Freediving basics and techniques. Freediving - what is it? Freediving

You can be underwater without oxygen for quite a long time. This is proven by the amazing records of freedivers.

Freediving: dive record

System record AIDA in the discipline of constant weight without fins (immersion in water and lifting only thanks to muscles) in 2010, the representative of New Zealand, William Trubridge, established it. The depth of his dive was 101 meters.

Constant weight discipline

The same as the previous type of freediving, only the athlete uses. In this discipline, in 2009, the record among women was set by Russian Natalya Molchanova - 101 meters. And among men, the record holder for a long time was the Austrian Herbert Nietzsch (123 meters), but in 2013 his record was broken.

Dynamics without fins- competitions held in the pool. A freediver swims underwater using only muscle power. Record holders are David Mullins from New Zealand (218 m) and Natalya Molchanova from Russia (160 m).

By the way, Natalia is a record holder in the following discipline - dynamics in fins. Among men, Goran Golak is considered the best.

Apnea in static conditions– a discipline where the duration of breath holding is measured. The best result among men was achieved in 2009. Frenchman Stephane Mifsud spent 11 minutes 35 seconds without oxygen. Among women, Natalya Molchanova became the best. First, she set the record in 2009, and then in 2013 she broke it herself.

Free dive. Among women, the record holder remains unchanged. And among men in 2011, William Trabridge from New Zealand (121 m.) established.

Variable weight(immersion in water with the help of an additional load, and surfacing with the help of muscles or a cable). Among men in 2009, the record holder was Austrian Herbert Nitzsch (142m), and among women in 2012, Russian resident Natalya Molchanova (127m)

No limits. The record holder among men is Herbert Nitzsch (Austria) – 214 m in 2007. Among women - American Tanya Streeter - 160m, 2002.

Freediving: records 2014

In 2013, the AIDA World Championships were held in Serbia. He gave the world new world records. Russian Natalya Molchanova became the best in several disciplines at once - long diving without fins (182 m), dynamics with fins (234 m), constant weight without fins (69 m), apnea in statics (9 min. 2 sec.).

The men also set new records. The best in disciplines " long diving with fins" And " without fins» became the representative of Croatia Goran Golak (281m. and 206m.). In the latter discipline, Alexey Molchanov set a new record for Russia (195m).

Charming Frenchman Guillaume Nery talks about the exciting world of freediving. He is a world champion and is in love with this sport.

reference Information

Freediving (from the English free - freely and the English dive - dive) - scuba diving while holding your breath (apnea). This earliest form of scuba diving is still practiced today for both sporting and commercial purposes.

Physiology of freediving

Like other mammals, humans are subject to the diving reflex when immersed in water. In this case, laryngospasm, bradycardia, vasoconstriction and blood shift are observed. These phenomena are caused by stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system and are aimed at preserving the functions of the most important systems of the body during apnea.

Bradycardia is a decreased heart rate. It is usually below 55 beats per minute. With bradycardia, the diver’s body does not receive enough oxygen and essential nutrients to function properly.

Vasoconstriction (vasoconstrictio; vaso- + lat. constrictio contraction, narrowing) - narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels, especially arteries. This vascular reaction occurs in response to stimulation of the vasomotor center of the medulla oblongata, from which a signal is then sent to the vessels to contract the muscular walls of the arteries, resulting in an increase in blood pressure.

The blood shift effect is observed at diving depths greater than that at which the diver's lungs, under the influence of external pressure, are reduced to the volume of maximum exhalation. The blood shift consists of the flow of blood from the peripheral areas of the body to the central ones, especially into the capillaries of the pulmonary alveoli. In this way, the blood keeps the lungs from compressing under high water pressure, allowing diving to depths well in excess of 40 meters (the theoretical limit without blood shift).

Immersion of the face in water reflexively causes laryngospasm, which prevents inhalation of water. It is this reflex that allows those who suddenly lose consciousness in water not to choke immediately (however, after some time, their laryngospasm usually weakens and water still penetrates into the lungs).

00:12
(Video) Commentator: 10 seconds. Five, four, three, two, one. Official maximum. Plus one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Guillaume Nery, France. Constant weight, 123 meters, 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Attempt to set a national record. 70 meters. 40 meters.

02:20
(Applause)

02:23
(Video) Referee: White card. Guillaume Nery! National record!

02:28
Guillaume Nery: Thank you.

03:10
Let's start with the last breath. (Inhales) (Exhales) You notice that this last breath is slow, deep and tense. At the end of the inhalation, a special technique is used - “packing”, which allows me to make a supply of an additional liter or two of air in my lungs by compressing it. I leave the surface with about 10 liters of air in my lungs. As soon as I go under water, the first mechanism turns on - the diving reflex. First of all, this reflex causes the heart rate to slow down. My heart rate would drop from 60-70 bpm to around 30-40 bpm in seconds, almost instantly.

04:06
This reflex then causes peripheral vasoconstriction, meaning blood flows away from the extremities of the body to supply the most important organs: the lungs, heart and brain. This is a natural mechanism. I can't control him. When you dive, even if you’ve never done it before, you immediately feel how this reflex works. This is common to all people. And what’s amazing is that this instinct is common between us and marine mammals, all marine mammals: dolphins, whales, sea lions and others. When they go deeper into the ocean, these mechanisms are activated, but to a much greater extent. And for them it works, of course, much better. This is incredible.

