Chiplun, Correspondent
Samruddhi Devlekar, a young woman from Chiplun, has earned the distinction of being Maharashtra’s only certified freediving instructor. Freediving is a unique aquatic sport where divers plunge into the deep sea without using oxygen tanks, relying solely on a single breath. The sport demands not just physical strength, but also mental stability, self-control, and harmony with nature.
Samruddhi can now dive over 120 feet deep on a single breath and hold her breath for more than four minutes — an extraordinary and rare feat.
Interestingly, Samruddhi’s journey began in the skies — she was training to be a pilot. Her shift from flying aircraft to diving into the ocean makes her story truly remarkable. After completing her early education in Chiplun and moving to Pune for higher studies, she came across freediving through social media while pursuing pilot training. Captivated by the sport, she began focusing on it two years ago, and within a short time, she has become one of the few certified freedivers in India.
Out of only four certified freediving instructors in the country, Samruddhi is one of them. There are just about 30 active freedivers in India. She received her training under Shubham Pandey in Kudal and the Maldives before moving to the Philippines for advanced international training. She now conducts freediving courses and workshops at the Divers of Wingorya center in Kudal, Sindhudurg, where students from India and abroad come to train with her.
According to Samruddhi, freediving is not just a sport but a meditative experience — one that requires syncing with the ocean, mastering one’s breath, and pushing beyond personal limits.
She believes that India has immense potential in freediving, owing to the country’s traditions of yoga, meditation, and physical endurance. With proper guidance and training, Indian athletes could excel on the world stage in this extraordinary discipline.
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