The Top 8 Freediving Disciplines you must now
Freediving is becoming one of the most popular activities for adventure-loving people. This is the process where a you stay underwater only on one breath; different than in scuba diving, you don’t use any external sources of air. It’s a great sport, if done properly it can help you to improve your self-awareness, develop your attention, and also make you feel more relaxed. The challenge in freediving is more about your mental than your physical power. Basically every healthy person can start freediving. If you want to learn how to freedive, feel free to check out our Essential Guide to Start Freediving. However, first we will explain here the top 8 types of freediving.
1. Spearfishing
In spearfishing you dive with one breath and aim to catch fish using a speargun. Spearfishing is the oldest method to catch fish and is done both commercially and recreationally. Also, spearfishing is one of the most rewarding types of freediving as it is quite difficult to catch fish. Fish are like dogs. They sense it when you’re nervous. The challenge is to relax, be natural and flow with the water in a meditative way.
2. Static Apnea
Static Apnea is a competitive Freediving discipline. The freedivers do not move but remain at the same point with their face under water to hold their breath for as long as possible. It is the only discipline in competitive freediving which is judged not by distance but by time. The challenge is to restrain the urge to breath.
3. Dynamic Freediving
Dynamic Freediving is a competitive Freediving discipline practiced in confined water. The Freediver swims in a horizontal direction and puts all efforts into completing the distance of swimming just by holding only one breath. Dynamic Freediving can be done with or without fins and is conducted in shallow, confined water. Apart from the competitions, it is often practiced as a training for other Freediving types.
4. Free Immersion Freediving
In Free Immersion Freediving, a rope is used to pull yourself down and up in a vertical line. The goal is to go as deep as possible. Free Immersion Freediving can be done with or without fins.
5. Constant Weight Freediving
In Constant Weight Freediving, you descend and ascend vertically by diving along a rope. The goal is to go as deep as possibl. In contrast to Free Immersion Freediving, the rope is not being used to pull yourself down and up but as an orientation and safety tool. The same weight is being carried during the entire dive. Thus, it is not allowed to alter your weight which would make it easier to ascend. The dive may be conducted with or without fins.
6. Variable Weight Freediving
In Variable Weight Freediving, weight will be added to increase the descending speed. When ascending, the weight will be reduced in order to come back to the surface faster. However, the ascending must be done by your own power and it is not allowed to apply weight-reducing assistance. The divers can use fins or the rope to ascend.
7. No Limits Freediving
No limit freediving is another type of freediving with extreme and risky depth experience. In this discipline, the divers use a sled to descend rapidly, and to ascend; they can use a balloon, a lift bag (inflatable), or another buoyancy device as well. This diving type is the most difficult and risky because of the great depth. Many people have lost their lives during No Limit Freediving. As a result, this freediving type has been suspended for official competitions.
8. Recreational Freediving
Recreational freediving is diving just for fun to peacefully explore the underwater world. Usually, recreational freedivers explore reefs or wrecks and watch underwater fauna. There are many beautiful places to freedive around the world. Our recommended locations for recreational freediving are in the Philippines, in Indonesia, in the Bahamas, in Italy and in Egypt. Recreational Freediving requires you to combine your dynamic and constant weight diving skills.