04:56
As soon as I go underwater, nature pushes me in the right direction, allowing me to dive confidently.

05:02
As you deepen into the abyss of the sea, the pressure begins to slowly squeeze your lungs. And since it is the volume of air in my lungs that allows me to float, the deeper I swim, the more my lungs are compressed, the less air there is in them and the easier it is to move deeper. At some point, at a depth of about 35–40 meters, I don’t even need to swim. My body is dense and heavy enough to fall into the abyss without effort. So I enter a phase called free fall. Free falling is the best part of the dive. This is why I still do it. Because you feel as if you are being pulled down, but you don’t need to do anything. I can dive from 35 to 123 meters without making a single movement. I let the depth pull me down, and it feels like I'm flying underwater. This is a truly extraordinary feeling, an amazing feeling of freedom.

05:55
I slowly continue to slide towards the bottom. 40 metro deep, 50 meters. And at a depth between 50 and 60 meters, the second physiological reaction is activated. The air in the lungs reaches a level of residual volume, below which, in theory, compression of the lungs is unacceptable. This second reaction is called blood shift, or "pulmonary erection" in French. I like "blood shift" better.

06:22
(Laughter)

06:23
What happens during a blood shift? The capillaries in the lungs fill with blood, which is caused by a decrease in pressure, due to which the lungs become denser and protect the sternum from compression. This also protects the opposite walls of the lungs from destruction, sticking together, and sagging. Thanks to this phenomenon, again characteristic of marine mammals, I can continue diving.

06:48
60, 70 meters deep - I continue to fall faster and faster, as the pressure compresses my body more and more. Below 80 meters the pressure becomes much stronger, and I physically begin to feel it on myself. I'm starting to feel like I'm suffocating. You see how it looks - it's not very pretty. The diaphragm has completely collapsed, the chest is compressed, and something is also happening in the head.

07:13
Maybe you're thinking, “That looks sad. How he does it?" If I relied on my land reflexes... What do we do above water when a problem arises? We resist, we overcome. We are fighting. This doesn't work underwater. If you do the same underwater, you can rupture your lungs, vomit blood or edema, and you will have to stop diving for quite a long time. So you should remind yourself that nature and the elements are stronger than you.

07:41
So I let the water squeeze me. I accept the pressure and deal with it. Then my body receives this information and my lungs relax. I turn off control and completely relax. The pressure is breaking me, but I don't feel bad about it. I even feel like I’m inside a cocoon, protected.

08:02
And the dive continues. 80, 85 meters deep, 90, 100. 100 meters is the magic number. In every sport it is magical. For swimmers and athletes, as well as for us freedivers, this is the number everyone dreams of. Everyone dreams that one day they will be able to reach 100 meters. For us, this number is also symbolic, since in the 1970s, doctors and physiologists carried out their calculations and decided that the human body would not withstand a depth of more than 100 meters. Below this mark, in their opinion, the body will undergo implosion. And then the Frenchman Jacques Mayol - you all know him as the hero of the film “The Blue Abyss” - took it and dived to a depth of more than 100 meters. He even dived to 105 meters. At the time, he was diving in the “no limits” category with weights for a quick dive and an inflatable balloon for a quick rise, just like in the movies. Today we dive to 200 meters in freediving without restrictions. I can dive 123 meters using only muscle power. And partly all this is possible thanks to him, because he challenged the generally known facts and, with a slight movement of his hand, “shook off” theoretical beliefs and all the psychological restrictions that we so love to impose on ourselves. He showed us that our body has an infinite ability to adapt.

09:12
So I continue my dive. 105, 110, 115 meters. The bottom is getting closer. 120 meters, 123 meters. I'm at the bottom.

09:21
And here I ask you to join me and put yourself in my place. Close your eyes. Imagine that you have reached 123 meters. The surface is so far away. You are alone. There is almost no light around. It's cold, incredibly cold. You are crushed by pressure 13 times stronger than on the surface. I know what you're thinking: “What a nightmare! What am I doing here? This is madness!" But no. When I'm there, in the depths, I don't think about that. When I'm at the bottom, I feel good. I am covered with an extraordinary feeling of comfort. Maybe because I let go of all the tension and allowed myself to relax. I feel great and I don't feel the need to breathe.

10:16
Although, you must admit, I have something to worry about. I feel like a tiny dot, a drop of water in the middle of the ocean. And every time the same picture appears before my eyes. Pale blue dot. This is the point that the arrow points to. Do you know what this is? Planet Earth photographed by the Voyager spacecraft from a distance of 4 billion kilometers. On it, our house is just this small dot hanging in the void.

10:48
This is how I feel at the bottom, at a depth of 123 meters. It’s like I’m a small dot, a grain of sand, a speck of dust, somewhere in space, in emptiness, in endless space. It's an amazing feeling because when I look up, down, left, right, in front of me, behind me, I see the same thing: endless blue depth. Nowhere else on earth can you feel this - look around and see the same thing everywhere. This is amazing. And at this moment, every time I feel a feeling growing in me - a feeling of humility.

11:27
Looking at this photo, I feel humble, just like when I am at the very bottom of the sea, because I am so insignificant - a small nothingness, lost in time and space. And every time it amazes me. I decide to return to the surface because I don't belong in the depths. My place is there, on the surface.

