Freediving refers to the sport of diving underwater without the use of breathing apparatus or scuba gear. While freedivers do rely on special equipment such as masks and fins, the most distinguishing feature of the sport is the act of holding one’s breath while submerged. Freediving is an ancient form of diving that dates back thousands of years to ancient cultures across the globe, many of which prized the practice for gathering food and other resources from the sea floor. In comparison, modern-day freediving is more of a recreation, resulting in more extensive application and exploration of the potential of the free dive. Today, many varieties of freediving exist, including constant weight, free immersion, and no fins freediving. Sometimes compared to meditation, freediving is also known to instill a sense of calm and mental well-being while underwater.
The body of a freediver has to gradually adapt to being in an oxygen-limited state, an extremely tolerant mode in which the athlete’s body can work effectively underwater. Moreover, although the sport can present numerous risks—such as extended breath-holds, nitrogen narcosis, and blacking out—when performed with the proper expertise and attention to safety, the sport of freediving can be a safe and rewarding recreation. Despite the obvious inherent dangers of being underwater without a regular supply of air, the sport of freediving has been practiced by humans since long before the advent of any scuba system or underwater breathing apparatus. Today, freediving is practiced on both a professional and amateur level, with many countries and organizations devoting time, money, and research into the development of freediving and its complimentary field, apnea.
Definition and History
Freediving, essentially, is breath-holding diving. Over centuries, freediving developed from an important proposition to a recreation, sport, art, and exercise. During its development, it has primarily been practiced for reasons of obtaining food, industry, and exploration, and over time, in many cases, it has developed beautiful forms and visualization and culture in its own right. According to the International Association for the Development of Freediving (AIDA), which is an international freediving organization, freediving is a sport where the diver, without a breathing assistive device, travels through the water on a single held breath.
Most people enjoy freediving as a recreational activity, only ever diving a few meters. This is hardly surprising because until relatively recently, freediving was considered only suitable for short distances – from maybe 100 meters in the case of leisure to just a few feet in the case of dam builders who happened to be using the techniques. The use of higher pressure air or hydraulic methods naturally limited the time that the freediver could spend in the water. This, and the competition of faster and cheaper underwater breathing apparatus technology, made a lot of the old haunts of the freedivers impossible or irrelevant. However, with the advent of The Underwater New Wave, the world is in the midst of a freediving revival. The new breed of freediver is going deeper and staying longer, and for some, freediving is now big business. While spectators and participants gather for competitions, freedivers are setting new world records in deep freediving performance on a continuous basis.
Benefits and Risks
Freediving offers a broad range of benefits, covering an extensive portion of physical and mental fitness. It can bring health improvements, well-being, stress relief, and a personal sense of fulfillment. For many freedivers, one of the main attractions to freediving is its extremely close relationship with the underwater world and ocean. However, self-propelling freedivers are able to get extremely close to marine life without disturbing them, which is generally referred to as “one breath diving”. This type of diving provides the opportunity to mimic animal behavior and encounter marine species as a part of their aquatic habitat.
For all the beauty of getting involved in freediving, it is important to mention that there are also risks associated with it. The main risks related to freediving are those induced by pressure and changes in the respiratory system, such as lung squeeze, pulmonary barotrauma, and arterial gas embolism. In addition to pressure-related injuries, breath-hold diving also presents the typical risk factors of many underwater activities, such as drowning and effects related to hypoxia, hypercapnia, or hypothermia. These, in turn, can cause physical and psychological problems, as well as personal limitations. It is very important to understand that ocean freedom is to be pursued only with the appropriate knowledge and skills. Whether you might like it or not, some gravitational pull from inner identity, crew thought, and mindfulness may attract you to the depth, quickly and forever beyond return.
Freediving Techniques
Some of the crucial freediving techniques are:
– Carrying out an efficient diaphragm stretch for breath-holding: This is used for the first dive and involves an increasing contraction of the lungs that pushes the diaphragm into the abdominal cavity (the same position as when blowing your nose).
– Breathing and reducing the number of heart sleep spells: Heart sleep is the amount of blood that returns to the heart in a single beat. The lower the heart sleep, the longer the person can stay underwater. This is the effect of a reduction in the heart’s stroke volume as a bradycardia response to apnea.
