Freediver Martin Stepanek has set many
freediving records throughout the world.
Freediving Basics:
The fast-growing sport of freediving continues to expand throughout the world. Freediving (another term for competitive breath holding), is a unique discipline that is drawing a lot of attention.
According to the US Apnea Association (USAA),the low impact nature of the sport is what allows athletes of all ages to participate. At the elite level world records have been set by athletes from the age of twenty to fifty and older. The impact might be low, but the elite level of the athletes is not.
Freediving at the elite level pushes the body to the very limits at a cellular level. Freediving one of the few sports where if you make an error you end up unconscious. This is why organizations like USAA follow very strict safety protocols and procedures. Safety while freediving is very important and when respected makes the sport very safe to participate in.
Here's a quick look at some of the different types of freediving competition:
- Constant Weight No Fins (CNF) tests the freediver’s ability to swim to depth and return without the use of fins while holding their breath. CNF is one of the most difficult disciplines in freediving. Athletes use a modified breast stroke technique to propel themselves to depth and back.
- Free Immersion (FIM) is the freediving discipline that requires the athlete to pull their way to depth and back using their hands to pull down and up the competition line. It is one of three self-powered depth disciplines in the sport of freediving.
- Static Apnea is performed laying face down in a pool with the athlete holding their breath as long as they can. The time is measured from submersion of the airway into the water until its exit. This is the event for time of breath hold.
- Dynamic Apnea No Fins is performed by swimming without fins in a pool with the athlete holding their breath swimming as far as they can. Distance is measured with the use of a metered tape measure. The pool must be at least twenty-five yards long for the performance to be valid.
- Dynamic Apnea is performed by swimming with fins in a pool with the athlete holding their breath swimming as far as they can. Distance is measured with the use of a metered tape measure. The pool must be at least twenty-five yards long for the performance to be valid
The USAA is a nonprofit association founded on the democratic representation of freediving within the United States and internationally. Founded in 2003, the USAA consists of an active membership dedicated to furthering freediving in the United States and abroad.
For more information about the USAA, the U.S. National Freediving Team, and membership please visit www.usfreediving.org.
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