11:47
So I start to emerge. And a certain state of shock covers me at the moment when I decide to go up. Firstly, because it takes a lot of effort to break out from the bottom to the top. It pulls you down, but the same will happen on the way up. You have to swim twice as hard. In addition, I am overcome by a new phenomenon - anesthesia. I don't know if you've heard of him. It is also called deep intoxication. This happens to scuba divers, but can also happen to freedivers. The phenomenon is caused by the dissolution of nitrogen in the blood, which causes confusion between the conscious and subconscious. A flurry of thoughts rushes through your head. They cannot be controlled, nor should they be. You just need to let them be. The more you try to control, the harder it is to do so. And then the third thing happens: the need to breathe. I’m not a fish, but a human, and the need to breathe reminds me of this. At a depth of about 60–70 meters, you begin to feel that you want to breathe. And because of everything that is happening to you, it can be easy to give in to this feeling and start to panic. When this happens, you think: “Where is the surface? I want to go upstairs. I want to breathe now.” Do not do this. Never look up at the surface - neither with your eyes nor in your thoughts. You should never imagine yourself there. You need to stay in the present moment. I look at the rope right in front of me, which leads me up. And I focus on this, on the present moment. After all, if I start thinking about the surface, I’ll start to panic. And if I panic, then it's over. So time flies faster.

13:38
And at 30 meters - salvation: I am no longer alone. The safety divers, my guardian angels, are with me now. They dive and we meet at 30 meters. And they accompany me for the last few meters, where potential problems may arise. Every time I see them, I think: “It's all thanks to you.” It is thanks to them, my team, that I am here. It brings back a sense of humility. Without my team, without the people around me, the journey to the depths would have been impossible. Traveling to the depths is, among other things, a team effort.

14:12
I'm glad to finish it with my team because I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. 20 meters, 10 meters. Lung volume slowly returns to normal. The buoyancy forces me upward. Five meters before surfacing, I begin to exhale, so that as soon as I surface, I immediately begin to breathe. And here I am on the surface. (Inhales) Air fills the lungs. It's like I'm reborn, I feel relieved. It's a pleasant feeling. And while the journey was amazing, I just needed those little oxygen molecules to fuel my body. It's an amazing experience, but also traumatic. As you can imagine, this is a shock to the body. From pitch darkness I emerge into daylight, from the almost dead silence of the depths - into the bustle and noise on the surface. From the point of view of tactile sensations, the softness and velvety of the water is replaced by the roughness of the wind on the face. In terms of smell, the air rushes into my lungs.

15:17
And then they, in turn, straighten out. They were completely flattened just 90 seconds ago, and now they are straightened out again. All this has a big impact. I need a few seconds to come to my senses. Feel it. But there is not much time for this, because the judges outside are evaluating my dive. I need to show them that I am in perfect physical condition. You saw in the video how I went through the completion protocol. On the surface, I have 15 seconds to remove the nose clip, signal like this and say: (English) “I'm fine.” You also need to speak English.

15:52
(Laughter)

15:53
Besides everything else, this too. Once the protocol is completed, the judges show me the white card and that's when the fun begins. I can finally celebrate what happened.

16:06
The journey I have described for you is an extreme version of freediving. Fortunately, it contains much more. Over the past three years, I have tried to show the other side of freediving, because the media mainly discusses competitions and records. But freediving is much more than that. It means feeling like a fish in water. It is incredibly beautiful, incredibly poetic and artistic.

16:29
My wife and I decided to make a film about it and try to show the other side of freediving and encourage people to dive. Let me show you some footage to sum up my story. This is a mix of beautiful underwater clips.

16:46
I want you to know that if one day you decide to stop breathing, you will find that when you stop breathing, you stop thinking. It calms the mind.

16:58
Today, in the 21st century, we live in such stress. Our brain is overworked, thoughts replace one another at breakneck speed, we live in constant stress. Freediving allows you to calm your mind for just a moment. By holding your breath underwater, you give yourself the chance to experience weightlessness. That is, floating under water, completely relaxing the body, letting go of all tension. Our condition in the 21st century: our back hurts, our neck hurts - everything hurts, because we are constantly worried and tense. But when you're in the water, you let yourself float as if in space. You relax completely. This feeling is amazing. You can finally reconnect with your body, mind, soul. Everything seems better, all at once.

17:48
Learning to freedive also means learning to breathe properly. We breathe from the first breath at birth until the last breath. Breathing gives rhythm to our lives. Learning how to breathe better means learning how to live better. Holding your breath underwater - not necessarily at a depth of 100 meters, even two or three - putting on swimming goggles and fins means that you can go look at another world, another universe, absolutely magical. You see small fish, algae, flora and fauna, you can see them in detail, sliding under water, looking around and returning to the surface, without leaving a trace of your presence there. It’s a delightful feeling of being one with nature in this way.

18:32
The only thing I could add: holding your breath, diving into water, meeting this underwater world - the meaning of all this is unity with yourself. Earlier in the presentation, I talked about “body memory,” which arose millions of years ago and connects us with marine animals. The day you immerse yourself in water again, hold your breath for a few seconds, will be the day you reconnect with your roots. And I guarantee you: it's absolutely amazing. I encourage you to do this.

19:03
Thank you.

Read on Zozhnik:

Water is a natural environment for our body. There is no place for panic, fears and nervousness. In water you can experience the unknown, discover the unknown within yourself and enjoy tranquility. Dialogue with the sea, sports victories and a way of meditation - all this is modern freediving. What is it, what are the features of this particular sport and the physiology of the process - this article is about it all.