– Improving the cardiovascular fitness of the body, with an “acceptable” carbon dioxide tolerance: It should be understood that the main factor in determining how long a person can hold their breath is the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood, among the many factors that act independently. It can increase a diver’s breath-hold ability. For example, the right hypercapnic training can improve our body’s reaction to rising CO2 concentration in the blood.
– Reaching the limit of the flexibility of the Eustachian tubes and the efficiency of the Valsalva maneuver and learning other equalization techniques: This is because the deeper a diver goes, the more pressure it puts on the middle ear (approximately 1 atmosphere (atm) for every 10 m). By increasing the internal pressure in the middle ear, the diver equalizes and pushes air into the cavity earlier and the external pressure up to that point. Popular techniques are the Valsalva maneuver, frenzel, valsalva/frenzel combination, and Toynbee technique, especially hands-free equalization.
– Reducing resistance and improving dynamics by training a finning style that gives good propulsion with as little body movement and muscle effort as possible, while being in the most favorable body position, is one of the basic techniques for the dynamics discipline. The finning style can also vary according to preference, but fish kick, dolphin kick, modified flutter kick, or frog kick are often recommended. This can vary according to the flexibility of the ankles.
– Getting used to a few things enhances the relaxation effect, such as wearing a wetsuit for conductivity and hydraulics.
These are some of the crucial fundamental skills for freediving. It should be noted that age, gender, lung capacity, previously practiced sports, and DCS susceptibility can make a difference. Some are the basis for freediving in general and are recognized almost globally, while some are crucial for freediving safety. With a proper approach towards relaxation and technique, and a gradual step-down and step-up of any activity, people are more likely to have a much safer and more enjoyable freediving experience.
Breath-holding and Equalization
Freediving is the act of diving underwater on a single breath of air. It is an ancient practice with a rich history and has grown in popularity as people seek fun, adventure, and challenge. Breath-holding and equalization are two fundamental elements of freediving. Breath-hold diving is the discipline of freediving that tests the divers’ ability to go deep or long on a single breath, and it pushes the boundaries of human adaptability. Nature has equipped human beings with the ability to be underwater but with limits. Freedivers learn to choreograph mind, body, and physics in such a way that those limits can be stretched either by making the reserves last longer or by going deep-smart. The role of fear and self-awareness in mind-body coordination cannot be understated; those who do not address the psychological issues of freediving will never reach their full potential or, worse so, they put their lives in danger.
Freediving and scuba diving have equalization in common – one cannot descend without adjusting the ears and sinuses to the surrounding pressure. Equally, the air spaces inside the ears and nose can be damaged during freediving when the divers ascend back to the surface if equalization to release the pressure is not performed. The problem in freediving is that while a scuba diver can equalize frequently during the descent, a freediver cannot, and must equalize with every kick, as it is simply impossible to exhale and equalize so close to the surface of the water. Techniques that help to equalize the nose generally also help with the ears and reverse. Exercises that strengthen facial muscles and areas around the sinuses improve blood flow and, subsequently, healing. For this reason, it is important for people who have a history of equalization issues to maintain health on the body and suppress illnesses.
Finning and Body Positioning
The next subsection, ‘Finning and Body Positioning’, aims at exploring the current understanding of the role of the limbs during fin swimming and vertical locomotion in freedivers, whereas the role of arms and hands during swimming would be addressed in the following subsection, ‘Front Crawl (Arm Strokes)’. While the primary focus has been body positioning and fin use in the current subsection, the draft of the complete review would also look into arm work and hand work during swimming in a compressed posture, as well as the pull-down force and the gliding phase.
Efforts have also been targeted on finning strategies and differing fin kicks as to their contribution to hydrodynamics and movement – and how kick actions are associated with the overall management of the freediving performances.
Freediving Equipment
The equipment required for freediving is quite basic, but it is essential that it functions well. The main piece of equipment is the mask. A good mask is particularly important so that you don’t have to worry about leaks or a poorly fitting mask while diving. Most masks are made of silicone. They come in three different varieties. The first is a framed mask, with a plastic frame securing the window. The second has a metal frame, and then there are also frameless masks, in which the glass is directly attached to the skirt. A frameless mask is generally preferable for freediving as it reduces the amount of internal air trapped and generally gives you a greater field of vision. However, this is, of course, mostly a question of personal preference.
