Diving without the use of breathing apparatus has a long tradition. Since ancient times, pearls, sponges and lobsters have been luring professional divers into depths of 30 metres and more. Competitive free divers are different though. They are more extreme, more determined. They dive to depths of more than 200 metres and accomplish maximum performance below water – physically as well as psychologically. Some of them dive for more than 11 minutes with one single breath. Why? For competitive spirit, for glory and honour, for world records and for fantastic encounters in the depths of the ocean – particularly with themselves.

DISCIPLINES

Descending to the depths with a single breath – apneists dive without compressed air bottles containing artificial oxygen, simply using the air in their lungs. This is why we also speak of free diving. Free divers take part in official apnea championships in three deep dive disciplines.

(1) “Constant Weight” Apnea: the athletes dive as deep as possible and return to the surface armed only with fins.

(2) “Variable Weight” Apnea: the free divers use a weighted sled of up to 30 kg to descend and return to the surface without it by pulling themselves up on a line.

(3) No-limits Apnea: the athletes use a weighted sled to descend and an inflatable balloon to ascend. They practice in the open sea, off the most beautiful coasts in the world, or in the pool.

PRACTICE

Self-immersion – apnea (in Greek Ápnoia  meaning “non-breathing”) is the art of holding at bay the natural breathing reflex, ignoring it by releasing tension and using mental strength. This can be dangerous, so you should always dive in pairs at the very least. Through intense endurance training and targeted breathing techniques, apneists succeed in fully utilising their lung volume and significantly reducing their pulse rate and oxygen consumption.

When diving to depths, they must also master pressure equalisation. What is crucial, though, is the attitude and passion with which free divers reach these great depths: the joy of the silence of the sea and the infinite space of the ocean.

WORLD RECORDS

Completely without oxygen bottles – Apnea competitions in pools and deep diving are carried out according to the rules of AIDA, the largest international association for apnea competitions. For the official recognition of individual achievements, certain conditions and safety standards must be observed. According to these standards, Stéphane Mifsud has held the world record in static apnea (timed breath holding) since 2009 with a time of 11:35 min. Giorgios Panagiotakis and Mateusz Malina have been sharing the world record in dynamic apnea with fins since 2016 with a 300 m horizontal distance. In 2016, William Trubridge reached a depth of 124 m in constant weight apnea off the Bahamas. For 10 years now the Austrian Herbert Nitsch is the world record holder in no-limits apnea, reaching a depth of 214 m (as of May 2017).

LEGENDS

The best free divers in the world – first of all there is Enzo Maiorca, the pioneer of free diving. The Sicilian (1931-2016) was the first person to break the 50 m mark in 1960. The King of the Depths knew no boundaries, he always wanted to descend further, thus setting 13 world records. No-limit apnea was his specialty. At the age of 57 he achieved his personal record with a depth of 101 m. Then there is Jacques Mayol, who was a living myth. The Frenchman (1927-2001) was the first free diver to descend to a depth of 100 m in 1976 and he held several world records. Mayol’s fascinating life and his rivalry with Enzo Maiorca inspired Luc Besson to create the film “The Big Blue”. Finally, the best: Umberto Pelizzari. The Italian (born in 1965) was a friend of Maiorca and Mayol and learned a lot from them. He was the first free diver to descend to a depth of 150 m. Using Buddhist breathing techniques, he has held world records in all deep dive disciplines, has dived with dolphins and danced weightlessly with whales.

wanT TO know more about thEse heroEs?
Here are some links we HAVE put together:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uOsDZ2u3uI
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgm6FZjqwwM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mJuAlKFBd0

DEEP DIVE

An apnea diver’s record attempt, part 1 – “It’s competition day and our boat reaches the platform. The weather is good, the sled is waiting. Before I challenge the sea, I look around. There’s the safety team, the ocean, the horizon. I focus on my breathing, my mind, on every fibre of my body. My muscles relax, my heartbeat decreases. Body and mind become one. I loosen up and relax completely, feeling at peace with myself and I look forward to the sea and smile. I get on the sled and close my eyes; breathe deeply, very deeply, one last time. Then I raise my hand and the sled descends into the depths with me on top …”

An apnea diver’s record attempt, part 2  “A long way lies ahead of me into the deep blue sea. The sun rays disappear, the blue becomes more intense. Soon it will be absolute. I check the sled, the brake, the angle of descent. The pace is increasing. I pass 30 metres. I feel good and my body is functioning well. 50 metres. Everything is going well. The pressure increases and the blue becomes darker. I feel happy, merge with the sea and sail further into the depths – 60, 70, 80 metres. Soon I’ll be there. I focus and stay relaxed. There is absolute silence around me. Now the pain starts but my will is strong and finally I reach the 100-metre mark. However, it is not yet a success. I still have to get back to the surface…”

An apnea diver’s record attempt, part 3  “The sea is dark and cold. My lungs hurt. My mind is wide awake. I am calm and relaxed, highly focussed. I’d like to stay because it’s so nice down here, but I must go up again. I grab the rope and bounce off, move the fins evenly and strongly. The water pressure decreases. The light returns, precursors of heaven. I want to breathe again but I stay focused. The dark blue leaves me, the surface is approaching. Now it’s getting dangerous because euphoria is suddenly setting in, but I must be attentive and remain focussed to the end. Then I pierce the surface back into the world. Done! Cheers and sirens around me. I carefully open my lips and hesitate for a second. Then I breathe very slowly. I feel pure happiness. “