Glory to cinema

Many of us learned about breath-hold diving from Luc Besson's Deep Blue saga (1988). The film is based on real events and the characters are not fictional. The confrontation between two divers - the legendary Jacques Mayol (1927-2001) and Enzo Mallorca (1931-2016) actually happened. But the film is still artistic. And in life, Jacques Mayol, author of the book “Homo Delphinus. The Dolphin Inside the Man" (1986), the "dolphin man", a keen diver who set several freediving records, committed suicide. And Enzo Mallorca, the “King of the Abyss,” ended his athlete career in 1988, suffering from serious lung barotrauma, from which he never recovered.

Extreme diving

Information for those who do not know what freediving is - swimming underwater while holding your breath (apnea). The name is derived from the English words free and dive - free and dive. Modern freediving has three directions:

Commercial - diving for income and spearfishing.
Recreational - diving for pleasure, a way of active recreation.
Sports freediving. What this is will be discussed separately.

It should be noted that freediving requires special training and mastery of special techniques. For an untrained diver, such a hobby can be extremely dangerous. That is why there are many freediving training schools where training is conducted by certified instructors.

History of freediving

What this is - that is, diving with holding your breath - people have known for quite a long time. Foraging for food and underwater hunting on the coasts of Africa, Mesopotamia, the Far East and the New World were associated with diving into the depths of the seas. Cultural phenomena of apnea divers have survived to this day - Ama divers in Japan, Badjao in the Philippines, pearl divers in Polynesia. Around the 60s of the last century, the revival of this sport began. At the same time, the World Diving Federation ratified freediver records. Numerous safety violations and medical studies about the dangers of this hobby led to the cessation of the activities of this organization. But this did not stop the freedivers; they continued diving. And die. Between 1970 and 1990 More tragic dives have been recorded than in the entire history of modern freediving.

In 1992, the International Association for the Development of Breath-Hold Diving (Association Internationale pour le developpement de l'apnee) appeared, which registered 213 freediving records and awarded more than 150 medals at world-class championships.

Sports freediving

When we talk about records and achievements, we are talking about sports diving with apnea. This means that athletes do not use any devices for breathing underwater, but rely solely on their own skills. Modern freediving is divided into disciplines carried out in the pool and in open water. When they talk about records and achievements, we are talking about the sport of freediving.

Freediving in the pool

Confined water competitions are held in the following disciplines:

Freediving in open water

The specificity of these competitions is deep diving.

CNF is the most complex type. The diver descends vertically down and rises up using only the strength of his own muscles.
CWT - diving and ascent using a monofin or fins.
FIM - free diving. The athlete goes down and up the rope.
VWT - loaded dive. The descent is made using a special cart, and it is raised using one’s own muscles.
NLT - diving without limits. The descent is carried out using a load or cart, and the ascent is carried out with any equipment of the athlete’s choice.

The last type is the most dangerous and is practiced by only five athletes in the freediving world. What is it - an athlete descends with virtually no safety net and very quickly reaches extreme depths.

Without limits - yesterday and today

This extreme competition began in 1949. Underwater photographer Raimondo Bucher (Italy) dived to a depth of 30 meters on a dare. Italian divers Enio Falco and Alberto Novelli entered the competition and crossed the depth line of 40 meters.

In 1960, Enzo Mallorca dived to a depth of 49 meters, and in 1966 he improved the result by diving to 54 meters.

The 100-meter mark was overcome by Jacques Mayol in 1983.

The modern record belongs to the Austrian freediver Herbert Nitzsch - 214 meters in the unlimited category (2007). This “deepest man in the world” set 31 records in this particular type of freediving.

What is the diver's reflex?

When a person dives to a depth of more than 50 meters, where the pressure reaches 11 atmospheres, the diver’s defense reflexes are triggered - the same as those of dolphins and whales.

Blood shift - at a certain depth, all the body’s blood flows away from the limbs, heading into the chest. This is how the body is saved from being crushed.
Bradycardia is a slow heart rate. Some divers have a heart rate of 7 beats per minute at depth. Normally it is 80 beats per minute. This way the body reduces the need for oxygen in all tissues of the body, leaving it only for the brain.

How do they feel?

What happens in a freediver’s body and what does he feel? First of all, the partial pressure of oxygen decreases, hypoxia develops. At the same time, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide increases and hypercapnia develops. Add to this “nitrogen narcosis” - the effect of high nitrogen pressure on the nervous system. As a result, some divers develop panic and fear, while others develop a state of euphoria. Both manifestations are dangerous - at depth, losing self-control means dying. Another phenomenon that awaits a diver is “negative buoyancy.” This is when the athlete no longer floats to the surface at a depth of 30 meters, but freely goes into the depths. This is the state of free flight that freedivers describe.

Athlete's equipment

The equipment is characterized by increased ergonomics and hydrodynamic properties, lighter weight and the absence of cavities with air.

Freediving for yourself

When the goal is not to set records, such freediving is called recreational. It is practiced by those who want to improve their well-being, feel their own body more fully, create their own lifestyle, and see the underwater world. There are also dives for extreme sports enthusiasts - ice diving, cave freediving, spearfishing and diving safari.