A good snorkel is also advised. The specific brand or make isn’t very important, but it should be comfortable. Try it out in the shop to see that it fits well and that it doesn’t knock uncomfortably against the temple while equalizing – this can be painful over time. Fins that are long, soft and have very little specific buoyancy are generally fine. In the water, the fins should give you a good long glide per kick, as this indicates forwards propulsion efficiency. They should fit snugly around your feet so as not to cause fin-related injuries. Wetsuits should cover the whole body for insulation, but a trained freediver will often need a thinner suit than an inexperienced diver who is shivering from cold. Wetsuits have two sides, the nylon-lined “skin” side, which is supposed to be worn next to your skin, and the rubber side. Always rinse your wetsuit thoroughly inside and out with fresh water after you use it.
Mask and Snorkel
The ‘Mask and Snorkel’ is a crucial part of your primary respiratory and vision equipment. The mask enables the diver to see in a medium for which humans’ eyes are not well-equipped. Obviously arranged for out-of-water breathing, eyeballs don’t produce a shield of tears around them, as when you blink, tears inhibit evaporation of the thin tears film that is crucial to vision in the air. In the water, you are blinking the whole time, and the constant renewal decreases visual acuity. The mask is then the underwater solution to seeing underwater. Not only does it encompass your sight organ, but it also serves as an air space for breathing. That is, if you are outfitted with this piece of gear called the snorkel that allows you to breathe air while at the surface without lifting your head above the surface to inhale. Equalizing the ears requires a nose grip and hence a nose clip.
Freediving masks are manufactured to fit around the eyes for minimum water volumes and are very durable. The mask is constructed using low volume silicone seals, with a very supple and comfortable silicone skirt that allows the mask to be pulled into a comfortable position covering the eyes and nose. In addition, it has a strap that molds over the head to keep the mask in place. Some masks come with trims over the bridge of the nose and rubbing area of the face. Masks vary in internal space due to different sizes, shapes, and designs. Your ability to equalize your ears may determine the maximum depth they can go to. A good mask is vital to freediving. A snorkel has to accommodate the human lung capacity. Although a snorkel lessens dynamic performance, an original one is advised for those new to freediving. A good freediving snorkel is long and has a large bore, and is flexible. A splitter to clip your mask strap and keep your snorkel aright is a great accessory.
Fins and Wetsuit
Fins
The primary purpose of fins in freediving is propulsion. The wide surface area of high-end fins allows divers to conserve the most oxygen (air or other breathing gas) while propelling themselves through the depths. In addition, freediving fins aim to optimize the transfer of energy from the force applied against them to the movement through the water. A well-chosen fin will maximize efficiency, meaning the smallest amount of work energy is transformed into movement energy. This is essential in freediving because the smaller the amount of energy involved in a dive, the lower the mental and physiological cost. When choosing fins for a dive, freedivers should consider the wetsuit they will be wearing. Walking around the entry point in heavy-knitted wetsuit booties can be cumbersome or lead to injury when wearing too long and too flexible fins. There are also a variety of fins with various stiffnesses and angles to suit different divers and varying environments.
Wetsuit
A wetsuit is worn while freediving primarily for thermal insulation. Freedivers slightly inflate their wetsuits with gas, counterbalancing their compression, as they descend. Wear and tear can leave some wetsuits more compressible than others, rendering parts of the suit exaggeratedly buoyant. A good fit is essential to avoid circulation-restricting cold spots. Additionally, the seawater floods the baggy areas and evens out, reducing the amount of air necessary to be exhausted from the suit to commence your dive. The less gas you use on the surface to displace water, the more gas you can afford to use on the dive. Generally, be sure to be comfortable to keep you relaxed. In frigid waters, divers should consider pairing a 3 mm neoprene hood with neoprene gloves in order to maintain their core temperature.
Freediving Safety
The world of freediving revolves around safety. This is an extreme sport where you explore the limits of your body. It is paramount to have someone watching you all the time while you are performing a dive.
Buddy System In freediving, you should never, ever do a dive alone. You should at least have a partner ready to assist you in the water and, hence, save your life in case something goes not as planned. A partner can also assist you pre-dive, such as making sure your airways are clear before a dive, or in case of a shallow water blackout, which we will discuss later in the emergency part. In competition, the systems tend to go overboard with the number of people watching the diver at all times, both at the surface and in the water. Also, there is a safety scuba diver at all times, but they are not allowed to be part of the rescue unless you stop breathing at the surface.
