Mike McGuire - Freediving Manual: Learn How to Freedive 100 Feet on a Single Breath

Know your limits, but never accept them

Introduction

E xhilaration or Zen -like calm. Both extremes are possible with the sport of freediving.

Freediving as a sport and leisure activity has been growing in popularity and for good reason. It can be the ultimate test of a mans physical stamina and mental focus or an extremely relaxing pursuit that provides yoga-like relaxation and the opportunity for deep meditation along with the feeling of being one with the beauty and majesty of the underwater environment.

Also called Apnea from the Greek for without breathing, freediving is an ancient means of fishing and gathering the riches of the sea. Today, it is simply a form of swimming which involves submersion under water without the benefit of respiration equipment. In short, freediving means staying under water as long as you can hold your breath .

Many people freedive solely for the pleasure of the sensation of weightlessness and the ease of movement. Others enjoy sharing the underwater realms with the wide variety of marine life to observe and become a part of the ever-changing scene.

On the competitive level, athletes and adrenaline junkies push themselves harder and farther in one or more of the numerous freediving disciplines. Distance, depth and total time records with and without fins are maintained and tournaments are held around the world.

Freediving is also an important aspect of other pursuits as well such as underwater photography, spearfishing, synchronized swimming and more. The techniques used for breath control and focus in freediving also benefit scuba divers and surfers whose lives depend on maintaining presence of mind and the ability to equalize pressure in underwater situations.

Without the bulk or expense of gear and equipment, freediving is a practically pure pursuit of becoming one with the natural world of the sea. That is what you can achieve when you read this book and take advantage of the many hints and suggestions regarding the preparation for and practice of freediving.

You will learn about:

Types of freediving the different disciplines

Training tips for strength, stamina and breathing

Techniques for achieving the desired depth, distance and time underwater

Safety practices and emergency response

The difference between scuba and freediving

Competitive and recreational freediving

Join us and learn about the fastest growing water sport and how you can quickly and competently reach basic proficiency for freediving in as little as a week!

Chapter 1 What is Freediving?

"Freediving is about silence...the silence that comes from within... Jacques Mayol

T he simplest explanation for freediving is that it involves holding your breath while immersed in water . Whether you are simply playing with the fish, trying to descend to depths over 200 meters, reach a particular length of time or cover a certain distance, you are involved in freediving.

Of course, there is much more to freediving than that.

The Origins of Freediving

F reediving dates back to the beginnings of man as is shown in cave paintings and in archaeological findings. As early as 7,000 years ago , primitive man used freediving techniques to harvest clams from the sea bed and around 3,500 years ago pearls were collected for jewelry. Freediving for food and the items to trade such as sponges and shells has been part of life in many cultures around the world since then. Freedivers were even employed in ancient warfare to scout for underwater obstacles that would otherwise sink a vessel, to perform acts of sabotage or to retrieve anything that could be salvaged from shipwrecks.

Even in the modern day, many ports of call see the efforts of children who freedive for coins thrown from the decks of passenger ships and in remote locations, people fish and gather like they have for centuries. They begin as young children and develop the physical abilities to hold their breath and achieve significant depths and time of submersion.

Freediving as a Competitive Sport

T he first freedive that was actually recorded occurred in water off of a Greek island where a ship had lost an anchor. An area sponge diver by the name of Haggi Statti was reputed to be the best diver around and was offered a reward to retrieve the anchor. After numerous attempts, Statti was successful and found the anchor at a depth of 88 meters. Using a heavy stone to descend, Statti located and was able to salvage the anchor with breath holds lasting roughly 3 minutes.