Another area of applied freediving is underwater photography and videography. A separate direction is staged underwater photos. Freediver skills in this field of activity can be useful to a photographer.

Immersion as a way of meditation

Jacques Mayol also spoke about the meditative properties of immersions. Holding your breath during freediving can become one of the elements of yoga. During immersion, a person can enter a state of relaxation, calm, and mental silence. This is meditation, and many freedivers describe such sensations.

How else will this affect the body?

Constant breath-holding training leads to positive changes in our body:

Russia is not lagging behind

Since 2005, the International Freediving Federation has been operating in our country. It was founded by the world-famous freedivers mother and son Molchanov. According to the non-profit partnership “Freediving Federation”, more than 100 thousand Russians today are passionate about this sport. Organizing freediving competitions, training certified instructors and popularizing apnea diving - this is an incomplete list of the federation’s tasks.

Russian queen of freediving

She was known more abroad than at home. This is what the Western media called Natalya Molchanova, the first woman in the world to overcome the 100-meter mark while diving into apnea. She set 42 records; in 2005, together with her son Alexei, she overcame the Blue Hall arch in Dahab, called the “divers’ cemetery” and dotted with plaques with the names of those who died in this Blue Hole. In 2013, Natalya set a world record in the discipline of static breath holding - 9 minutes and 2 seconds. She disappeared in the Mediterranean Sea (near the island of Formentera) while diving on August 2, 2015. She remains on the staff of the University of Physical Culture today, where she was a senior lecturer. Everyone who took her freediving courses remembered her as the queen of the sea and an active promoter of such a dangerous but wonderful sport.

I can't do this

This is exactly what most people think and consider freedivers to be special people. Let's try to debunk some myths associated with diving and apnea.

Freedivers are special. Even after the first lesson with an instructor, everyone can hold their breath for almost 2 minutes. With training, not only the body, but also the mind rapidly progresses. So anyone can become a freediver.
Apnea diving is dangerous. There have been no deaths at official competitions over the past 20 years. Although there were losses of consciousness during the ascent. Life is generally dangerous. And freediving is no exception. The main thing here is not to dive alone and follow safety rules.
To freedive you need to be a good swimmer. Is not a fact. For many professional swimmers, competitiveness prevents them from achieving the harmony and focus needed during breath-hold dives.
No deeper than 15 meters - that's the only depth for me. Many people set such restrictions for themselves, but novice freedivers quickly forget about them. Competition and excitement are still in our human nature.

Despite its thousands of years of existence, freediving has become relatively well-known and widespread only recently. Having emerged as a kind of coastal gathering and hunting, it remained until approximately the period of the Great Geographical Discoveries as practically the only opportunity known and accessible to man to operate under water. But since the 15th century. Maritime powers began to grow and compete with each other, and the development of navigation, trade and the increasing frequency of naval battles increased the number of sunken ships. To save their valuable cargo and equipment, they had to work for a long time at depth. The progenitor of the spacesuit was invented - the diving bell, which clearly separated divers breathing under water from freedivers.

After the invention of the diving bell, attempts to expand human capabilities under water began to be directed primarily at improving breathing devices. Breath-hold diving remained until the mid-twentieth century. just part of the fishing industry. Only during World War II did combat swimmers gain some fame - for example, the Italian “frog people” - regular units systematically trained for mobile actions in and under water without heavy breathing equipment. At the same time, Jacques-Yves Cousteau developed scuba gear. It was probably from then on that the popularity of scuba diving and sporting interest in it began to grow.

A real breakthrough of freediving into the mass consciousness was in 1988 the cult film by Luc Besson “Abyss Blue”, based on the sports competition and personal friendship of Jacques Maillol with Enzo Mallorca. Before this film, underwater sports were rarely thought of without scuba gear, and there were very few specialist freedivers.

Women's freediving reached by the 1980s. significant development. 30-meter depth back in the 1960s. British Evelyn Patterson and Italian Giliana Treleani mastered it, and the latter’s compatriots, Francesca Borra and Hedy Rössler, began practicing apnea with constant weight even earlier than men (the first of whom was Stefano Macula in 1978). But women’s competitions began to enjoy real success only after the records , established in the late 1970s by the daughters of Enzo Mallorca. In 1989, Italian Angela Bandini dived to 107 m, using the now classic cart (trace) of Jacques Maillol and surpassing his last record by 2 meters.

Maillol and Mallorca fell off the record podium in the 1980s, giving way to Italian Umberto Pellizzari and Cuban Francisco Rodriguez (better known as Ferreras or "Pipin"). In the 1990s, they raced side by side in the "no limit" category - up to the 130 m limit, after which the need arose to modernize the tracks.

If in the 1960s. freediving records were recorded at the international level by the World Confederation of Underwater Activities (CMAS), then in 1970 it refused to consider further diving depth competitions as a sport and to supervise them, citing medical prohibitions and safety violations. The competition, which continued, nevertheless, allowed us to expand our understanding of the capabilities of the human body, although it led to a number of accidents. Only in 1992, the international freediving association AIDA (since 1999 - AIDA International) was founded in Nice to register records, organize competitions and develop standards for training apneists. By 1995, a confrontation between the CMAS and AIDA organizations had matured, with the first trying to regain the monopoly of judging freediving competitions, and the second opposing this with alternative rules and evaluation criteria.

