Depth
Year 2020 – Freediving & Life
The year 2020 was a very different year for many reasons. …for every one. For me there were many big changes. The freediving season 2020 started on the beaches of the french riviera and ended up at -75 meters depth in Kalamata, Greece.
Nicole Edensbo in Kalamata, Greece after a training dive. Photo by: Takuja Terajima Starting a new season
When the year 2020 started it was confirmed. I got one more year from my employer to do what I love, freediving. I also love my “normal” work, as a project manager within infrastructure. All though, sometimes I find life as a competitive freediver and a project manager hard to combine. So, I am fortunate enough to have an employer that support me doing this.
Nicole Edensbo breathing up before freediving. Photo by: Takuja Terajima The first months
In early January I travelled to France and lived in Villefranche-Sur-Mer. The village where the Depth World Championship was held 2019. I focused a lot on getting back to freediving mode after almost two months of rest. (The rest is crucial for me to be able to do this long term.) I focused on stretching and did a lot of swimming in the sea with a temperature of 13/14 degrees Celsius. I combined it with pooltraining in Nice together with CIPA Freediving including Alice Modolo, Guillaume Néry, Arthur Guerin Boëri and more. I also did a lot of training in Monaco at Stade Louis II mainly together with my brother who came for a longer visit. By mid february I did a PB in STA, a relaxed 07:05 minutes. A great success. Unfortunately, by then, Covid-19 started to spread more and more all over Europe and the plans on defending my title as the best female poolfreediver in Sweden were cancelled. In mid March I managed to get one of the few flights, departing from Nice, going back home to Sweden.
Nicole Edensbo doing Yoga in Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France. Photo by: Jakob Sandberg Changed plans
In Sweden restrictions were mild. Even if the pool training together with the club was cancelled I could still go and train together with friends. Things were not so easy, though, and the training suffered. I picked up on gym training even if that was not the original plan. But, yes, I guess this year there have been many people having to change plans. The original plan was to participate in the Swedish Chamionship in Pool and then in April travel to Greece, starting depth training.
During all this, me and my ex-husband decided to separate. A decision that was not dealt with over night, I can tell. This was something we had discussed for over a year. Though, he always supported me, encouraging me to do what I wanted in life. We realized, what once was our dream of a future life was not our common dream any more. With respect to one an other we decided to move on in different directions. During all this, the commercial I did for Mercedes Benz was released, a beautiful video and portrait in my opinion.
Nicole Edensbo in commercial video for Mercedes Benz. Something different
With no choice of travel, difficulties finding opportunities to do training and a mind confused by life I started painting and writing more and more. Something I’ve always done when I’ve found the time. Together with Dean Chipolina, whom I met at the World Championship 2019, I started creating music something very unexpected but so exciting. In early summer we even performed three of our songs in collaboration with an old friend from school.
Dean Chipolina and Nicole Edensbo as CoCo Muse performing at Warehouse Sessions in collaboration with Ljudbolaget. Photo by: Benjamin Reuber Depth training & National Record
During May and June pool training was on the shcedule as often as possible. It was the preperation for the main purpose of this year, depthtraining. Depth training started in Spain and Gibraltar and in July the serious training started, in Kalamata, Greece. There were a lot of famous freediving athletes there such as Alenka Artnik, Aurnaud Jerald, Walid Boudhiaf, Dean Chipolina, Jennifer Wendland, Alice Modolo, Marianna Gillespie, Thibault Guignes and more. Mostly I did CWT (diving with a monofin, down and up) aiming to break the Swedish national record, held by Anneli Pompe.
Training became very itense and after nearly 3 months of depth training my body and mind was exhausted. I didn’t feel I had what I needed to go for the national record, 91 meters. I did 88 meters though and ranked quite OK in the world the year 2020. Instead of going for the national record in CWT I put the bifins on instead. Two trainings and two competition dives later I had the national record in the AIDA ranking, 75 meters CWTB. Such a relief after this years wild ride. Many media channels such as SVT, Göteborgs-Posten and Expressen showed interest in the new record and for freediving in general wich is a success itself. A beautiful gift.
The most beautiful gift of this year, though, is that I can travel the world doing what I love together with someone I love, someone who love what I love.
Nicole Edensbo and Dean Chipolina in Kalamata, Greece. Photo by: Takuja Terajima I wish you all a wonderful year!
Be kind to your self, be kind to others.
