The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Enzo urged Leo to put on his gear before going into the water, but he himself wore nothing.

When asked, the answer was always the same: I've been "living" in this sea since I was 3 years old.

Leo said no more, checked his equipment, jumped into the sea, and awaited Enzo's next instructions.

Leo works underwater for long periods every day, which places far greater demands on his body than regular swimming.

As one of the best fishermen in Marzamemi, Enzo has many generations of experience in quickly improving his ability to go into the water and ensuring safety.

Today he intends to impart his knowledge to this young man without reservation!

"To become a qualified underwater fish hunter, you need to possess five core qualities—strength, endurance, flexibility, breathing regulation, and concentration." Enzo placed a conch shell on his belly. "You go fishing normally first, and I'll watch you for a while to observe which aspects you're lacking. Then I'll tell you how to conduct targeted training to improve them."

Leo said okay and first lay down on the surface of the water to observe the basic conditions underwater. This was his first time in this area of ​​the sea.

Eyes peering into the water, ears hearing Enzo's voice coming from all directions, the "sea lion," unable to stay still, started circling again. This person seemed like a completely different person once he entered the sea:

"The seabed in this area is covered with Posidonia seagrass beds. You should mainly look out for wrasse, snapper, red mullet, and goby. You can also pick up some razor clams and Mediterranean mussels while you're at it."

Enzo was absolutely right.

There are hardly any reefs in this area; the seabed is full of seaweed.

Different environments attract different creatures, so if you're looking for sea urchins, you should avoid this area.

Leo frantically accessed his brain's memory, jotting down this valuable knowledge.

......

Enzo hovered five meters above Leo; getting too close would interfere with Leo's fishing.

Being at such a great distance, and at such a high vantage point, allows for a much clearer observation.

Enzo had never heard of such a professional term as "duck dive," but Leo plunged in and in the blink of an eye, he was four or five meters underwater.

This is a perfect 10/10 entry into the water; Enzo couldn't find any fault with it.

However, as he just mentioned, to become a qualified underwater hunter, one needs to possess five core qualities.

Enzo then examined Leo's abilities in five areas: strength, endurance, flexibility, breathing regulation, and concentration.

Let's look at the strength first!

Strength not only affects the quality of the strike, but it can also effectively optimize bodily functions, making swimming more efficient.

Enzo's power is most directly manifested in his speed.

In short-distance swimming speed, few fishermen on the east coast of Sicily can match his speed.

On the other side, Leo had already locked onto a wrasse.

Blend into the environment, observe the enemy, approach stealthily, and strike with all your might... a single, deadly blow without any surprises!

This was the first time Enzo had witnessed Leo in action, and he noticed that when Leo was fishing, he threw the harpoon instead of using it as a melee weapon to stab.

Both of these attack methods are used by fishermen and each has its own unique characteristics.

However, the throw gave Enzo a good opportunity to test Leo's "strength".

He was about 5 meters away from the wrasse.

Leo was 2 meters away from the wrasse.

Meanwhile, Leo turned around and gave Enzobi a thumbs-up, as if to say – See? This is my power!

Enzo launched a rapid swoop down with a whip kick, trying to grab the harpoon and fish before Leo could, to show him what true strength was.

But Leo didn't even kick his legs; to Enzo, it was just a slight wiggle of his hips, and his hand touched the trident.

Throughout the entire process, he maintained the gesture of turning around and giving a thumbs-up.

"Splash—"

Two figures emerged from the water, one after the other.

As soon as Leo came out, he asked smugly:

"How is it? Not bad, right?"

This was the first time anyone had watched him fish, and Leo desperately needed some emotional support.

Enzo imitated Leo's waist-twisting movements, making a few "gurgling" motions in the water, making him look more like a sea lion.

That's unheard of!

What kind of strange swimming style is this? How can it move so fast?

Leo asked the sea lion in the 'Coococoon' again:

"How is it? Is there a problem?"

Enzo stopped the 'cocoon':

"Not bad strength, now let's see your endurance."

Leo made a gesture as if he was all ears.

Enzo switched to a freestyle stance, increasing the distance between him and Leo:

"According to the training methods we used when we were young, we would have to do long-distance weight training. We don't have the time or the conditions for that today. How many lead weights do you have on your boat? Gradually increase the weight, and I'll be there to protect you."

......

Freedivers wear a wide weight belt around their waist, which contains lead weights to counteract the buoyancy of the water and make underwater operations easier.

Everyone's situation is different, and the weight of the lead weights they carry is also different.

The optimal state is to achieve neutral buoyancy—that is, neither floating nor sinking in still water within 10 meters, and rising and falling by swinging the arms and legs.

Leo usually wears 3-6 kilograms of lead weights, depending on how deep the hole is.

Leo was very relieved to hear Enzo say that he would add weight.

Having witnessed Enzo's swimming skills and strength, he believed that even with an extra 80 pounds, he could still lift himself!

......

Leo gradually increased his weight by 1-2 kilograms at a time.

Enzo watched from the sidelines, ready to rescue people at any moment.

Don't be fooled by the sea lions' seemingly leisurely and happy splashing around; they're actually sweating profusely, though it's not visible in the water.

Coastal fishermen have a set of counterweight logic that has no scientific basis but has been passed down through generations.

After adjusting the new weight, first take it into the water to check its position.

If the water level reaches the collarbone, that's the maximum counterweight weight; you can't add any more.

But Enzo watched as the water rose from Leo's collarbone to his neck, then from his neck to his chin, and then from his chin to his lips... This was the absolute limit of his weight.

However, Leo's surfacing time was slightly longer, but it did not affect his underwater activities or fishing.

His performance definitely passed the 'endurance test' and he can move on to the next 'flexibility test'.

Leo has installed the new counterweights and is now adjusting the breathing tube while holding onto the hull.

Seeing that he was in good condition, Enzo thought that after this dive, he would let Leo come aboard to rest. According to the pattern he had just observed, the water should reach his nose this time.

But then Leo let go—and he was gone.

"My God, how much did you add this time?" The sea lion was so frightened that its hair stood on end, and it immediately chased after him into the water.

Upon diving into the water, they found that Leo had already assumed a throwing stance and was searching for the target school of fish.

Enzo gestured at him, trying to get him to go up.

However, the two had not communicated about underwater communication methods, and the Sicilian fishermen did not use internationally recognized diving hand signals, but rather their local ones.

Leo kept gesturing "OK" to indicate that he had no problem.

Enzo is a real talent.

For some reason, unable to understand hand gestures, he started using body language.

He plunged headfirst into the sea, pointing at Leo repeatedly while rolling his eyes, as if to say – if you don’t get up now, you’re going to die!

To see what Enzo was doing, Leo also did a headstand and continued to give him the 'ok' sign, asking him—Are you okay?

Enzo got anxious and grabbed Leo's arm, trying to pull him up.

When Leo saw Enzo roll his eyes, he thought he had drowned. Although this was completely incomprehensible, he really couldn't understand what his older brother was acting out.

The coach once said that the greatest danger in rescuing a drowning person comes from their unconscious resistance, which could kill both of them.

Enzo grabbed, and Leo twisted away like a snake.

Enzo grabs again, Leo twists again.

In order to quickly escape the attack range, Leo retreated in a 360-degree spiral, adding a 180-degree turn in the process, and arrived 5 meters away in two quick movements. Even at this point, he was still in a head-down position.

Five seconds later, the two men emerged from the water simultaneously and asked in unison:

What are you doing?

Seeing that the other person was alright, they both laughed heartily and climbed onto the wooden boat, laughing so hard they were breathless.