In October 1996, the first AIDA World Freediving Championships took place in Nice. Only a few countries took part in it, but just 2 years later, at the 2nd championship in Sardinia, there were already 28 of them. Then many new freediving disciplines were proposed, most of which remained unrecognized.

In 1999, Umberto Pelizzari reached 150 meters in apnea without restrictions, and 80 meters with constant weight. But in 2003, American Tanya Streeter surpassed him in diving without restrictions by 10 meters.

The third AIDA World Team Championship was held in 2001 in Ibiza. Austrian Herbert Nitsch set a new record: 86 m with constant weight. Pelizzari then announced that he would retire from the sport, making one last record attempt. In it he reached 131 m in apnea with variable weight.

In 2006, freediving again became the focus of media attention. American illusionist and stuntman David Blaine, having spent 7 days in a row handcuffed in a water-filled ball, intended to break Tom Sietas' record for static apnea (8 minutes 58 seconds) at the end of this trick. In front of thousands of witnesses and millions of television viewers, Blaine held his breath, but after 7 minutes 8 seconds he lost consciousness; Rescuers had to intervene.

Increased requirements for hydrodynamics and internal volume of freediving masks exclude the use of wide panoramic glasses that are far from the eyes, and viewing angles are traditionally considered smaller than in snorkel masks. Modern technologies compensate for this disadvantage by bringing the glasses closer to the eyes and without using gaskets between the glasses and the rigid frame of the mask.

There are other technical solutions to the problem of vision underwater. There are contact lenses that cover the entire eye and take into account the refractive index of light in water, but they are relatively expensive. A simpler solution is the so-called liquid freediving glasses, which contain a cavity between the eye and the refractive index-correcting lens that is filled with water during a dive. Both systems do not require pressurization, saving air, and allow the freediver's hands to be completely free.

Tubes

Breathing tube for freediving

Independent studies require significant responsibility, attentiveness and caution. Unacceptable overloads can lead to loss of consciousness (blackout), various injuries and irreversible consequences for the freediver’s body. Therefore, you cannot train apnea in water without supervision (especially at the limit of your capabilities), sharply increase loads, ignore the compensatory capabilities of the body, and especially the general contraindications to freediving. The latter include diseases and defects of the heart and lungs, chronic forms of sinusitis and otitis, Meniere's disease, any mental disorders, glaucoma, visual and cerebral circulation disorders, intracranial hypertension.

Main risks and injuries when freediving

Nitrogen narcosis

High pressure at depth causes oversaturation of the blood with air from the lungs. Some of its components, being harmless at normal atmospheric pressure, have a toxic effect in high concentrations. Thus, nitrogen poisoning first manifests itself in growing excitement and euphoria (or fear) against the background of dizziness, memory impairment, decreased performance and intelligence. As it progresses, it can lead to disturbances in logical thinking and coordination, loss of appropriate behavior and judgment, tunnel vision and hallucinations. Nitrogen narcosis can already be observed at depths of about 30 m, and the exact threshold of occurrence depends on the athlete’s training, his health, the degree of fatigue, the effect of drugs and other factors. Poisoning, as a rule, goes away without a trace when the victim returns to the surface.

Dental barotrauma

Ear barotrauma

Increasing water pressure during immersion causes pain in the ears, and then perforation (rupture) of the eardrums if no air purging is done. A ruptured eardrum usually heals on its own within a few weeks, but complications that require serious treatment are also possible. In addition, through a damaged membrane, an ear infection is possible, followed by otitis media, which in severe cases can lead to hearing impairment and even loss.

To prevent these phenomena, purging with the Valsalva maneuver is most often used. The structure of the Eustachian tubes is such that an excessive difference in pressure between the water outside and the air inside the ear can block them and make blowing impossible. Therefore, it is best to vent before ear pain appears. If purging fails, you must stop diving and surface before trying again.

When ascending and decreasing water pressure, the Eustachian tubes, as a rule, open on their own, having wide openings on the bone base on the side of the ear, so purging is no longer required. In exceptional cases (“reverse block”) it is necessary to slow down or pause the ascent to allow the pressures to equalize.

Barotrauma of the cranial sinuses

The pressure difference also affects the maxillary and frontal sinuses. These intracranial cavities communicate with the nasopharynx. If the communication is disrupted (which happens during various diseases, allergies, pathologies or due to smoking), then when diving, low pressure remains in the sinuses, as on the surface of water. At depth, it forcefully pulls their mucous membranes inside the sinuses, injuring the latter and reducing resistance to infections. A freediver feels poor passage of the passages between the sinuses and the nasopharynx, usually as a dull pressure over the bridge of the nose or under the eyes during a dive or ascent. To prevent such barotraumas, it is recommended not to dive if you have a runny nose or other inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx.

Hypoxic loss of consciousness

This phenomenon is caused by the development of an acute hypoxic state due to a decrease in the oxygen content in the brain tissue to a critical level.

When diving, due to the compression of the lungs and the increase in pressure in them, the blood is saturated with a larger amount of gases than when breathing on the surface, and this amount is proportional to the depth of the dive. During ascent, the hypoxic load increases especially quickly due to the expansion of the lungs, the partial pressure of oxygen in which decreases. If it turns out to be lower in the lungs than in the blood, then according to Henry’s law, the reverse process of the transition of oxygen from the blood to the air of the lungs begins. This occurs most intensely in the last 10 meters of ascent, where lung volume doubles. When the oxygen content in the blood is sufficiently low, hypoxic loss of consciousness occurs.

