Static Apnea (STA)
Static Apnea involves divers keeping their faces submerged in water without breathing. It is the only type of free diving judged by breath-holding time. Divers keep their noses and mouths underwater, trying to stay still to conserve oxygen and extend breath-holding time. Static apnea is primarily a mental challenge, requiring divers to resist the urge to breathe for as long as possible. Besides its own challenges, static apnea also helps in training for other types of free diving.
Most freedivers start with static apnea, which helps them prepare for other types of training.
Dynamic Free Diving (DYN/DNF)
Dynamic Free Diving involves swimming horizontally as far as possible on a single breath. It includes two types:
- With fins (DYN)
- Without fins (DNF)
Dynamic free diving is most commonly practiced in swimming pools and combines swimming, breath-holding techniques, and psychological control. It is suitable for divers who do not have access to deep diving environments or want to train in winter.
Free Immersion (FIM)
Free Immersion challenges divers to reach depth without fins. Divers use a guide rope to descend and ascend without using fins or any other propulsion equipment. Beginners often find free immersion the most enjoyable because the ascent and descent techniques are simple, allowing for easy control of speed and ear pressure balance.
Constant Weight No Fins (CNF)
Most free divers consider Constant Weight No Fins the purest form of free diving. In CNF, divers rely solely on their muscle power and swimming skills to descend, without touching a vertical reference line or using weight to descend. This form of free diving is perhaps the purest but also the most difficult, as it consumes oxygen quickly and descends much slower than other forms using a line or fins. Divers pursuing CNF must diligently train for perfect coordination between propulsion, balance, technique, and buoyancy.
Constant Weight (CWT)
Constant Weight Free Diving involves using fins to descend to the maximum depth, either with standard bi-fins or a monofin. Divers can touch the vertical reference line only when stopping descent to start ascent.
Constant weight free diving is the most common and beloved type of free diving. Using powerful fins underwater is an incredible experience, allowing divers to stop kicking and free fall directly downward when they reach sufficient depth. Constant weight free diving originated from fishermen hunting fish and currently represents the deepest depths achieved in competitions.
Variable Weight (VWT)
Variable Weight Free Diving uses weighted sleds attached to a vertical reference line to descend rapidly, allowing professional free divers to reach the deepest depths without swimming down.
Ascents can be made by swimming or grabbing onto the line. Variable weight free diving is sometimes quite dangerous because rapid descents can create difficulties in pressure balance, and sometimes divers descend deeper than they can ascend. For these reasons, variable weight free diving requires advanced freedivers and is excluded from competitions.
No-Limits Free Diving is the most extreme type of free diving, where divers descend rapidly using a weighted sled and then ascend using inflatable lifting bags, balloons, or other buoyancy devices. There is no need to swim during descent or ascent, allowing no-limits divers to reach greater depths than other types. No-limits free diving is also the most adventurous type of free diving because divers must rely solely on their equipment to safely return to the surface after reaching such depths. Whether you are a diver or a non-diver, you may have learned about no-limits free diving from the world-famous movie “The Big Blue.” In fact, no-limits free diving is currently not allowed in competitive events.
Free divers dive for goals such as time, depth, or distance, depending on the type of freediving and its rules. Many free divers strive for excellence in various types. Free diving beginners try different types under the guidance of coaches and then decide which direction to pursue.
FAQs
What is Static Apnea in free diving?
Static Apnea involves holding your breath with your face submerged in water, judged by how long you can hold your breath. It is a mental challenge that also helps in training for other types of free diving.
What are the two types of Dynamic Free Diving?
Dynamic Free Diving includes two types: with fins (DYN) and without fins (DNF). It involves swimming horizontally as far as possible on a single breath.
How does Free Immersion differ from other types of free diving?
In Free Immersion, divers use a guide rope to descend and ascend without fins or any other propulsion equipment, making it a simple and enjoyable type of free diving for beginners.
Why is Constant Weight No Fins considered the purest form of free diving?
Constant Weight No Fins is considered the purest form because divers rely solely on muscle power and swimming skills to descend, without using any external aids like fins or weight to assist in the descent.
What makes Variable Weight Free Diving risky?
Variable Weight Free Diving uses weighted sleds for rapid descent, which can create difficulties in pressure balance and may lead to divers descending deeper than they can safely ascend.
Why is No-Limits Free Diving not allowed in competitive events?
No-Limits Free Diving involves using weighted sleds for descent and buoyancy devices for ascent, making it highly reliant on equipment and extremely adventurous. Due to its risks, it is not allowed in competitive events.