Communication While you are in the water, it can be hard to hear what is happening above you. A great system that is widely used while freediving is a set of hand signals for communication. These signals are essential in order to effectively communicate while submerging. If in doubt about the hand signals, always ask your buddy before the dive. The main ones to remember are the “Okay” signal, the “I need air” signal, the “I am going for the surface” signal, and the “I am blackout, dive after me” signal. After finishing a dive or a session of dives, the first thing you should do is try to communicate with your buddy, describing how you felt during the dive, what you didn’t like, or if there’s something you want him or her to watch out for before your next dive. This is not only a sign of respect and cooperation, but it may be important for the safety of your upcoming dive.
Buddy System and Communication
Habitually acting in a team facilitates vigilance in member behavior, as disorientation can develop gradually and go unnoticed by the affected diver. Team effort can prevent exceeding operational safety limits, especially in the dynamic disciplines.
If practice is possible in a club or group, arrange with fellow members to do a buddy check while doing static apnea twice a session. This action is executed both before packing (inhalation of deeper than normal breath, which is part of advanced techniques in static apnea; it is straightforward that the buddy watches the packing to prevent dry lung) and after beginning to hold his/her breath. In scientific freediving or pool training not possible in clubs but done with a buddy, a similar check is done just before leaving for zero ‘depth’ breathing exercises. The buddy has to know if breath-holding is going on; this is the basic rule of the buddy system. Bogus signals or hand signs that appear to be apneic per se are absolutely not accepted. Before freediving entry into water, signaling could be done by hand signs – note that it is also very usual for a possible branch of freediving – or by speech, but underwater communication is reduced to speech and some audible ways (screams or taps). Some noises, such as bubble sounds, may catch attention. In case of unexpected underwater communication possibilities, they should be arranged in buddy pairs, with common signals for starting and interrupting freediving activities. Buddy communication rules should be agreed upon between buddies and recommended to be defined in advance in order to standardize as much as possible. The buddy system involves looking after one’s mate when that particular freediver holds his/her breath or dives. The duty is clear. If a diver is held with his/her head underwater by water pressure, the buddy’s duty is to watch for wanted movements or signs of his/her mate and finally bring him/her back to the surface if he/she becomes unconscious while kept underwater. Each ‘diver’ in this section means ‘freediver’, whether it is specified or not. In general, a buddy meets this task as a priority one, no matter if he/she is called to other parallel duties. If a freediver dies, the buddy has the possibility of facing legal consequences, and then we advise the buddy to declare everything known along his/her functional responsibility.
Emergency Procedures
In this chapter, we’ll look at everything you need to do and know when an emergency occurs. One thing to add before we move forward, spare thinking energy to make rational decisions in any circumstance. Feel the limitations of your mind when the pressure is up. It’s difficult to make clear rational decisions when in an emergency. Those decisions are made under duress and are based on what you have learned so repeatedly in training, so make sure that what you are practicing is the right thing to do. If not certain, seek the help and expertise of those who know and have your safety, and your buddy’s, as their priority – a well-taught freediver, experienced and skilled emergency rescue professional, and of course, emergency medical treatment. As mentioned earlier, there is no internationally agreed safe operating practices maximums for freediving in open-water settings, however the most important rule of all to remember is to relax and continue to do what you are practiced to do, with safety always at the forefront of a decision.
In essence, by understanding the area of the body that has been compromised and by understanding treatment protocols, we can develop our own assessment strategy, which could help during any rescue embarkment or first-aid provision. Always remember that panic is the worst reaction during a situation of this nature and by remaining calm, you can help those involved to relax and avoid panicking, thus compounding the situation further. Loosely what should we do at the scene of the accident before the arrival of an Emergency Service? It is important to “think” as the following steps should be carried out in a structured manner.
Freediving Destinations
The Caribbean and the Mediterranean are both havens of natural beauty and offer some truly captivating experiences for diving enthusiasts. The Caribbean Sea boasts vibrant coral reefs of every kind in its waters, natural sandy bottoms, and a multitude of tropical fish species swimming around. Additionally, the region is home to several shipwrecks, providing insights into an important part of human history to anyone who decides to explore these underwater museums.
