Breathe, dive, equalize, ascend, clear, repeat.

If anyone has ever dived without a tank, then you know this process all too well.  Freediving is an activity and alternative to SCUBA diving that isn’t as equipment intensive.  Of course, you can’t stay under water as long as a SCUBA diver, but Freediving is fun and rewarding. 

Equipped with only a snorkel, fins, and mask (spear gun optional), a freediver’s objective is to continuously rest at the surface, take a big deep breath, dive, descend in the water column, equalize the pressure in your ears as you go down, swim around for a bit, ascend, and clear your snorkel all while still holding your one breath.  Doing this exercise increases your lung capacity and you only get better as you practice.  It’s a fun way to experience the underwater world similarly to a SCUBA diver, but you don’t have to worry about all that equipment; nevertheless, there are some dangers such as Shallow Water Blackout,  a process in which a freediver loses consciousness while submerged from exceeding their time that their breath allows them underwater.  This can happen to experienced swimmers and divers alike, but remember you should always dive with a buddy and both should always keep an eye on the other. 

This chest-up, ragdoll position is a common sign that somebody is experiencing shallow water blackout

There are some amazing feats completed by freedivers.  Of course, due to competitive nature, there are different categories and regulations for this activity at the competitive nature such as with/without fins with/without weights, with fins/without weights etc.  The current record depth achieved by a freediver is held by Herbert Nitsch at an astounding 830 ft. below the surface.  At the same time, Freediving expert and author James Nestor believes humanity will accomplish a 1000 ft. freedive soon!  It’s a daunting activity but it has been a part of humanity’s adventurous history and led to the implementation of the SCUBA.

A fun historical aside involves the story of pearl oyster diving where people from Asia, India, and Mexico were forced to dive up to 100 ft. on a single breath in order to hunt pearl oysters on the bottom of the sea floor.  Of course, labor regulations were like the Wild West in these days before the 20^th century, so employers didn’t give a rat’s hat about their employees being exposed to the dangers like SWB, the bends, or even drowning.  For more information about this activity, check out James Nestor’s book Deep about freediving or just google it since I’m too lazy to help you out.