Freediving. You may have heard of this term. Or you may have heard of the synonyms of freediving. Which are apnea diving, free-diving, breath hold diving.
But what exactly is freediving?
Free-diving is the practice of underwater diving, that requires the diver to hold their breath and dive down underwater. Divers are meant to hold their breath till they resurface. And these breath-hold dives are done without any scuba apparatus.
So now that we are more aware of what this adventure sport is all about, it is time to get into some fun facts!
Here are 5 fascinating facts about freediving
#1 The Origin of the Name
Free-diving comes from the term apnea diving. In Greek, apnea translates to “without air.” Which is basically what this adventure sport is all about. You have told hold your breath when you dive in. And keep holding it till you resurface. So this is why free-diving is called apnea diving and this is the reason for the name.
#2 Your Heartbeat Drops by Approximately 25%
When a freediver dives to deeper depths, their heartbeat slows down. Their heartbeat sees an approximately 25% drop rate. In fact a freedivers heartbeat gets so slow that its considered slower than a coma patients heartbeat.
On land if a person had such a low heartbeat there is a high possibility they could get unconscious.
However, underwater that is not the case!
#3 Buddy Systems
Just like how scuba divers have a strong buddy system, apnea divers follow this practice too. In fact, freediving should never be attempted without a rescue buddy with you. And the reason for this is that in the event if you happen to lose consciousness, you would need your buddy to come rescue you. This is why just like in scuba diving, free-diving also holds buddy systems with utmost importance.
#4 Closer to Nature
Freediving is a very quiet adventure sport. Without the therapeutic sounds of bubbles from our scuba equipment, there is a sense of silence that is eerily calming. Because of the silent factor, apnea diving allows you to get closer to the marine world. With no bubbles in the way and an elimination of sound, marine life do not sense any danger and come closer to get a look at us!
#5 Babies are Better at Freediving
Research states that babies can very easily hold their breath for upto 30 seconds. Not just that, but instinctively, babies are prone to breast stroke and keep their eyes open in water. These instinctive skills only last till the baby learns how to walk. But this does not take away the fact that babies are naturally better freedivers than most adults are, as some adults cannot even hold their breath for that long!
So does the idea of holding your breath and diving down to deep depths fascinate you? If yes, then tune into our online workshops to learn more about the theory freediving. Head on to our Instagram and stay up to date with our online workshops! Send us a message here if you would like to know more!