Free-diving Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Free-diving is an aquatic sport, considered an extreme sport, in which diverss 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 162 m (531.4 feet), surpassing the previous record by 2 meters. The current woman's record is held by Tanya Streeter, who dove to 160 m (524.8 feet) on 17 August 2002. The unofficial records are held by the late Audrey Mestre (166 m), and her husband Francisco “Pipin” Ferreras (170 m). On 30 October 2004, Loic Leferme reached a depth of 171 m in the No Limits category; this new world record has yet to be ratified by AIDA, an international governing body of free-diving.
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.
- 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.
Free-diving featured heavily in the 1988 Luc Besson film Le Grand bleu (The Big Blue).
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2 Some famous free divers 3 See also 4 External links |
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
- Deborah Andollo
- Angela Bandini
- Raimondo Bucher
- Robert Croft
- Mandy-Rae Cruickshank
- Francisco "Pipin" Ferreras
- Mehgan Heaney-Grier
- Loic Leferme
- Enzo Maiorca
- Jacques Mayol
- Audrey Mestre
- Herbert Nitsch
- Umberto Pelizzari
- Americo Santarelli
- Martin Stepanek
- Tanya Streeter
- Teteke Williams
- Yasemin Dalkilic
See also
External links
- Association Internationale Pour Le Developpment De L'Apnee (AIDA)
- F.R.E.E. organization
- International Association of Free Divers
- International Association For The Development Of Freediving
This is an Article on Free-diving. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Free-diving