Is Freediving an Art or a Science?
First of all, “What is Freediving?” And how is it different than scuba diving or snorkeling?
Here, I will paint the picture of the entire world of Freediving for you. What sets it apart from other disciplines and why everyone should experience the beautiful underwater and inner potential that freediving can unlock for you.
If freediving is an art, then you are the brush, and the ocean your canvas. What sets freediving apart from snorkel and scuba diving, and other sports at large; is its unique combination of aspects from those aquatic disciplines, the dynamism of sport, and the focus on interoception, tranquility, and the breath . Along with a long list of its own unique contours, systems, and settings. First of all. Freediving is a sport. And a sport unlike any other in the world.
In freediving, you have to surrender. To the oceans immensity. To the body. To the breath. You have to learn to allow yourself to be swallowed by the deep. Caressed by the pressure. And ultimately sent back, by the same depths that took you in.
Freediving can be the single most intimate and beautiful way to experience the ocean blue. Are you excited yet?
In freediving, we use no additional oxygen tanks. We use no motors. Only the human body to propel ourselves to depths never imaginable by science. We have 4 main ways, in which we as freedivers move through the water.
Disciplines:
Free Immersion : This is a discipline in which the diver will pull themselves along a tight training line. The diver will glide gracefully through the water by using the muscles of the arms and back to pull themselves along the rope. All the way down and all the way back up. With the exception of the phenomenally mesmerizing “freefall”. Which we will discuss later.
Bi-Fins : In this discipline, we will have the assistance of our beautiful bi-fins. Making this technique all about the legs. We will primarily use the quads and anterior muscles of the legs and abdominals in the front kick; and the hamstrings calves, and glutes in the back kick. In Free Immersion, you may feel like an astronaut at depth; but in Bi-Fins, you will feel truly aquatic.
Mono-Fin : Now the Mono-fin is where we as humans truly get a glimpse into the exteroception of what it might be like to move as some of our fellow mammalian brothers and sisters. The cetaceans. These include our majestic cousins; the whales, dolphins, and porpoises of the world. In this discipline you will need immense coordination, flexibility, and rhythm. And once combined, be prepared for the most power, grace, and speed you will ever know under the blue.
No-Fins : The name of this discipline says it all here. No fins. No rope. No gear. Nothing. Nothing but the humans purest capabilities in the water. In No-Fins we combine a immensely powerful arm pull, with a perfectly timed and subtle kick with the legs. This discipline will humble you and also bring to light just how much aquatic potential the human form contains within itself.
The Breath:
In freediving. You will learn to bring an awareness to the breath. An awareness to the parasympathetic nervous system. You will learn to engage with the breath in such a way that you can take with you a sense of calm, a sense of stillness, that you never knew was possible. All the while maintaining a level of physical dynamism. An intoxicating combination. This focus on the breath is an immensely powerful variable that distinguishes freediving from other physical disciplines. And unlike our aquatic neighbors, the scuba divers. We as freedivers do not have to pause and wait at any depths to avoid decompression sickness. With just a single breath of air, their is no where near enough nitrogen to build in the blood; giving to us as freedivers the gift of complete mobility and freedom of movement throughout the deepest depths of the sea.
Now, if you are like me, you may be thinking that freediving sounds like the most captivatingly beautiful discipline on the planet. And it is. And what I have described to you so far, is the art of freediving. But freediving is also a science. A discipline of precision and metrics. A mathematical symphony of variables that, once understood, open the doors to the deep for us in an extraordinarily balanced and orderly manner.
Equalization:
You might think the most important variable for a freediver is their breath hold capabilities. Or, maybe their Olympic level of lactic acid tolerance. Or perhaps their unique combination of strength and endurance. And while those aspect of the sport are incredibly important. The most critical skill in a freedivers arsenal is their ability to equalize.
Okay, equalize what? And equalize when? And where? And what even is equalization in the first place? Remember as a kid, when, if you were brave enough, you attempted to swim to the very bottom of the deep end pool? Do you remember feeling a pressure or even a pain start to build in your ears?
This is because, as we as humans descend deeper into water, the inner canal of our ear (called the eustation tube) starts to become compressed due to the increasing water pressure. This compression starts to create a vacuum effect in the eustation tube that starts to pull our delicate eardrums inwards, toward the vacuum that has been created.
Confused yet? Don’t be. While helpful, an anatomical understanding of equalization is not necessary. And, you will find that once it clicks, it comes very naturally.
Simply put. Once we begin to feel that very slight vacuum start to build in our inner ear canal, we simply send air from our oral cavity into our euastation tubes with the famous method called, equalization. This neutralizes and relieves the pressure for us and this simple process is what allows freedivers to smoothly dive down over 140 meters. Over 500 feet into the mysterious depths of the blue. All the while keep their ears safe and secure.
Depth:
In freediving, we do not knock down the door to the deep and sprint inside. We gently open the door, and gracefully glide into the deep. All the while listening to the conversation between our bodies and the immensity of the blue body that is our ocean.
The physics of the ocean has tremendous effects on our bodies. And once you learn to recognize and understand these, you can lean into them; unlocking the unimaginable aquatic potential within you.
When training, we will always be diving on a training line. That is set each and every dive to the exact decimal point of depth that we as instructors need for your success. We can keep track of speed on the descent, ascent, and will always be calculating your rest intervals between dives as well.
But let us, your instructors, worry about all the science and metrics. At least at first. Freediving, while potentially fun to gamify and progress in as a sport, is truly the most awe inspiring way towards complete union with the unfathomable magnitude and magnanimity of our magnificent Blue Planet.
Our ocean gives so much. And we are so tremendously lucky to receive. To quote one of the greatest freedivers in any generation, Natalia Molchanov. “If you are in a hurry, you never experience the harmony and immensity of the ocean around you.”