To prevent such a development of events, you should not linger at great depths to the limit, when ascending, throw your head far back (this can further impede the blood supply to the brain), and exhale too sharply on the surface.

In addition, many freedivers practice hyperventilation before diving, long swimming, or static swimming. If carried out too intensely, it can also cause loss of consciousness during apnea. The urge to inhale is caused not by a lack of oxygen, but by an excess of carbon dioxide in the blood. During hyperventilation, the oxygen content in the blood increases insignificantly, but carbon dioxide is eliminated effectively. Therefore, although hyperventilation helps delay the urge to inhale, it almost does not prolong the ability not to breathe. Thus, at the end of a long apnea, the oxygen in the blood may be low, but the freediver does not feel this and suddenly loses consciousness without inhaling in time.

Decompression sickness

The essence of what is happening during decompression sickness can be seen by opening a bottle of sparkling water: when the external pressure drops sharply, the liquid begins to release the gases dissolved in it in the form of bubbles. The same thing happens in the blood of a diver who quickly emerges from great depths. Bubbles disrupt blood flow in the vessels and have a destructive effect directly on the tissue. Characteristic symptoms in a mild form may include itching and pain in muscles and joints, swelling of the skin and bruising. Severe forms lead to irreversible changes in tissues, in the brain and spinal cord, paralysis and even death. Freedivers are little susceptible to these phenomena, since they dive relatively briefly, shallowly and do not breathe compressed air underwater, supersaturating the blood with gases. However, it is possible that a series of frequent dives to tens of meters can cause characteristic symptoms in them. .

Face crimp

When diving, the water pressure increases, but the air pressure inside the mask remains equal to atmospheric pressure. In other words, the pressure inside the mask decreases relative to the external pressure, so the mask sticks to the face more and more tightly. When there is a significant difference in pressure, capillaries in the eyes and in the skin under the mask burst, causing hematomas. To prevent such injuries, when diving, you should exhale slightly through your nose into the mask as soon as its pressure becomes painful. It is because of this phenomenon that ordinary, windproof swimming goggles are unsuitable for deep diving.

"Samba"

Constant Weight (CWT)

Dynamics without fins (DNF)

Dynamics in fins (DYN)

Static apnea (STA)

Free Immersion (FIM)

Variable Weight (VWT)

No Limits (NLT)

According to CMAS

Square (Apnea Jump Blue)

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If you want to know what freediving is, read our article.

Freediving is a special type of deep diving while holding your breath.. Through the use of special techniques, the freediver uses his physiological resources to extract the maximum possible from the dive.

Appearing many centuries ago as a result, rather, of the need for diving, today freediving is recognized as a sport, a hobby, and even a special philosophy of life. What do you know about this activity?

Freediving is a sport with a rich history

Freediving is such an ancient activity that it is impossible to say exactly when it appeared. It is known that in ancient Greece, warriors dived with breath holding without scuba gear to commit sabotage on enemy ships. In Japan, there were divers who made a living by catching pearls.

Even today, in different parts of the planet, there are still peoples who have preserved ancient customs that have become their cultural characteristics. Some do this for the purpose of entertaining tourists, while others pursue certain everyday goals. For example, in the Philippines there are still “sea gypsies” (bajao), in Polynesia there are pearl divers, in Japan there are “people of the sea” (Ama divers).

Freediving depth records

The term “freediving” itself appeared in the 20th century thanks to Raymond Boucher . He owns the very first freediving record for depth - 30 meters. He installed it in 1949. It is not at all surprising that athletes soon appeared who wanted to surpass this result. And there are those who have begun to succeed.

Later Alberto Novelli and Ennio Falco break Boucher's record, setting a new limit of 40 meters . In 1960, it was overcome by Enzo Mallorca, who managed to dive to a depth of 49 meters. Six years later he demonstrated his improved skills by reaching 54 metres.

Amazingly, in the same 1966, the Frenchman Jacques Paul broke the Mallorcan record, descending to a depth of 100 m. Thus, he debunked the myth that at a depth of over 50 meters, the human chest would simply be crushed by the water column.

Varieties of freediving

There are three main types of freediving:

Amateur (recreational). It is practiced by those who simply love the underwater world and its beauty, diving to depths.
Sports. Its purpose is to practice in order to achieve new records and participate in competitions. Freediver athletes constantly train, pass standards, and receive qualifications.
Commercial. This type of freediving is characterized by the fact that it is aimed at earning money or some other benefit. This includes divers descending to the depths for seafood (pearls, shells, corals, etc.); instructors teaching freediving; guides for divers, etc.

There are several disciplines in freediving. They can all be divided into two main groups – those practiced in the pool, and those practiced in open water.

Among those disciplines that are carried out in the pool are:

STA (swimmer holds his breath while lying on his back underwater);
DNF (dive and move forward without using fins);
DYN (in terms of execution technique it corresponds to DNF, the only difference is that in this case monofins or ordinary fins are used).

Freediving in open water is also represented by separate disciplines:

CNF - freediver dives to depth without fins;
CWT - the same as the previous option, only diving occurs with fins;
FIM - the dive is performed using a cable, and when lifting, the freediver uses exclusively the strength of his own hands;
VWT – the diver dives with a weight (weight);
NLT - there are no special restrictions in this discipline (the freediver dives and swims as he wishes).

