WHAT IS THE FUSS ALL ABOUT?
FREEDIVING
APNEA
BREATH HOLD DIVING
History
Freediving is the oldest and original form of diving. The beginning goes back to ancient times, when it was used to gather food, harvest resources such as sponge and pearl, reclaim sunken valuables, and to help aid military campaigns.
In Ancient Greece, both Plato and Homer mention the sponge as being used for bathing. The island of Kalymnos was a main centre of diving for sponges. Breath-holding divers would descend to depths up to 30 metres (98 ft) to collect sponges. Harvesting of red coral was also done by divers.
Since maritime trade has a huge tradition in the Mediterranean divers were often hired to salvage whatever they could from the shipwrecks. Divers would swim down to the wreck and choose the most valuable pieces to salvage.
This is how we call what we do. All these names mean the same thing. We take a deep breath, hold it and dive. No breathing apparatus, no scuba gear.
Principles
Technically, freediving is an advanced level of snorkeling. The key point of freediving is relaxation. When we are relaxed, our body is burning less oxygen and we can stay longer holding our breath. It is a kind of a mediation underwater.
Moreover, we have the same adaptation like dolphins, whales, seals and other marine mammals. It's called mammalian dive reflex and it does actual physiological changes in our system in order to hold our breath longer.
Compared to scuba diving, freediving gives us incredible freedom. We are lighter, more agile, faster.
Disciplines
Freediving has 8 main disciplines.
Three of them them are pool disciplines:
STATIC APNOE (STA) - We hold our breath doig nothing, just floating on the surface
DYNAMIC APNOE WITH FINS (DYN) - we swim underwater as far as possible with long freediving fins or a monofin
DYNAMIC APNOE WITHOUT FINS (DNF) - we swim underwater as far as possible without fins
The rest are depth disciplines:
FREE IMMERSION (FIM)- we pull the rope down to the target depth and back to the surface
CONSTANT WEIGHT (CWT) - we dive to the targeted depth following a guide line with long freediving fins or a monofin. The line is only a guide and only a single hold of the rope to stop the descent and start the ascent is permitted.
CONSTANT WEIGHT WITHOUT FINS (CNF) - considered as hardest discipline as we dive to the targeted depth following a guide line without fins. The line is only a guide and only a single hold of the rope to stop the descent and start the ascent is permitted.
VARIABLE WEIGHT (VWT) - Descent is assisted by a weighted sled sliding down a line, ascent by pulling up along the line or swimming with or without fins
NO LIMITS (NLT) - everything is allowed however still on breath-hold. Mostly we use a weighted sled to descend and an inflatable bag to ascend.
The disciplines can be done both in competition and as a record attempt, with the exception of Variable Weight and No limits, which are both solely for record attempts.