Nicole Edensbo, 2021-01-22
Linköping, SwedenThe shooting for Mercedes Benz
Last year, I had the opportunity to do a beautiful shoot with Mercedes benz for their campaign “What moves you?”.
Earlier this summer it was released.Nicole Edensbo in the commercial video for the Mercedes Benz – V-class. Shooting in Tenerife
We spent some wonderful days in the amazing landscapes of Tenerife, Spain. It was an experience I will for long remember. Driving this car from the small roads in the misty mountains to the endless sea doing what I love. Freediving. We did the shooting for two days. One day we spent in the sea to do the diving scenes and the second day we went up in the mountain with the black Mercedes Benz – V-class.
The crew
The crew where amazing and someone who really impressed me the most was the director, the incredibly talented Marta Trela. What really struck me was her ability to see people and really understand the person she works with. She has an eye for details which is crucial to be a director at her level.
I really enjoyed recording the voice over trying to achieve different feeling so that the team could have a various selection for the final result. It is amazing how much time, so many minds and so much energy is put into the result of 1:35 minutes commercial video. In my opinion, the result is amazingly beautiful. What do you think?
Nicole Edensbo, 2020-08-22
Kalamata, GreeceAIDA Depth World Championship 2019 – My dives
As I am planning for the depth season to come I stumbled over the videos from AIDA Depth World Championship 2019. I watched my dives and I realize that seeing them inspires me, more than ever, to go deep again.
Watch the videos of my dives from AIDA Depth World Championship below.
Nicole Edensbo, CNF -47 meters. AIDA Depth World Championship 2019.
Photo by: Guillaume Estève.Beautiful dives & more to work on
The championship was my first Depth World Championship as I started deep freediving last year. The championship was held in Villefranche-sur-Mer, where I am at the moment. I participated in this championship to gain experience witin depth competition, widen my freediving network, bring tags from the bottom plate and results of white cards. The competition gave me all of this and even more.
I was and still am very proud of my performances since I got a lot of positive critics from the comentators. After the championship I went deeper in all three disciplines and in two of them I even did national records; In October the 6th I did -77 meters FIM (free immersion) and five days later -52 meters CNF (constant weight no fins). I still have a lot to work on and I am so curious to see what this season will bring.
Watch the videos of my CWT and FIM dives from AIDA Depth World Championship 2019 in Villefranche-sur-Mer below.
CWT -73 meters, dive time 02:05 minutes
The video starts playing just before my official top.
Nicole Edensbo freediving Constant Weight to -73 meters with a dive time of 02:05 minutes. AIDA Depth World Championship 2019. FIM -68 meters, dive time 02:20 minutes
The video starts playing just before my official top.
Nicole Edensbo freediving Constant Weight to -68 meters with a dive time of 02:20 minutes. AIDA Depth World Championship 2019. CNF -47 meters, dive time 02:10 minutes
Here is the link to my CNF dive https://youtu.be/8_8lxBXpkFc?t=150
…by some reason it cannot be embeded in this blog post at the moment.Be kind to yourself, be kind to others.
Nicole Edensbo, 2020-03-11
Villefranche-sur-Mer, FranceTop 10 blog posts 2019
In this post I have listed the top ten read posts i my blog during the year of 2019. In the first place comes “High ambitions & indifference”. A post I wrote early this year, trying to explain the situation of being a person with ambitions higher than what is good for one self. In the top there are also texts from the experience during the Swedish Championship in pool freediving and excercices to learn how to keep the breath longer and a lot more.
I wish you all a happy new year!
…and always remember:
Be kind to your self, be kind to others.*
#1 “High ambitions & indifference”
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#2 “Four times gold, 1000 times feelings!”
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#3 “Lär dig hålla andan längre – Del 1: Kunskap”
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#4 “First competition day is over, I go to bed with a smile!”
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#5 “Lifechanger”
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#6 “Acceptance”
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#7 “Att äta medvetet”
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#7 “Mindset & Mindfulness – Föredrag på temat hållbarhet”
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#8 “Lär dig hålla andan längre – Del 2: Andetaget
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#9 “My Freediving Story”
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#10 “Listen & Live”
Be kind to your self, be kind to others.
Nicole Edensbo, 2019-12-27
Åsbo, SwedenAn extraordinary season – PB almost tripled in depth
Coming home to Sweden has been wonderful. I am happy I followed my voice inside that said: “…it is enough for this time, you need time to relax and recover from this summers adventures“. This summer has been a blast and I am happy I ended the depth season on top…or the opposite, depends on how you see it.
