Beginners' Guide to Freediving that Will Make You Want to Try It!

For Beginners, this guide to Freediving will give you a good start.  Freediving is growing really popular all around the world, and the Philippines are becoming a significant hub for Freediving.

Freediving – also known as breath-holding, skin diving, or apnea,  is a safe sport or activity that consists of holding your breath with your face submerged in the water. Some people also refer to it as a form of advanced snorkeling.

While freediving, you go underwater without the use of any breathing apparatus such as scuba gear. If freediving has been practiced traditionally for pearl diving or fishing for thousands of years in Japan with the Ama or in French Polynesia, nowadays, freediving activities also encompass spearfishing, underwater hockey, competitive freediving in swimming pools or in the ocean, underwater rugby or football, and underwater target shooting. 

If you are new to Freediving or have tried it but want to improve your theory, technique, or core skills, this guide to freediving can definitely help you. You can also check out the different courses and training options available on our website.

Competitive freediving, as a sport, is made of several disciplines that can be practiced in a swimming pool or in the open sea. There are officially eight competition disciplines – 4 for in the swimming pool and 4 for in the ocean – but there are also many other disciplines that people have invented for fun, exploring, or breaking records. The competitive disciplines that are also practiced in Freediving courses are:

Swimming pool:

Static (STA): Static is all about holding your breath. It is practiced by floating on the surface of the water with your face immersed and holding your breath as long as possible. The current world record in this discipline for males is 11min35s, held by Stephane Mifsud (France), and 9min02s for females is held by Natalia Molchanova (Russia). 

Dynamic (DYN): Dynamic is practiced horizontally in the swimming pool, and the goal is to swim the longest distance possible while holding your breath. Traditionally, top athletes use a monofin for this discipline, which allows them to maximize their ratio propulsion/effort. The current world record in this discipline for males is 316m, held by Mateusz Malina (Poland), and 265m for females, held by Magdalena Solich-Talanda (Poland). 

Dynamic with Bifins (DYNb): Just like Dynamic, Dynamic with Bifins is about swimming the longest distance using bifins exclusively. The current world record in this discipline for males is 256m,  held by Goran Colak (Croatia), and 236m for females, held by Christina Francone (Italy).

Dynamic without Fins (DNF): Dynamic without fins is practiced horizontally, but you must swim as far as possible without any propulsion devices (such as fins). The current world record in this discipline for males is 244m, held by Mateusz Malina (Poland), and 206m for females, held by Mirela Kardasevic (Croatia). 

Outdoor:

Free Immersion (FIM): Free immersion is one of the four depth disciplines and is practiced without fins. The freediver uses only the rope to pull himself down and up. The current world record is 126m for males, held by Alexey Molchanov (Russia), and 101m for females, held by Alessia Zecchini (Italy.)

Constant weight with Bifins (CWTb): Constant weight with bifins is the most recent of the four depth disciplines. The freediver goes down and up using only bifins as propulsion. Only flutter kicks are allowed (in opposition to dolphin kicks). The world record for males is held by Alexey Molchanov (Russia) at 118m and for females by Alice Modolo (France) at 95m.

Constant weight (CWT): In constant weight discipline, the diver goes down and up using propulsion from fins. Traditionally freedivers use a monofin and undulation technique for constant weight. It is the depth competition discipline with the deepest world record. It is held by Alexey Molchanov (Russia) for males at 131mand by Alenka Artnik (Slovenia) for females at 122m.

Constant weight without fins (CNF): In constant weight without fins, the freediver is not allowed any propulsion device or the use of the rope. The freediver goes down and up using the breaststroke technique. The world record for males is 102m, held by William Trubridge (New Zealand), and  73m for females, held by Alessia Zecchini (Italy).

After reading this guide to freediving, do you ever wonder if you are ready to learn Freediving? Watch this video, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Beyond being a sport, Freedriving offers a different experience and goal for each person. It would be interesting to find out what Freediving could mean for you. We hope this guide to freediving was able to help you.

Camotes Freediving caters to freedivers of all levels and disciplines, with world-class facilities including a 25meter swimming pool for DYN and STA training.  Calm, blue waters with more than 100 meters depth close to the shore.

Contact us for a personalized training program.