What is possible with freediving?

UnderSeaBumbleBee · Sep 20, 2006

I just got certified early this year and am still getting my feet wet in scuba. I have read a couple of threads that talk about free diving which have made me curious. What is possible with freediving as far as depth and time? What are the norms for most people? What are the records for time and depth? I am also curious about how it differs in technique from scuba other than holding your breath.

Thanks,
Leah

jamiep3 · Sep 20, 2006

There was a good article in Dive Training about it in the last 3 or 4 months. Many People develop th e ability to stay down 1 - 3 minutes and I think that reaching 60' is not that hard with training.

holdingmybreath · Sep 20, 2006

records... right now it's some over 328 feet swimming down and up, and actually herbert nitsch from austria has done 357 feet... called constant ballast.. and 600' for riding a sled down and coming up with a balloon.. called no limits.. record breath hold is 9min. or a few seconds more.
for the average person, if you can equalize your ears easily and quickly, a dive to 60' should be easily attainable the first few times out if you have someone who is experienced in freediving helping you. I believe the number of people getting beyond 100' is still quite small but growing rapidly all the time as the sport is getting more and more exposure. Same with breath holds over 4minutes.. that is also getting more and more common in the freediving circles.
Freediving isn't so much about holding your breath.. as it is about being able to equalize.. a dive to 100' down and right back can be done in just over a minute.. I do it in 1:10 - !:15.. and a touch and go dive to 60' is only a 40 second or so deal. Now herberts dive to 357 feet was done in like 3min 40 some seconds I believe.. or there abouts. It's also about being able to do physical activity on a breath hold.. but like most sports.. you train for it.

UnderSeaBumbleBee · Sep 20, 2006

Thanks for the info. It sounds like something I would like to try when I get a little more in shape.

Do free divers carry any kind of bail out or pony bottle?

ApexLongimanus · Sep 20, 2006

No, they do not. Once they do it professionally, they have usually safety divers positioned at critical depths.

5ata · Sep 27, 2006

holdingmybreath:
records... right now it's some over 328 feet swimming down and up, and actually herbert nitsch from austria has done 357 feet... called constant ballast.. and 600' for riding a sled down and coming up with a balloon.. called no limits.. record breath hold is 9min. or a few seconds more.
for the average person, if you can equalize your ears easily and quickly, a dive to 60' should be easily attainable the first few times out if you have someone who is experienced in freediving helping you. I believe the number of people getting beyond 100' is still quite small but growing rapidly all the time as the sport is getting more and more exposure. Same with breath holds over 4minutes.. that is also getting more and more common in the freediving circles.
Freediving isn't so much about holding your breath.. as it is about being able to equalize.. a dive to 100' down and right back can be done in just over a minute.. I do it in 1:10 - !:15.. and a touch and go dive to 60' is only a 40 second or so deal. Now herberts dive to 357 feet was done in like 3min 40 some seconds I believe.. or there abouts. It's also about being able to do physical activity on a breath hold.. but like most sports.. you train for it.

Hey dude - Herbert isn't the winner of that record ;-)

Guillume Nery of France set the "Official" record of 109 meters

As far as training goes, as many will attest, I espouse Umberto's book "The Manual of Freediving" - I am doing the off season training program listed towards the back of the book - a combination of Micro-circuit weight training and apnea based running drills - let me tell you something - they are kicking my butt - but I am already feeling stronger... The main thing is NOT to get big into hard core cardio training - it is actually a hinderence for freediving (One study I read shows a higher incedence of SWB than those who practice acidosis - lactic acid - tolerence). Also, the ability to be relaxed is another crucial element - proper technique - as my friend Aharon Solomons says "a 1% improvement in technique will result in a 10% improvement in performance - but a 1% improvement in performance without proper technique only yields a 1% improvement in performance"

kirkryan · Sep 27, 2006

leah,

I don't train specifically for freediving and I would consider myself a novice free diver at that. I made 50' in no time flat (an afternoon) and usually go at about two minute breath holds. I don't know if that is good but I thought I would throw it out there since you wanted average people!!

Cheers!

5ata · Sep 27, 2006

I specialize in teaching recreational freediving - so my interest lies in helping interested divers to learn the proper techniques of freediving. I have trained with several well known freedive personalities, but I don't believe that teaching competitive freediving to novices is the right thing to be teaching. So my teaching philosophy is teach the student proper technique and then let them attain their goals after that - it is easier to teach someone proper technique if they haven't already established poor technique. I believe that if all a freediver ever want's to do is get to 10 meters - than there is nothing wrong with that - besides, there is alot to see at 10 meters - going deeper is just that - going deeper. I hope one day to attain 40 meters - maybe 50, but if I don't, I'm none too worried about it - "Freedive for the sheer joy of freediving" is my mantra...

JessH · Sep 27, 2006

If you are freediving and scubadiving remember to never freedive after scuba diving. I know it can be tempting but it is a great way to get bent. Just because you are no longer breathing scuba does not mean that you have offgassed all fo the nitrogen in your body. If you come up quickly from a freedive it will bubble, and quite possibly bend you.

Freediving before scubadiving on the other hand is fine.

~Jess

anakin · Oct 14, 2006

Ive hit about 80 feet without much training, its a lot of concentration on equalizing. That for me was the hardest thing. I would stick to reading that bok %ata reccomends. Its got some goodies in there.

What is possible with freediving?

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