FREE DIVING: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE

by Lauren Cameron

Free diving. Otherwise known as skin diving or breath-hold diving, freediving is - simply put - a sort of underwater diving that relies on the diver’s ability to hold their breath until they resurface. You have probably already seen freediving activities in action without realizing it: synchronized swimming, underwater snorkeling, competitive spearfishing and underwater rugby, all of which necessitate the skill of freediving to varying degrees.

Freediving can encompass competitive breath-hold diving — in which free divers attempt to break world records or set personal bests by going to greater depths in less time on a single breath of air — but it’s also exercised for recreational or practical purposes.

When freediving, the magic of the underwater world can open itself up to you without the aid of any technology or gear, allowing you to be at one with nature (for real). The sensation experienced while freediving is often described as that of a peaceful, meditative state – calm and surreal. And, while it takes serious mental and physical work to get to a point where you are diving 40 meters or more below the surface, it’s actually not all that difficult to master the basic art of it. Every time you have ever held your breath in a bath or pool, or dived under a wave, you have free dived. Simple, right?

That being said, freediving at a competitive level is an extreme sport. The risks involved; the support required; the gear, training and mindset practice; and the athleticism and technique one needs to master before diving headfirst into the sport – literally - are nothing but daunting.

But the sport of freediving allows divers to have surreal, otherworldly experiences usually reserved for those with ‘the right gear’ or the right technology, keeping enthusiasts and hardcore fan returning to their underwater nirvana time and time again. Just imagine yourself freediving in the mesmerizing cenotes of Mexico, unaided; in the freezing waters of the Arctic Circle with the magical lights of the spectacular Aurora Borealis framing your vision; or envision diving 40 meters below the water’s surface surrounded by a pod of dolphins or sea turtles. If any of the above appeal to you, why not give it a go? Grab a friend and choose an island. It’s as simple as committing to the idea.

A NEW AGE SPORT?

Freediving has been around since the dawn of the ages. Records dating back at least 7,000 years to the Ertebølle culture of Denmark and Sweden show us that divers would plunge into the sea to harvest shellfish from the seafloor, and Ancient Persians similarly risked life and limb to bring precious pearls to the surface. But the truth is humans have spent millions of years of our evolutionary development living a semi-aquatic existence and diving for our food.

Fast forward to the contemporary world of competitive freediving and you have Italian Enzo Majorca, who achieved his first world record in 1960 with a dive to 45m and in 1962 became the first person to break the 50m mark; Tanya Streeter, who in 1998 reached 113m with a No Limits dive and has since twice held records that were deeper than the men’s equivalent. Then you have Herbert Nitsch, an Austrian freediver who has held 32 world records across every freediving discipline, who is the current No Limits world record holder after descending to 214m – a depth that is unlikely to ever be beaten by mankind due to the incredible risk involved.

Enzo Majorca, who achieved his first world record in 1960 with a dive to 45m.

WHAT ARE THE PERKS?

As well as the most obvious one, which is that freediving can take you to the most magical parts of the earth without being weighed down by tanks, lines, gear and other equipment, there are a ton of physical and mental health benefits, too.

Freediving can improve your focus, strengthen your lung capacity, boost endurance abilities and teach discipline. Studies have shown that spending time underwater can also be therapeutic on joints and even increase your range of motion due to the hydrostatic pressure counteracting the usual pressure the body encounters during high impact, above-ground activities.

Conditioning your lungs with pre-diving exercises can improve your lung capacity in both the short and long term, too. Yoga, mindfulness and meditation retreats can help a lot in this respect. By learning how to properly manage and control your breath, the panic that we commonly experience when underwater will subside, instead be replaced with a deeper focus on breathing, enabling you to enjoy those precious moments spent floating beneath the surface.

One of the coolest things about freediving is that once you hit advanced levels, you can actually go as deep as recreational scuba divers, and sometimes even deeper. Scuba divers are generally restricted from going deeper than 40 meters, but recreational free divers are simply limited by the diver’s ability and willingness to accept risks – meaning that underwater freedom is yours if you want it, to a point.

HOW DOES FREEDIVING WORK?

Freediving is incredible because it exploits a response we as humans all possess.  The mammalian diving response is a phenomenon that occurs in mammals when they are submerged in cool water, in which the body’s natural cardiovascular responses are altered to maintain cerebral and cardiac blood flow. In other words, it describes what happens when you find your ‘inner dolphin’ underwater.

The diving response is a clever mechanism that enables the body to tolerate a lower level of oxygen, allowing a human’s heart rate to be reduced by up to 25%. In fact, the lowest recorded heart rate for a freediver was 14 beats per minute - a third less than the average heart rate of a patient in a coma. Amazing, right?

The most incredible part is that developing and enhancing this skill is something that can actually be done. Its trainable.

IS IT WORTH DOING A COURSE IN FREE DIVING?

ABSOLUTELY.

While many free divers and spearfishers first learn to free dive from friends or family, doing this or teaching yourself are not recommended to those wanting to get into freediving. There are some risks involved and it’s important to take a recognized course with a licensed, qualified free dive instructor before getting started.

It’s also a good idea to invest in more than just a one-day course. While it may be enough to introduce you to the sport and help you decide whether or not you wish to pursue it, it won’t be enough to save you from a potentially life-threatening situation underwater. As you go deeper, there are additional risks associated with increased depth, and the more intermediate and advanced courses help you recognize those risks.

Diving schools around the world today offer a variety of specialized freediving courses, ranging from ‘Introductory 1 Day’ courses, to ‘Underwater Freedive Photography Essentials’, ‘Freedive Assistant Instructor’ and ‘Breath-Hold Survival’ among other focus areas. For those who have a little more time up their sleeve, it’s worth investing in a longer, week-long course, which will give you more comprehensive training on equipment, the physiology of freediving, rescue skills, buddying, equalization, risk awareness, the underwater environment, open water training and buoyancy control.

Take the time to learn how to free dive properly. It could not only one day save your life but could also open you up to a fascinating world accessed only by a lucky few.