4th Aug 2017

Freediving as a sport

A lot of onlookers may ask, “Why go free diving when you’ll have a hard time holding your breath underwater?”

Why indeed are some people putting themselves at risk when they can breathe easier with a scuba diving apparatus? They can also stay longer in the water instead of surfacing from time to time just to get air, which cuts the underwater experience short.

But, those who ask are missing the point! Part of the fun in free diving is being able to feel the experience of underwater creatures – most freedivers feel at one with the water world – almost exactly as how sea creatures feel it. By being free from any diving gear, freedivers get that exhilarating experience. And the fact that they have to come up for air makes it more exciting!


So what is free diving?

In a nutshell, it is a type of underwater diving with divers not using any equipment or gear and largely depending on their capacity to hold their breath while submerged under the water. So the longer they can hold their breath, the longer they’ll be able to stay down and enjoy the activity.


How dangerous (or safe) is freediving?

As with any form of underwater activity, there is always a level of risk involved. But if you follow all the basic guidelines and learn all you can before doing it, you’ll be safe. That’s why it is always recommended to undergo the proper training first before going out into the water to freedive. 

Self-learning may also give you the ropes but it will take you way longer compared to having a formal training with an experienced freediving instructor. Formal training for two days may actually be enough already to give you the knowledge needed to go freediving safely.


Freediving as a sport

It was primarily used as a way to gather food and other resources until some ‘crazies’ started competing against each other during the 1960’s. These pioneers such as Bob Croft, Jacques Mayol, and Enzo Maiorca to name a few were considered ‘crazy’ before but they’re actually the trailblazers who paved the way to modern freediving which became a sport as we know it today.

Although there are currently various competitive disciplines, a lot of people simply do it for recreation. Aside from being a healthy activity, it also teaches us relaxation and breathing techniques that can be applied to stressful situations that we face every day.