Posts
The Living Room Descent: Why Your CO2 Tolerance Is Built on Dry Land
Your diaphragm doesn't know the difference between a couch cushion and a depth marker at 20 meters. Here's why 70% of your freediving training happens on dry land.
Koa VanceFebruary 23, 2026Can You Get Bent Freediving? Andrey Matveenko Just Answered That Question for All of Us
Andrey Matveenko's partial paralysis after a 126m dive exposes the dangerous myth that freedivers can't get decompression sickness. The physics of nitrogen loading don't care whether you're on scuba or a single breath.
Koa VanceFebruary 23, 2026The Physics of the Final Five: Why Your Last Meters Are the Deadliest
The deadliest meters of any freedive aren't at the bottom. They're the last five on your way up. Here's the partial pressure physics that kills experienced divers—and why your surface protocol matters more than your depth.
Koa VanceFebruary 22, 2026Why Wim Hof Will Get You Killed at Depth: The Hyperventilation Myth That Won't Die
The Wim Hof Method has gone mainstream, but hyperventilation before a freedive is a blackout waiting to happen. Here's the physiological correction that could save your life.
Koa VanceFebruary 22, 2026
The First Descent: What the Surface Will Never Teach You
The inaugural post from The Blue Stillness: Why freediving is not about conquering the ocean, but becoming compatible with it. A meditation on the Mammalian Dive Reflex, the architecture of surrender, and the 70% rule that will change how you train.
Koa VanceFebruary 22, 2026