What is freediving and why you should do it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You will be able to see the amazing world of underwater inhabitants - and without scuba bubbles.

What is freediving

Freediving is a type of breath-holding scuba diving. This is its main difference from diving. A person does not use oxygen tanks and can only be under water as much as his own body allows. This activity is also called "apnea-diving" (apnea - holding the breath).

Also, do not confuse freediving with snorkeling - swimming under the surface of the water at a depth of no more than 20 cm. Yes, both types of diving use a mask, snorkel and fins, but during snorkeling a person has the ability to breathe constantly and does not dive deeply. In freediving, the swimmer goes to the depth with a full hold of his breath, without access to oxygen.

Many believe that freedivers are aquamans who can hold their breath for an hour and dive hundreds of meters down, greeting sharks and whales along the way.

Indeed, experienced freedivers can spend five or even ten minutes underwater without a single breath.

The world record in static breath holding - 11 minutes and 54 seconds - belongs to the New World Record Static Apnea (STA) Serbian freediver Branko Petrovic. But records are not what drives most people who start freediving. And they are driven by the desire to learn to soar in zero gravity, to feel how the body behaves in the water column and to fully control both muscles and emotions.

And also a huge world is open for freedivers, which is inaccessible to the human eye on land: corals and reefs, fish and huge sea creatures. You can see how they live only by going down to visit them. And given that many underwater inhabitants do not like scuba bubbles, most of all you can see it by diving on only one breath hold.

Why freediving is good for your health

Water is a friendly environment for us. A person can dive into the sea or ocean to a depth of tens of meters. He can hold his breath for a short time - this is not only safe, but even beneficial. And it is not at all necessary from birth to live on a paradise island by the sea in order to feel comfortable in the water, move efficiently and enjoy it. Freediving skills can be developed both in the big city, diving in the pool, and during the sea holiday - but, of course, under the supervision of a trainer.

Here are the health benefits you will experience:

• Freediving, like swimming in general, loads all muscle groups and develops even the smallest of them, which we do not use while standing on the ground.
• Breath-hold training has a positive effect on endurance in other sports (such as running and cycling).
• The volume of the lungs increases, and oxygen in the blood is oxidized more slowly. The Role of Training in the Development of Adaptive Mechanisms in Freedivers - in critical situations, the body becomes more resistant to hypoxia.
• Scuba Diving Positively Impacts Psychological Characteristics of Free Diving Athletes: A Comparative Study on Mental Health. Even during the first training sessions, the freediver learns to control his emotions, breathing, and heartbeat. These skills are useful not only under water, especially in today's pace of life. For example, when you need to quickly calm down and slow your heartbeat, freedivers begin to exhale through the "c" sound: slowly, over an obstacle, as they were taught.
• Immersion in water relaxes and clears thoughts, so it can be compared to meditation. Deep down, whether you like it or not, you have to be in the moment and you just can't think about work, money problems or anything like that.

What equipment is needed for classes

The main equipment is a mask, fins, snorkel and wetsuit. For training, as well as amateur diving, this is enough. Sometimes weights are also needed and, if immersed in cold water, neoprene socks and gloves to protect the feet and hands from the cold.

Mask

The mask is needed to provide an air layer between the eyes and the water. It not only protects the eyes from irritation, but also significantly improves visibility. In addition, thanks to a special "nose", the mask equalizes the pressure in the eye area with the pressure at the diving depth.

A tube

Unlike snorkeling, the snorkel in freediving is not used all the time - only in preparation for the dive. Its purpose is to enable you to breathe between dives and to protect your airway from water ingress. With the snorkel, the freediver can lie on the surface of the water and breathe relaxed without raising his head. This is very energy saving. The main thing is that the mouthpiece of the tube does not let water through during inhalation.

Flippers

The fins help you kick strong and make swimming faster and more energy efficient. They should be chosen according to their size and rigidity. With the first, everything is clear: when trying on the fins should not constrain the foot or fly off. The stiffer they are, the more speed they can develop. Although this option requires a lot of effort when stroking. If the muscles on the legs are poorly developed, it will be difficult to swim with such fins. Therefore, for moving under the surface of the water, it is recommended to choose softer models: they are lighter and more comfortable. And if you are going to descend to great depths and professionally engage in freediving or spearfishing, you should buy hard fins.

Wetsuit

Water absorbs body heat much faster than air. Therefore, a wetsuit is indispensable for a comfortable dive. It can be “dry” (impermeable to water) and “wet” (such a suit picks up a little water). The latter option is more popular as it costs less and is much more convenient to use. Under a "wet" wetsuit, you do not need to wear additional clothing (except for a swimsuit): water, getting into the pores of the material, quickly heats up from the body and allows you not to go on land for a long time, since the person does not freeze.

"Dry" wetsuits are used at the lowest water temperatures - below +15 ° C. Warm clothes are worn under such models. A layer of air is formed between the body and the waterproof material of the suit, due to which heat loss is prevented. Because of this layer, it is more difficult to dive in a “dry” model: it floats to the surface.

Wetsuits also differ in density. It is necessary to choose according to the specific conditions of diving: the colder the water, the denser it should be. If the water is warm, you can do without a wetsuit altogether - provided that you dive to shallow depths and often come to the surface.

Cargo

The lead weight is placed on the belt and is needed in order to compensate for the buoyancy of the wetsuit - that is, to prevent a person from floating to the surface. It is not worth buying a load: usually such equipment is available at all training bases and in companies that organize freediving in open water.

How is the training going

You can master the basics of freediving both in city pools and in open water. There are several training systems: Molchanovs, AIDA, NDL, CMAS, Apnea Academy and others. They differ slightly in approach, but basic training tends to follow the same pattern. First, the theory of freediving is given, then classes on the water begin: learning the technique of correct breathing and training its delay, the basics of safety in water, the technique of swimming and diving with and without fins.

The differences in training are quite insignificant. For example, in AIDA, courses taken are indicated by stars, and in Molchanovs, by waves. Therefore, at the initial stage, it is better to choose not a system, but a coach with whom you will be comfortable. You can find the nearest pool and coach on the website of the Freediving Federation.

Basic skills can be learned in a few pool sessions and then hone in open water. Freediving communities regularly organize study trips to countries with a rich underwater world. For example, in Sri Lanka, where conditions are close to ideal: the water temperature is about 28 ° C, visibility is 30-50 meters and there are no waves at all. The available depth allows both beginners and professionals to practice.

What to do next if you have learned

And then a whole new world will be opened for you - the underwater one. Some go into freediving with their heads and start doing it professionally: they receive certificates and become trainers. Some only use their skills while on vacation. And someone travels the world in search of the most interesting underwater inhabitants, choosing travel according to the main criterion: is it possible to dive there and who has a chance to meet. So, it will turn out to swim with humpback whales in Tonga, with sperm whales in the Azores, with blue whales in Sri Lanka. And in Arctic Norway, you can look into the eyes of killer whales. The ocean is huge, and finding a reason to put on fins and a mask will work in all corners of the earth.