Before you read any further I have to make clear that it is advisable to take a Freediving course. This post will provide an outline however it does not substitute professional training. I will explain basic things about Freediving, like an explanation of the disciplines of competitive Freediving useful for training, safety, the basic breathing technique, relaxation, visualisation, the dive reflex, equalisation, training tables and Freediving equipment.
The Eight Disciplines of Freediving
This section gives info on the disciplines of Freediving which are used competitively and also in training. I will post information week by week for you to read and absorb slowly. Freediving is fun, sexy, thrilling and moreover you should always dive with a buddy with the same or better ability than yourself.
STATIC APNEA (STA)
Static Apnea is an AIDA International discipline in which the freediver holds their breath for as long as possible with their respiratory tracts immersed in water. This position is normally done face down in a pool.
DYNAMIC APNEA
Dynamic can be split into two disciplines, Dynamic with fins (DWF) and Dynamic without fins (DNF). Both disciplines require breath held dives where the diver travels in a horizontal position under water using their own power without aid/physical contact of a static surface, with the exception of the pool wall when done indoors. A recommended minimum length of pool is 25 metres to train in this discipline.
FREE IMMERSION (FI)
The freediver descends by pulling along vertical line, without using fins. The movement is more efficient than constant weight, but the action involves a smaller muscle group (mainly the arms), and so they can tire more quickly.
CONSTANT WEIGHT (with fins) (CW)
In this category the freediver descends along a vertical line using a pair of bi-fins or a monofin. The freediver can only use the line for guidance and can pull it once at the target depth. The key point is that the diver is not allowed to change his ballast during the dive. Until the last few years, carbon fibre fins were the most common fins used by top freedivers. However, monofins have gained increasing popularity and have been shown to be more efficient means of propulsion.
CONSTANT WEIGHT (without fins) (CW)
This is arguably the most athletic of all freediving disciplines. The diver must complete the dive without the use of fins or by pulling on a rope. The technique employed is usually a form of breaststroke action – pulling with the arms and kicking with the legs. As with constant weight and free immersion, the freediver cannot change his ballast during the dive.
VARIABLE WEIGHT
In the discipline known as variable weight the freediver descends feet first on a weighted sled which runs along a rope. In the past freedivers would descend head first, but modern day freedivers choose to descend feet first because this makes the process of equalisation easier. On reaching the target depth the freediver must return to the surface by finning and/or pulling along the line. Freedivers usually wear thick neoprene suits (7-9mm) to give extra buoyancy which makes the ascent easier. This discipline requires excellent equalisation and breath-holding ability.
NO-LIMITS
No-limits freediving is the most spectacular form of freediving and attracts the most press coverage due to the extreme depths and risks involved. In this discipline the freediver descends feet first on a weighted sled which runs along a rope. The sled incorporates a scuba air cylinder and a large air bag. On reaching the target depth the freediver inflates the air bag with air from the cylinder, which then rushes to the surface, taking the freediver with it. Ascent speeds can be as high as 3-4m/s and can increase the possibility of the freediver suffering from decompression illness, otherwise know as the ‘bends’. To reduce the risk of such problems the freediver will usually let the air bag go at around 20-30m and complete the remainder of the ascent slowly by finning or pulling the rope. No-limits is demanding in terms of mental control and equalisation but less so in terms of breath-holding ability because no-limits freedivers are mostly static during the dive, which usually last around 3 minutes.
(Courtesy of the BFA)
