greater depths. © Ashley HauckWhat else do you get from freediving? Not only do the techniques and breath hold skills assist me in enjoying some of the most amazing sea life, but they also help me in my everyday life with stress management. Since I started freediving, I am more relaxed, happy and in shape than I have ever been. The sport brings peace to your life through the silence of the underwater world.