I almost tripled my PB in CWT and I was coming closer and closer to the pressure of 10 bars.
First season in the deep
I started this depth season with a personal best of 38 meters with bifins in my diving history. A depth I reached during a vacation in the Maldives 2017. What made me not go deeper was the sandy bottom of the atolle. My only official result was 30 meters CWT, a dive I did in a competition Sweden 2017. CNF and FIM where the two disciplines I hadn’t even tried before. I started this season with some dives to 20-25 meters with my bifins.
Training & Competition
My training with Freediving Club Greece in Kalamata started in July. During my first competition I did a dive of 52 meters CWTB which ment a Swedish national record in the discipline. My training led to a fast progression in depth for me in all disciplines. By some reason there was nothing stopping me. Breathhold was fine, I felt strong, equalization worked, I just kept on going. I attended to several competitions during the summer and I had the opportunity to meet fantastic people within the freediving world.
Savvas Savva and Sasha Jeremic that I met for the first time in Cyprus depth games in Limassol, Cyprus in July. 
This was during the after party of the Cyprus depth games together with Irina Smolentseva, Thibault Guignes, Nadia Borozdenkova and Oksana Molchanova. Wonderful people! I also met some Swedish faces Mats Tybell and Oscar Särnholm. Vicky Brown, I met during the WC in Villefranche Sur Mer, such an amazing woman!
Together with Irina Smolentseva and Bastien Soleil at Sailing Tortuga, the katamaran that at the momen is in the middle of the atlantic following the wind. 
On the Sailing Tourtuga together with the owner Ruediger and the athlete Irina with heading towards Cannes with Villefranche Sur Mer in the backround. 
On the boat back from training with the team of Freediving Club Greece (FCG)! <3 
Isabela Sanchez Aran with her coach at the WC! Isabela is also a member of the crew in FCG. 
AIDA depth World Championship 2019
During the AIDA depth World Championship in Villefranche Sur Mer, in September, I did three dives I am very proud of. I came to the WC to do beautiful, happy dives with clear surface protocols. I got a lot of good critics for my technique from the comentators and athletes around me. In the combination of points I ended up on the fourth place!
If you are interested you can find my three dives through the links in the end of the post.
Nicole Edensbo, National record FIM -77m. Photo by: Bastien Soleil …the judges gave me a white card and I had broke the Swedish national record in CNF.
National Records in FIM & CNF
After the WC I came back to Kalamata for more depth training, and in the begining of October it was time for competition again. I broke the Swedish national record in FIM the 6th of October with a dive of 77 meters. Five days later I chose to do a dive of 52 meters in the discipline CNF. I came up, did the surface protocol and the judges gave me a white card and I had broke the Swedish national record in CNF.
Nicole Edensbo, CNF -48m, AIDA Depth World Championship 2019. Photo by: Guillaume Estève My CNF-dive was my 15th competition dive and after that I kept on training. I started to get close to my 50th training session. My depth progressed almost every day and I was high on endorfines all summer and autumn. The rush never ended. I almost tripled my PB in CWT and I was coming closer and closer to the pressure of 10 bars.
Nicole Edensbo, CWT -73m, AIDA Depth World Championship 2019. Photo by: Guillaume Estève I was supposed to go to a paradise island but I tried to find options to shorten my trip. Something was wrong.
Changed plans
I was planning to attend a competition in Dominica in November, but there where many things telling me not to go and especially my body and mind. I realized I tried to minimize my stay to as few days as possible. I was supposed to go to a paradise island but I tried to find options to shorten my trip. Something was wrong. After many days of thinking and discussing with my self and the people around me I decided not to go. I felt such a relief at the same time as a part of me couldn’t understand how I could cancel my participation.
Home in Sweden
This was the best thing I could do for my self this autumn and I am so happy and proud I came to this decision and followed it. If I would have gone I would have been competing today, with energy I wouldn’t have had.
At Nyhetsmorgon, TV4 together with Sharon Lavie and Anders Philblad. Coming back home has been lovely, both television and radio has shown interest for the sport and my achievements. Now I have time to relax for a while before I continue my journey in the depths.
If you are interested in the programs in television and radio you can find the interviews through the links below.
Nicole Edensbo, FIM -68m, AIDA Depth World Championship 2019. Photo by: William Rhamey Video of the dives in the World Championship
TV & Radio interviews
Radiointerview (my interview starts 2h 43min into the program)
Be kind to your self, be kind to others.
