Today's freediving champions push the boundaries of their own physical capabilities - and those of the human race. In the best-known category of this competitive sport, 'constant weight', a freediver takes a deep breath, dives under the sea as far down as possible, then swims back up to the surface for his/her next breath - without the use of any flotation aids or mechanical devices. Records are broken every few months in this sport: the current depth to beat is 126 metres.
Lack...
more »Today's freediving champions push the boundaries of their own physical capabilities - and those of the human race. In the best-known category of this competitive sport, 'constant weight', a freediver takes a deep breath, dives under the sea as far down as possible, then swims back up to the surface for his/her next breath - without the use of any flotation aids or mechanical devices. Records are broken every few months in this sport: the current depth to beat is 126 metres.
Lack of oxygen and intense water pressure at great depth mean that the dangers of blacking out and drowning, or suffering lasting lung damage, are very real. Conditions trigger physiological changes in the athlete's body that prolong survival without air underwater - but the trade-off is that a freediver goes it alone. Even if a scuba diver was on hand, a freediver couldn't simply give up and top up their oxygen. Lungs, empty of air and shrunken to a fraction their normal size, would explode. Instead, in case of problems, a series of safety divers is ready to swim the freediver in trouble back to the surface as fast as possible.
So freediving requires a paradoxical mix of the extreme courage required to push oneself to the very edge, and a profound zen-like calm and self-awareness.
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