The biodiversity found in the Mediterranean Sea is unique to most of Southern Europe, with over 10,000 species already identified and many more to be recognized. This represents around 29% to 33% of all known marine species across the globe. In the western part of the Mediterranean Sea, the main geological formations are submarine mountains, oceanic seamounts, and volcanic arcs – attracting diverse fauna and flora. The eastern parts host vast limestone coral reefs wrapped with various types of seagrass meadows.
The visibility and underwater experience of each submerged area differ in these two seas along with water temperatures, so it is up to the traveler to decide what they prefer. There is a great variety of freediving destinations in the Caribbean, with some in Antigua and Barbuda for those that prefer colder water after the tropical sun. You can also visit Bonaire if you want a quiet exploration on your own, with many beach entry spots on small islands. From Belize to the northern tip of South America, you will find barrels of fun! Costa Rica, Colombia, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Grand Cayman, and Mexico are some of the destinations where more difficult and deep dive spots can be found for those that would like to consolidate and probe their skills, as well as learn from the best.
If you would like to explore Gran Canaria, El Gouna, Sicily, Ibiza, Corsica, Cagliari, or perhaps an undisputable lush and green whale sanctuary on the island of Pico, we suggest you tick Lanzarote, Egypt, Malta, the Balearic Islands, Sardinia, and Corsica off your traveling checklist. In the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Malta, Ibiza, Cyprus, Croatia, and the Balearic Islands are hotspots for freediving vacations, drawing in people from all over the world.
Top Destinations in the Caribbean
Bocas Del Toro, Panama – Sitting on the Caribbean coast, Bocas Del Toro is a chain of archipelagos hugged by striking natural beauty. Frequented by travelers and surfers, the water here is a striking blue and there are a plethora of dive sites from sunken ships to coral reefs. There are a few schools that offer freedive courses at affordable prices – you could hardly ask for a better location to learn how to hold your breath! The Caribbean coast of Panama can see quite a bit of runoff sediment from nearby rivers, so for the very best visibility, you might want to opt to freedive amongst the islands of Bocas Del Toro.
Trinidad and Tobago – Often referred to as ‘the original Caribbean’. Trinidad and Tobago are its most industrial islands, but there are certainly spots to visit that remain wonderfully unscathed. Topside is home to rainforests, waterfalls and a number of indigenous birds and animals, while the reefs surrounding the islands offer a wide range of coral and sponge dwellers, as well as larger creatures such as manta rays, sharks, tarpons, and sea turtles. Apnea Caribbean has a base here, with spearfishing and freediving courses waiting to be booked by visiting freedivers. The visibility is often better in Tobago than in Trinidad. Nothing is more smug-inducing than coming home from a freedive vacation and sorting through your Instagram feed, knowing that you’ve been there and done it (all). If you’re looking for smiles and drool-worthy destinations – here we go – a selection of the best places to be seen with your chums or loved ones – plus wear out your wetsuit and fins.
Freediving in the Mediterranean
Though often most closely associated with the Maldives, Thailand, and the Great Barrier Reef, Greece, Turkey, and Italy of the Mediterranean itself are all very popular destinations for free divers with their warm, clear, azure seas, impressive underwater visibility, and incredibly rich and diverse marine life. From vast, overgrown, rugged underwater landscapes to popular sandy sea beds, the Med offers all types, levels, and disciplines from beginner to advanced free divers. On top of all this, in many areas, the sea is a basic part of the culture with bays often scattered with gullets – traditional wooden boats that take tourists on day trips and bear a close resemblance to the historical old Greek cargo boats that used to work those same waters for centuries.
Take the coast of Turkey – the locals are extremely friendly, with a laid-back atmosphere and a love of good, fresh food to tempt most divers. Turkey offers some of the most enjoyable freediving experiences to all levels; pristine waters and fabulous underwater excursions. Photography and videography are also extremely popular with a range of topside subjects to choose from, although you don’t need a camera to enjoy exploring the exciting underwater habitats, marine life, and famous historical shipwrecks of all shapes and sizes. Each area of the Med has a different set of exciting attractions and elements, exploring one will almost certainly foster a desire to visit as many others as available.