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Free-diving is an aquatic sport, considered an extreme sport, in which divers attempt to reach great depths unassisted by breathing apparatus.
The world record for the "No Limits" category of competitive free diving is held by French diver Loic Leferme. On 20 October 2002 he dove to a depth of 162m (531.4 feet), surpassing the previous record by 2 meters. The current woman's record is held by Tanya Streeter, who dove to 160m (524.8 feet) on 17 August 2002. The unofficial records are held by the late Audrey Mestre (166m), and her husband Francisco “Pipin” Ferreras (170m).
Competitive free diving is generally broken down into three categories; static, dynamic and depth.
- Static Apnea is timed breath holding and is usually attempted in a pool.
- Dynamic Apnea is underwater swimming for distance and has sub-categories for swimming with and without fins. This competition is usually held in a pool.
The depth category has four sub-sections:
- Constant Weight competition is for self-propelled maximum depth, no weights or lines are allowed. This category is also divided into sections for fins or without fins.
- Free Immersion competition is for self-propelled ascent and descent along a line and is for maximum depth.
- Variable Weight competition uses a weighted sled for descent and the diver ascends by pulling themselves up along a line.
- No Limits competition allows the diver to descend with a weighted sled and ascend with a buoyancy control device, usually an air filled bag with a tether.
Women and men's records are recognized in each category.
Free-diving featured heavily in the 1988 Luc Besson film Le Grand bleu (The Big Blue).
Physiology of Free-diving
The human body has several adaptations under diving conditions, which stem from mammalian diving reflex. These adaptations enable the human body to endure depth and lack of oxygen far beyond what one would expect. The romantic explanation is given by the anthropologists' aquatic ape theory
These are the adaptations human body have under water and high pressure.
- Bradycardia: Drop in heart pulse rate
- Vasoconstriction: Bloodvessels shrink. Bloodstream directed away from limbs for the benefit of heart, lungs and brain.
- Splenic contraction: Releasing red blood cells carrying oxygen
- Blood shift: Blood fills up bloodvessels in the lung and reduces residual volume. Without this adaptation, human lung would shrink and wrap into its walls and have permanent damage at depths below -30 meters.
Some famous free divers
See also
External links
fr:Apnée (sport)
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