Nicole Edensbo, 2019-11-24
Gothenburg, SwedenTraining August, 2019
Many dives, many personal bests and many photos from the month. In this post you find some photos from the moments of August.
Amazing flat surface. 
On the way to the diving spot in the new wetsuit from Triton.
Photo by: Michel Filinis
DYN-dive to the bottomplate and back. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
DYN-dive. Photo by: Freediving Club Greece 
After a deep dive, with the tag in my hand. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
Oxygen recovery from a deep dive. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
After dive, just playing in the water. 
Together with Max Gardien. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
Important skills for a freediver. Creating bubble rings. 
Keeping the logbook updated with my dives, depth, divetime, equipment, warm up dives etcetera. Be kind to your self, be kind to others.
Nicole Edensbo, 2019-09-06
Athens, Greece25 days in the blue
25 days dedicated to freediving have passed. Besides training, I love playing with the camera both above and beneath the surface. The result is: A lot of photos. Here are some of my favourites.
Training
Photo from training with amazing athletes and wonderful crew and setup in Kalamata. With FCG – Freediving Club Greece. 
Oskar Särnholm is ready to face the blue waters of Kalamata. 
In Kalamata we where three Swedish athletes training and competing. Here with Mats Tybell from LSDK. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
A dive with Mona. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
Under the buoy. 
Relaxing on the buoy between repetitions. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
Training session ended with a happy face and some photos. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
On our way back from training in Kalamata. 
It is important to stay hydrated! “The Swedish team” Oskar Särnholm, Nicole Edensbo and Mats Tybell. Photo by: Michel Filinis Nature & Recreation
Colors are amazing. Even better when close up. 
The curious small black fish. I just love them. 
The mediterranean Sea and the rocks. Nature is amazing. 
Stretching is an important part of freediving. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
Some evenings have been spent at the beach to watch the sunset and clear the mind. Competition
The ascent of my DNF-dive together with the safetydiver. Photo by: FCG – Freediving Club Greece 
White card for my -47m CNF-dive. Happy PB. Wonderful competiton. Photo by: FCG – Freediving Club Greece 
My national record-dive to -52m in CWTB. Thanks to Tritonsub I have these super bifins! Photo by: FCG – Freediving Club Greece 
Morning boat to the diving spot in Limassol. The freedivers are getting ready to face the depth. 
Competition in Limassol, Cyprus on our way to the diving spot. 
Cyprus Depth Games 2019. A freediver is relaxing before his dive. Savvas Savva’s set up for the competition in the background. Art & Recreation
I love the artistic part of my freediving. Wide dresses of light fabric is fantastic under water. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
Ready with the camera in my hands as well as the photographer of this photography. Thank you Tritonsub for my fins. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
Love how the loose hair and fabric of the dress flows in the water. I love working with the light of the photos in my lap top. Photo by: Michel Filinis. 
Artistic underwater photography. Photo by: Michel Filinis 
Lovely Athens, lovely Greece. 
Love the ocean. Photo by: Michel Filinis Be kind to your self, be kind to others.
Nicole Edensbo, 2019-07-26
Limassol, CyprusFreediving in Kalamata
Where to start when writing about the previous weeks that passed by? There are so many new impressions that need time to be sorted and reflected on. Training and competition, personal bests and national records. Happy dives and a never-ending feeling of joy and gratefulness.
On the way to the diving spot together with Dave, Jurgen Reinderink, Thibault Guignes, Alena Konecna and Max Gardien free-diving. Photo by: Michel Filinis Training in Kalamata
Two weeks in the beautiful blue waters of Kalamata. I look back at these days and feel warmth in my heart. The nature around Kalamata is amazing. The mountains that surround the bay, in which we went diving, are impressive. They rise from the sea up towards the sky, which some days was decorated with clouds and some days clear as beneath the surface. The surface, most of the day, was still and perfect for pleasant training. Conditions for freediving in Kalamata are perfect.
From the first days the happy vibes from all people on the spot could be felt. The happy freedivers who were spending time focusing on their element.
I was training with Stavros Kastrinakis’s FCG – Freediving Club Greece.
At the shop, FCG – Freediving Club Greece My training
It is amazing to see freedivers coming up from their dives removing their facial equipment, and expressing, with a calm smile what they just experienced. The divine experience. My training went perfectly well. I did PBs in all four disciplines and I couldn’t ask for more. I know that deepdiving needs patience. The body needs time to adapt to the new environment with the pressure that deepdiving demands.