In relatively large cities there are clubs where freediving is taught to beginners. Anyone who enjoys diving, who wants to test their physiological capabilities and achieve personal records, choose this sport.

Reflexes of the body on which freediving is based

Freediving involves holding your breath while diving to depth. It is based on the following reflexes of the human body:

Laryngospasm. The human respiratory system is designed in such a way that when the face is immersed in water, inhalation is impossible. Even if a freediver loses consciousness directly underwater, he is not in danger of choking. When raising him to the surface, it is often enough to blow on his face to restore breathing.
Bradycardia. When diving under water (even just the face), the heart rate slows down. This is only possible if the person is completely calm, relaxed and has not taken caffeinated drinks or drugs shortly before the dive. There is even a world record for slowing down a freediver's heartbeat - up to 6 times per minute.
Vasoconstriction. Due to the fact that when immersed in water, blood vessels narrow, this allows you to lose as little energy and heat as possible at depth.
Blood shift. This mechanism is truly amazing, as it allows the freediver to descend to a depth of more than 100 meters! When the 40-meter mark is reached, the diver's blood begins to circulate in a small circle. This allows you to supply vital organs (brain, lungs and heart) with everything you need, while saving oxygen consumption.

The human body is amazing and, as you can see, everything is provided in it in order to make safe dives. But you shouldn’t rely solely on unconditioned reflexes. A freediver must have important skills and abilities for deep diving:

The ability to “blow through”. Performing this procedure even at shallow depths allows you to equalize the pressure inside the ear in order to prevent damage to the eardrum due to water pressure.
Physical training. The freediver's muscular system must be trained. This will help waste less energy and oxygen.
Trained respiratory system. The lungs should be filled with as much air as possible. Yogic breathing practices are well suited for this..
Swimming technique. To move faster and more energetically underwater, you need to master the correct swimming technique. The freediver learns to eliminate unnecessary movements that waste a lot of energy and oxygen.
The ability to abstract from external and internal stimuli . When diving you need to be calm, detached, relaxed. At depth there is no place for anxiety, panic, or unnecessary thoughts. All of them take away valuable energy and contribute to the rapid reduction of oxygen supply.

Features of training

For beginners, it is difficult to develop such skills on their own. Need professional help. Freediving training, conducted under the guidance of experienced trainers, will allow you to comprehend the secrets of this difficult, but so attractive science of deep diving. As a suitable school for teaching children freediving, we can suggest Natalia Levochskaya’s club; information about their freediving courses is on the website of the Baltika Kids club. It is clear that real professionals work there, including freediving.

Necessary equipment for freediving

In order to dive underwater, you will need. Not only the comfort of the freediver, but also very often his safety will depend on it.

What should a person who is preparing to dive to depths have:

Costume. It should be elastic so as not to hamper movement, and at the same time dense to protect human skin from underwater inhabitants. You need to think about purchasing special socks and a helmet (if they are not included in the ready-made costume).
Flippers. It is desirable if they consist of different levels of rigidity. This will make swimming underwater comfortable. To move as quickly as possible, it is better to choose a blade of 70-90 cm.
. They shouldn't cause discomfort. You should choose products made from high-strength and high-quality materials.
Other items. This should include a belt with weights (should be easily removable), a bright buoy with a cable (necessary for the diver to rest, and also in case of an extreme situation - for easy search by rescuers), a computer watch (for those who plan to set a record ), underwater flashlight, knife.

The health and life of a freediver may well depend on the correctly selected equipment and additional devices.

Contraindications and possible risks

Freediving is an extreme sport, so not everyone can do it.Contraindications can be divided into those that exclude any possibility of freediving, as well as those that are not strict restrictions.

Before you start freediving for the first time, you should visit a number of medical specialists : neurologist, ENT specialist, surgeon, dentist, cardiologist, ophthalmologist. They will conduct the necessary examinations and tests. And there is no need to be lazy, because not only the health, but also the life of someone who decides to take diving seriously may depend on this. Freediving will be prohibited if there is at least one of the following pathologies:

asthma;
diseases of the heart, valve, aorta;
damage to the respiratory system of a chronic or mechanical nature;
the presence of neoplasms of various origins and nature;
mental illnesses;
chronic ear diseases.

It is also worth highlighting diseases and conditions in which freediving is undesirable, but strict restrictions are not imposed:

decreased hemoglobin level;
blood diseases;
hypertonic disease;
impaired functioning of a limb or its absence at all;
diseases of internal organs that occur in a chronic form;
pregnancy;
period of menstrual bleeding;
runny nose.

Even if there are no special contraindications to freediving, but immediately before diving a person begins to feel general malaise, weakness, fatigue, then it is better to postpone the activity until the condition stabilizes.

The freediver must be prepared for the possibility that unforeseen situations may arise that could lead to injury or dangerous conditions:

Loss of consciousness due to hypoxia.
Barotrauma resulting from differences in pressure in the water column and in the human body.
Muscle failure (“samba”), developing due to oxygen starvation.
Decompression sickness. It is characterized by the formation of bubbles in the blood, preventing the organs from receiving the necessary nutrition.

It must be remembered that most freediver injuries occur due to “wrong” behavior underwater . There should be no fuss, excitement or rush. This is the only way to protect yourself as much as possible from mistakes. That's all the basic information about freediving. Now you know more about this dive.

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