3 World Records, all in the Unassisted Constant Ballast
category, considered the hardest. First diver ever to
set an official record and to break the 50 meter barrier
in this category.
David was
born on July 21st 1975, in Kingston, Jamaica. His mother,
Jan Lee, has owned Lady G'Diver, one of the Caribbean's
most reputable dive shops since 1979, allowing David
to grow up in a water sports environment, in and around
the sea his whole life. Thus, from a very young age,
he mastered extreme sports like surfing and windsurfing,
while becoming very intrigued by freediving. Up until
1994, David divided his time between school and the
working with his mother as a Divemaster, while getting
more and more seriously into freediving. AT this point,
his high-school education completed, David decides to
move to Tulsa, in the USA, to pursue a college degree
in Information Systems. During this time, he also falls
in love with the martial arts, attaining a black belt
degree on 2 different disciplines in a short time, thanks
to his customary hard work and commitment. It was this
attitude of his that convinced him to now focus his
energies into an old favorite activity of his: freediving,
to which, he dedicates full time. But he was only able
to freediving during the summer holidays back in his
homeland of Jamaica, and his progress was understandably
slow. David starts searching for professional help and,
in 2000, he meets renown trainer Rudi Castineyra and
female world champion Yasemin Dalkilic, with whom be
quickly becomes friends and a member of their training
team. Rudi was particularly interested in David, as
his freediving knowledge was limited but his physical
potentials quite promising, so they start a demanding
training regime in January of 2001. By the summer of
that year, David was ready to attempt his first world
record, and he chooses the hardest category of all in
freediving, Unassisted Constant Ballast, of which he
has become the undisputed master, having set a total
of 3 world records since then. In 2002, David expresses
interest in becoming also an instructor, and he starts
his apprenticeship by accompanying Rudi on several of
his courses around the world. David had progressed to
the rank of Master Instructor by 2003, his fun and youthful
attitude towards freediving and his easy going demeanor,
becoming assets in his teaching. For 2004, his energies
are focused on taking back the Unassisted world record,
trying his hand at other competitive categories and
to continue: "teaching the joy, simplicity and
purity of freediving to others, always safely and responsibly".
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