Freediving

Freediving is about being able to explore and enjoy the underwater world in a natural and harmonious way. Man has been diving under water for thousands of years for the purpose of hunting and gathering food. In modern times man has begun to enjoy diving as a recreational activity. Maximum depth/time/distance is a specialty of ours but not our only focus, we just enjoy being in pools in the winter, the sea in the summer and diving in salt free slate Quarries with no tanx all year round. Some are are absolutely crystal clear . Apnea means breath holding, some groups we have helped with their Apnea are:

· Snorkellers wanting to improve style and confidence for holidays
· Techniques to assist Whale Shark tagging / photography
· SCUBA divers wanting to improve air consumption, confidence and ability to self-rescue and look after students.
· Surfers wanting to protect against hold downs and long duration underwater stays and increase confidence, energy and improve safety
· Hunters / Gatherers. Spearfishing and scalloping skills are amongst our specialties
· Underwater Hockey players
· Synchronised swimmers

Health benefits from the techniques you learn and practice from this sport are well documented; the bravado associated with press releases about this sport are not what we are about. As much as we are proud of our achievements and list them in order to demonstrate our competence, we produce a club of like-minded people who wish to help the Freediver next to them achieve their personal goals. Most are recreational freedivers. We instill safety values and respect for our peers and ethical considerations when performing. We don't put up with 'strokes' (people with dangerous attitude and mentality). These values mean we have a 100% safety record (as does the sport across the UK to be fair). Our instructors have decades of experience between them! They are all qualified by internationally recognized agencies. Course information can be found here

More recently freediving has evolved into a competitive sport with hundreds of divers around the world constantly pushing their limits ever deeper. On the competition scene our own members have gone on to set 19 National free diving records across all 8 Freedive disciplines listed below, we have been on the podium for National competitions innumerable times including winning several times and represented the United Kingdom in World Championships for over a decade. Two of our members helped win silver in the World Freediving Championships in Vancouver 2004. We have had UK squad member(s) nearly every year since. We fulfilled the UK Freediving squad Captains role in 2008. We have experienced Freedivers who continue to Freedive and help the group, this is very important.

The eight Freediving disciplines are:

Constant Weight:- The freediver descends and ascends using his fins/monofin and/or with the use of his arms without pulling on the rope or changing his ballast; only a single hold of the rope to stop the descent and start the ascent is allowed. Constant weight is the common sportive depth discipline of freediving, because of the specific fins or monofins used in it. Constant weight is one of the two disciplines considered for the international competitions by team, with Static apnea.

Constant Weight Without Fins:- The freediver descends and ascends under water using only his own muscle strenght, without the use of propulsion equipment and without pulling on the rope. Constant weight without fins is the most difficult sportive depth discipline, because of absolutely no propulsing material to go down in the water. This category needs a perfect coordination between propulsing movments, equalization, technique and buoyancy.

Free Immersion:- The freediver dives under water without the use of propulsion equipment, but only by pulling on the rope during descent and ascent. Free immersion is the sportive depth discipline with the purest sensations, because of the speed of the water in the body, and the power of each pull on the rope as only mean of propulsion. Performances could be done the head first during the descent, or the feet first, depending equalization facilities of each freedivers. Some of them also even use mixed solutions.

Variable Weight:- The freediver descends with the help of a ballast weight and ascends using his own strength: arms and/or legs, either by pulling or not pulling on the rope. Variable weight is the first of both depth disciplines using a sled to go down in the water. Old sleds was descending "head first", like presented in the famous Luc Besson's movie "Le Grand Bleu", but new sleds descending "feet first" are now generalized.

Static:- The freediver holds his breath for as long as possible with his respiratory tracts immerged, his body either in the water or at the surface. Static apnea is the only discipline measuring the duration, and one of the three disciplines considered for the international competitions by team, with Constant weight and Dynamic with fins. Performances could be done and recognized in both pool or open water (sea, lake, river, etc).

Dynamic with fins:- The freediver travels in a horizontal position under water attempting to cover the greatest possible distance. Any propulsion aids other than fins or a monofin and swimming movements with the arms are prohibited Dynamic with fins is the most typical of both disciplines measuring the distance in freediving, because of the specific means of propulsion : long fins or monofin. Performances could only be recognized in swimming-pools with a minimum length of 25 meters, and are sometimes considered in national or indoor's 'combiné', with the Static apnea.

Dynamic without fins:- The freediver travels in a horizontal position under water attempting to cover the greatest possible distance. Any propulsion aids are prohibited. Dynamic without fins is the most natural of both disciplines measuring the distance for many freedivers, because it doesn't need any propulsing material, but a very good technique. Performances also could only be recognized in pools with a minimum lenght of 25 meters, and are greatly appreciated from "old-swimmers".

No Limits:- The freediver descends with the help of a ballast weight and ascends via a method of his choice. No limit is the absolute depth discipline. Going down with a sled, and going back up with a balloon, a diving suit or a vest with inflatable compartments, or whatever other means.