Photo by: Michel Filinis Great results and national records
There were four days of competition and I did all four disciplines: CWTB (Constant Weight Bifins), FIM (Free Immersion), CNF (Constant Weight No Fins) and CWT (Constant Wheight). Amazing performances by all athetes who are world record holders and national record holders. World class competition!
Some of the medalists Alena Konecna overall winne, Mats Tybell medalist CWT and Nikita Atriyu. Alena and Nikita also did national records! Photo by: Michel Filinis Swedish national record CWTB
In the combination of total points my achievements gave me a second place! In Constant Weight Bifins I did a national record with my -52m dive swimming with my bifins from Tritonsub. These bifins now have done two national records for Sweden together with me.
My CWTB-dive. Thank you Tritionsub for the amazing bifins. Photo by: FCG – Freediving Club Greece Amazing crew of FCG
All of my dives were different and I know I have a lot to work on. There are many ways for me to improve to come deeper in a more efficient and controlled way. The crew here in FCG – Freediving Club Greece has given me so many advises on how to become a better deep-freediver. They have given me advice from the simplest thing, like how and where to put the dive watch, how to do a duck dive and how to position the body when you freefalling, as if you are a 150-kilos-lazy-and-tired-man. I call it the gnocchi posture. Thank you all, see you in the future!
At the award ceremony at FCG – Freediving Club Greece with Stavros Kastrinakis and the fantastic crew Nicholas Kouvaras, Isabel Sánchez Arán, Matt Arquey, Joseph McCabe and Geraldine McVeay. Photo by: Michel Filinis Be kind to your self, be kind to others.
Nicole Edensbo, 2019-07-22
Athens, GreeceFreedive love
Since the first day of training in Kalamata there has been lightning and thunder, sunshine and rain. The surface of the sea has been still as in a bathtub and some days the waves have been splashing in our faces as the last seconds before official top have been shouted out. One thing that has not changed is the warmth in people’s hearts; the friendly smiles and the kind and helpful gestures.
Photo by: Michel Filinis …We all share the passion for freediving and it is so clear that this connects us…
Supportive love
There are many extraordinary freedivers here who are on different levels of skill. There are world record-holding athletes and those who have just discovered the magic of freediving. We all share the passion for freediving and it is so clear that this connects us. The true love for the ocean.
The support from one freediver to another is seen everywhere here. The gestures and calming words or just one person being there for the other. The love can be seen, heard and felt everywhere you go.
Photo by: Michel Filinis The crew
The crew here is supporting and totally amazing. They make you feel safe whatever depth you are going for. After ascending, for sure, there are smiles and some tips on how to improve your breathe up, your duck dive or the streamline of your body as you freefall to the bottom plate.
Photo by: Michel Filinis Being a part of this wonderful world of freediving is just amazing! Sharing these moments with fellow freedivers from different places of the world is a true gift. Eimai achortagi.
Be kind to your self, be kind to others.
Nicole Edensbo, 2019-07-19
West Messinia, GreeceDedicated to freediving
Six months dedicated to freediving. This means training, competing and living the life of a full time freediver. For some people it might sound like a dream, for some like a night mare. I am one of those who think it sounds like something more wonderful than a dream. I decided it to be my reality.
One-way flight ticket
On the 9th of June I booked a one-way ticket to Greece. The 1st of July the flight landed just as the sun was setting. The first day of the 2nd half of 2019 had come to an end. As I stepped out from the airplane I was wondering if it was reality or if it was a dream as the warm and soft air played with my hair and caressed my cheeks.
Freedivers life
Now, ten days later, I have spent so much time in the water, that the skin is falling from my fingertips and my hair starts to permanently smell like the ocean. Every day I learn something new about freediving. I have learnt that a slow progress is best for my body to stay healthy and in good condition to dive deeper. One step at a time my body is adjusting slowly to freediving life towards extraordinary achievements.
Photo: Michel Filinis Your body and thoughts work together in one conscious action of approaching the quiet and the unknown…
Dives
So far, the dives have been wonderful. It is something special going down there, being there and then ascend. The company you have on the journey is yourself. It is you. Your body and your thoughts. They work together as one. They work together in one conscious action of approaching the quiet and the unknown, the big blue.
Be kind to yourself, be kind to others.
Nicole Edensbo, 2019-07-11
West Messinia, Greece
